A Comparison of the Sexual Behaviors and Attitudes of Adolescent Girls with Older vs. Similar-Aged Boyfriends

Sexual behaviors and attitudes of female adolescents were studied as a function of age of boyfriend. Boyfriend's age was dichotomized: similar-aged was defined as within 2 years of the girls' age; older aged was 3 or more years older than the girl. A school-based, ethnically diverse sample...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of youth and adolescence 2004-04, Vol.33 (2), p.167-175
Main Authors: Gowen, L. Kris, Feldman, S. Shirley, Diaz, Rafael, Yisrael, Donnovan Somera
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adolescent girls
Adolescents
Age
Age differences
Attitudes
Biological and medical sciences
Child development
Children & youth
Contraception
Dating (Social)
Developmental psychology
Females
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Girls
Grade 11
Influence
Intimacy
Males
Medical sciences
Monogamy
Opposite Sex Relations
Partners
Personal relationships
Power
Predictors
Prevention and actions
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Risk
Sexual Behavior
Sexual behaviour
Sexual intercourse
Sexuality
Social research
Specific populations (family, woman, child, elderly...)
Teenagers
Truancy
USA
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Summary:Sexual behaviors and attitudes of female adolescents were studied as a function of age of boyfriend. Boyfriend's age was dichotomized: similar-aged was defined as within 2 years of the girls' age; older aged was 3 or more years older than the girl. A school-based, ethnically diverse sample of 9th-grade girls (N = 146) who had been in a serious romantic relationship was surveyed on 5 dimensions of sexual attitudes, 2 classes of sexual motives, 7 normative sexual behaviors, and 3 types of risky sexual practices. Results showed that in terms of behavior, girls with older boyfriends were more likely than girls with similar-aged boyfriends to engage in all forms of sexual intimacy, to have sex under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and to experience sexual coercion. In terms of sexual attitudes, girls with older boyfriends were more likely to endorse beliefs that guys are sexually driven, that sex "just happens" and is spontaneous, and that sex is related to maturity. These results are discussed in terms of a potential power differential that emerges when girls date older boys.
ISSN:0047-2891
1573-6601
DOI:10.1023/B:JOYO.0000013428.41781.a0