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January 1989, Vol 143, No. 1 >
Article | January 1989

Reported Sexual Behaviors and Self-esteem Among Young Adolescents FREE

Donald P. Orr, MD; Mary L. Wilbrandt, MSW; Catherine J. Brack, MS; Steven P. Rauch, MSW; Gary M. Ingersoll, PhD
[+] Author Affiliations

Accepted for publication Aug 29, 1988.

Presented in part at the American School Health Association Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, Ind, Oct 9, 1987.

Reprint requests to Department of Pediatrics, Room A586, James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children, 702 Barnhill Dr, Indianapolis, IN 46223 (Dr Orr).


Am J Dis Child. 1989;143(1):86-90. doi:10.1001/archpedi.1989.02150130096023.
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• Six hundred seventy-seven adolescents in grades 7 through 9 of a blue-collar, midwestern junior high school responded to a survey of sexual behavior and self-esteem. The focus of this study was on the relationship between sexual experience and self-esteem. Fifty-five percent of the students reported having had at least one coital experience; 7% reported having intercourse about once a week. The proportion of sexually experienced adolescents increased with age; 28% of 12-year-olds, 52.7% of 13-year-olds, 60.1% of 14-year-olds, 73.6% of 15-year-olds, and 90% of 16-year-olds reported having intercourse on at least one occasion. More boys of all ages were sexually active than girls. Six percent of students had had, or were suspicious of having had, a sexually transmitted disease; 7.8% were involved in a pregnancy. The average of the self-esteem scores for girls was significantly lower than the average for boys. There was an interaction effect between gender and coital history for self-esteem. Girls who reported having had intercourse had lower self-esteem scores than those who did not. On the other hand, self-esteem of sexually experienced and inexperienced boys did not differ, nor did self-esteem of virginal boys and girls. Boys and girls with a history of sexually transmitted diseases had lower self-esteem than all others. Pregnancy, on the other hand, did not seem to affect self-esteem of the sexually experienced adolescents. This cross-sectional study does not permit determination of whether the lower average self-esteem among certain girls was antecedent to or a consequence of sexual experience.

(AJDC1989;143:86-90)

REFERENCES

1 +
Zelnik M, Kantner JF:  Sexual activity, contraceptive use and pregnancy among metropolitan-area teenagers: 1971-1979 . Fam Plann Perspect 1980;;12:233-237.
2 +
Bell T, Hein K:  Adolescents and sexually transmitted diseases , in Holmes K, Mardh PA, Sparling P, et al (eds): Sexually Transmitted Disease . New York, McGraw-Hill International Book Co, 1984;, p 73-84.
3 +
Jones EF, Forrest JD, Goldman N, et al:  Teenage pregnancy in developed countries: Determinants and policy implications . Fam Plann Perspect 1985;;17:53-63.
4 +
Simmons RG, Blyth DA, Van Cleave EF, et al:  Entry into early adolescence: The impact of school structure, puberty, and early dating on self-esteem . Am Sociol Rev 1979;;44:948-967.
5 +
Bell TR, Chasten JB:  Premarital sexual experience among coeds, 1958 and 1968 . J Marr Fam 1970;;32:81-84.
6 +
Weiser SP: Adolescents' Use of Health Services, dissertation . West Lafayette, Ind, Purdue University, 1985;.
7 +
Orr D, Lay P, Green M: High risk behaviors among young adolescents: Results from a community survey. Presented to the Program to Consolidate Health Services for High Risk Young People, Warrenton, Va, July 23, 1984.
8 +
Brack C, Orr D, Ingersoll G:  Pubertal maturation and adolescent self-esteem . J Adolesc Health Care 1988;;9:280-285.
9 +
Hibbard R, Brack C, Rauch S, et al:  Abuse, feelings, and health behaviors in a student population . AJDC 1988;;142:326-330.
10 +
Rosenberg M: Society and the Adolescent Self-Image . Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press, 1965;.
11 +
Robinson JP, Shave PR (eds): Measures of Social Psychological Attitudes . Ann Arbor, Mich, Institute for Social Research, 1974;, pp 98-99.
12 +
Hollingshead A, Redlich F: Social Class and Mental Illness: A Community Survey . New York, John Wiley & Sons Inc, 1958;.
13 +
Johnson AG: Social Statistics Without Tears . New York, McGraw-Hill International Book Co, 1979;, pp 97-99.
14 +
Nie NH, Hull CH, Jenkins JG, et al: Statistical Package for the Social Sciences , ed 2. New York, McGraw-Hill International Book Co, 1975;, pp 228-229.
15 +
Kirk RE: Experimental Design: Procedures for the Behavioral Sciences . Belmont, Calif, Brooks/Cole, 1968;.
16 +
Zabin L, Hirsch M, Smith E, et al:  Adolescent pregnancy-prevention: A model for research and evaluation . J Adolesc Health Care 1986;;7: 77-87.
17 +
Vener AM, Stewart CS:  Adolescent sexual behavior in middle America revisited: 1970-1973 . J Marr Fam , (November) 1974;, pp 728-735.
18 +
Sorensen RC: Adolescent Sexuality in Contemporary America . New York, World Publishing, 1973;, pp 189-215.
19 +
Irwin CE, Millstein SG:  Biopsychosocial correlates of risk-taking behaviors during adolescence . J Adolesc Health Care 1986;;7( (suppl) ): 82S-96S.
20 +
Jessor SL, Jessor R:  Transition from virginity to non-virginity among youth: A social-psychological study over time . Develop Psychol 1975;; 11:473-484.
21 +
Kashami JH, Beck NC, Hoeper EW, et al:  Psychiatric disorders in a community sample of adolescents . Am J Psychiatry 1987;;144:584-589.
22 +
O'Malley PM, Backman J:  Self-esteem: Change and stability between ages 13 and 23 . Develop Psychol 1983;;19:257-268.
23 +
Tobin-Richards M, Boxer A, Peterson A:  The psychological significance of pubertal changes and sex differences in perceptions of self during early adolescence , in Brooks-Gunn J, Petersen A (eds): Girls at Puberty . New York, Plenum Publishing Corp, 1983;, pp 127-154.
24 +
Blyth D, Simmons R, Zakin D:  Satisfaction with body image for early adolescent females: The impact of pubertal timing within different school environments . J Youth Adolesc 1985;;14:207-225.
25 +
Simmons RG:  Social transition and adolescent development . New Dir Child Dev 1987;; 37:33-62.
26 +
Simmons RG, Blyth DA: Moving Into Adolescence: The Impact of Pubertal Change and School Context . Hawthorne, NY, Aldine Publishing Co, 1987;.
27 +
Brooks-Gunn J, Warren MP:  Measuring physical status and timing in early adolescence: A developmental perspective . J Youth Adolesc 1985;;14:163-189.
28 +
Brooks-Gunn J, Warren MP: Biological contribution of affective expression in young adolescent girls. Read before the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Baltimore, April 24, 1987.
29 +
Orr D, Ingersoll G:  Adolescent development: A biopsychosocial perspective . Curr Probl Pediatr 1988;;8:443-487.
30 +
Campanelli PC, Dielman TE, Shope JT:  Validity of adolescents' self-reports of alcohol use and misuse using a bogus pipeline procedure . Adolescence 1987;;22:7-22.
31 +
Silber TJ, Getson P, Ridley S, et al:  Adolescent marijuana use: Concordance between questionnaire and immunoassay for cannabinoid metabolites . J Pediatr 1987;;111:299-302.
32 +
Magnusson D, Staltin H, Allen VL:  Biological maturation and social development: A longitudinal study of some adjustment processes from midadolescence to adulthood . J Youth Adolesc 1985;;14:267-284.

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References

1 +
Zelnik M, Kantner JF:  Sexual activity, contraceptive use and pregnancy among metropolitan-area teenagers: 1971-1979 . Fam Plann Perspect 1980;;12:233-237.
2 +
Bell T, Hein K:  Adolescents and sexually transmitted diseases , in Holmes K, Mardh PA, Sparling P, et al (eds): Sexually Transmitted Disease . New York, McGraw-Hill International Book Co, 1984;, p 73-84.
3 +
Jones EF, Forrest JD, Goldman N, et al:  Teenage pregnancy in developed countries: Determinants and policy implications . Fam Plann Perspect 1985;;17:53-63.
4 +
Simmons RG, Blyth DA, Van Cleave EF, et al:  Entry into early adolescence: The impact of school structure, puberty, and early dating on self-esteem . Am Sociol Rev 1979;;44:948-967.
5 +
Bell TR, Chasten JB:  Premarital sexual experience among coeds, 1958 and 1968 . J Marr Fam 1970;;32:81-84.
6 +
Weiser SP: Adolescents' Use of Health Services, dissertation . West Lafayette, Ind, Purdue University, 1985;.
7 +
Orr D, Lay P, Green M: High risk behaviors among young adolescents: Results from a community survey. Presented to the Program to Consolidate Health Services for High Risk Young People, Warrenton, Va, July 23, 1984.
8 +
Brack C, Orr D, Ingersoll G:  Pubertal maturation and adolescent self-esteem . J Adolesc Health Care 1988;;9:280-285.
9 +
Hibbard R, Brack C, Rauch S, et al:  Abuse, feelings, and health behaviors in a student population . AJDC 1988;;142:326-330.
10 +
Rosenberg M: Society and the Adolescent Self-Image . Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press, 1965;.
11 +
Robinson JP, Shave PR (eds): Measures of Social Psychological Attitudes . Ann Arbor, Mich, Institute for Social Research, 1974;, pp 98-99.
12 +
Hollingshead A, Redlich F: Social Class and Mental Illness: A Community Survey . New York, John Wiley & Sons Inc, 1958;.
13 +
Johnson AG: Social Statistics Without Tears . New York, McGraw-Hill International Book Co, 1979;, pp 97-99.
14 +
Nie NH, Hull CH, Jenkins JG, et al: Statistical Package for the Social Sciences , ed 2. New York, McGraw-Hill International Book Co, 1975;, pp 228-229.
15 +
Kirk RE: Experimental Design: Procedures for the Behavioral Sciences . Belmont, Calif, Brooks/Cole, 1968;.
16 +
Zabin L, Hirsch M, Smith E, et al:  Adolescent pregnancy-prevention: A model for research and evaluation . J Adolesc Health Care 1986;;7: 77-87.
17 +
Vener AM, Stewart CS:  Adolescent sexual behavior in middle America revisited: 1970-1973 . J Marr Fam , (November) 1974;, pp 728-735.
18 +
Sorensen RC: Adolescent Sexuality in Contemporary America . New York, World Publishing, 1973;, pp 189-215.
19 +
Irwin CE, Millstein SG:  Biopsychosocial correlates of risk-taking behaviors during adolescence . J Adolesc Health Care 1986;;7( (suppl) ): 82S-96S.
20 +
Jessor SL, Jessor R:  Transition from virginity to non-virginity among youth: A social-psychological study over time . Develop Psychol 1975;; 11:473-484.
21 +
Kashami JH, Beck NC, Hoeper EW, et al:  Psychiatric disorders in a community sample of adolescents . Am J Psychiatry 1987;;144:584-589.
22 +
O'Malley PM, Backman J:  Self-esteem: Change and stability between ages 13 and 23 . Develop Psychol 1983;;19:257-268.
23 +
Tobin-Richards M, Boxer A, Peterson A:  The psychological significance of pubertal changes and sex differences in perceptions of self during early adolescence , in Brooks-Gunn J, Petersen A (eds): Girls at Puberty . New York, Plenum Publishing Corp, 1983;, pp 127-154.
24 +
Blyth D, Simmons R, Zakin D:  Satisfaction with body image for early adolescent females: The impact of pubertal timing within different school environments . J Youth Adolesc 1985;;14:207-225.
25 +
Simmons RG:  Social transition and adolescent development . New Dir Child Dev 1987;; 37:33-62.
26 +
Simmons RG, Blyth DA: Moving Into Adolescence: The Impact of Pubertal Change and School Context . Hawthorne, NY, Aldine Publishing Co, 1987;.
27 +
Brooks-Gunn J, Warren MP:  Measuring physical status and timing in early adolescence: A developmental perspective . J Youth Adolesc 1985;;14:163-189.
28 +
Brooks-Gunn J, Warren MP: Biological contribution of affective expression in young adolescent girls. Read before the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Baltimore, April 24, 1987.
29 +
Orr D, Ingersoll G:  Adolescent development: A biopsychosocial perspective . Curr Probl Pediatr 1988;;8:443-487.
30 +
Campanelli PC, Dielman TE, Shope JT:  Validity of adolescents' self-reports of alcohol use and misuse using a bogus pipeline procedure . Adolescence 1987;;22:7-22.
31 +
Silber TJ, Getson P, Ridley S, et al:  Adolescent marijuana use: Concordance between questionnaire and immunoassay for cannabinoid metabolites . J Pediatr 1987;;111:299-302.
32 +
Magnusson D, Staltin H, Allen VL:  Biological maturation and social development: A longitudinal study of some adjustment processes from midadolescence to adulthood . J Youth Adolesc 1985;;14:267-284.

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