textbook chapter 10

Gender identity

• By age 2 ½ to 3, children know what gender they are which is first step in developing a gender identity 

• They wanna be like other members of that group 

• 4-6 ideas about gender are very rigid

• 1% of children do not identify with the gender assigned to them at birth and exhibit cross gender behaviour by age 2

Early partnered behaviour

• 61% women recalled learning about intercourse by age 12

• Boys are more likely to have same sex behaviour rather than girls because girls sense greater cultural restrictions

Learning about sex

• Promote positive sexuality, not just freedom from disease or dysfunction

• Youth need to make their own informed choices and explore their sexuality 

• Emphasize self worth and dignity of individual and diversity 

• Comprehensive education to understand all sexual orinetations 

• Most adults favour sex education but protests and stuff are emphasized in the media 

Adolescence and sexuality activity

• Testosterone levels had a strong relationship to sexual activirty for boys and girls but less for girls 

• Sexually permissive attitudes were related to sexuality among boys 

• Pubertal development (curvy figure) had an effect, increasing boys attention

• Religion attendance played a role 

• Father absence for girls played a role

Masturbation

• East Asian students were less likely to masturbate 

Same sex sexual behavioiur:

Boys who identify as gay are more likely to be sexually active han those who identify as straight

First time

• People who had nonconseual sex had partners who were older 

• East asians have sex later

• Students who spoke a heritage language at home were least likely to have engaged in sexual intercourse

• Median age for women is later than men in latin and south american countries otherwise it does not vary at all of 16-18

Too early sex

• Men and women who had early sex were more liekly to cohabit and had increased number of sexual partners

• Women who had early sex were less likely to be married 10-12 years later

Adolescent romantic relationships

• Most people try to establish contact with their former partner 

• Increase opportunities to learn skill but also cause negative emotions

• Opportunity to play adult role 

• Study asking 14-19 year olds to describe ideal romantic experience represented 6 dominant themes: fidelity, respect, sensuality, spending time, passion, magic, pleasure

• LGBTQ young people dont date those they are attracted to out of fear of harassment 

• Infidelity can happen in these too

Sexting

• Modern form of flirting 

• A lot of moral panic around sexting because of repercussions

Contraceptive and condom use

• Amygdla and ventral striatum (emotion and reward areas) develop earlier than areas with impulse control so teens are driven by this stuff 

• Rates of teen pregnancy have been dropping 

• 76% of adolescents use condom 

• Used at beginning of relationships or casual encounters

• They switch to birth control and then get STIs

• Underestimate their risk of getting STI 

Teen moms

• If they finish school and postpone other births, they have more successful outcomes

Late adolescence 19-22 masturbation

• 98% of men and 80% of women masturbate

• Contradict thinking its bad but it feels good

Patterns of sexual behaviour and relationships

• 44% did summer before starting university

• 11% did in the next 6 months

• Most give oral sex

• In mixed sex, women rarely recieve oral sex without giiving it 

• Oral is more satisfying with committed partners

• Some young adults have multi person sex

Clusters of sex havers

• Active unprotected: high frequrncy of unprotected sex

• Satisfied: satisfied and low importance on having regular sex

• Inactive: low frequency low importance, satisfaction low

• Pressured: pressured or coerced into sex and satisfaction was low

Sexuality aids in development

• Sexuality can function in an important way as people develop their capacity for intimacy

• Can be understood within an attachment framework

• Early relationships reflect simple interest

• Subsequent ones fulfill primarily affiliative and sexual needs

• Later ones fulfill attachment and mutual caring