The effects of family structure on the sexual behavior of adolescents
Young, E.W.; Jensen, L.C.; Olsen, J.A.; Cundick, B.P.
Adolescence 26(104): 977-986
1991
ISSN/ISBN: 0001-8449 PMID: 1789184 Document Number: 320381
The hypotheses in this study of adolescent sexual behavior are that the effects of single-parent homes will be greater for white males, that males in single-parent families would differ more from males in intact families than the corresponding females, and that traditional 2-parent families may be related to less adolescent sexual behavior. Data were available from the 1979 National Survey of Young Men and the 1979 National Survey of Young Women on never-married persons 17-19 years (609 males and 892 females). There were 150 black males and 184 black females living with 1 parent, 80 white males and 184 females living with 1 parent, 107 black males and 184 females living with 2 parents, and 272 white males and 418 females living with 2 parents. Family types were grouped based on what woman raised you and what man raised you and for how long between birth and 12 years for males and 10 years for females. Dependent variables were sexual experience and frequency of sexual intercourse within the month. The results were that the race/family variable was significantly related to sexual experience for males and females. When gender and race are controlled for, persons from 1-parent families were more likely to have had sexual intercourse than from 2- parent families, i.e., for black males (84.7% vs. 72.0%), white males (73.8% vs. 64.7%), black females (84.8% vs. 76.1%), and white females (65.1% vs. 50.0%). Blacks were more likely than whites to have had sexual intercourse when gender and family structure are controlled for. The data do not support the hypothesis that males are more influenced by family structure, or that white males are more influenced than black males. The analysis of variance showed a significant race/family effect (F=3.81, df=3/974, p.01) and a significant family/race by gender interaction (F=2.63, df=6/974, p.05). Blacks had a lower frequency of sexual activity than whites, as well as persons from 2-parent families that from 1-parent families. Race was the most important influence females, and family structure among males, especially white males. Sexually experienced black females had less sexual intercourse than white females, regardless of family structure. Regardless of race, 1- parent females had the same frequency of intercourse as 2-parent females. Black males and whit males had similar patterns of intercourse, but any males from 2-parent families had sex less frequently than from 1-parent families. Sexual involvement was influenced by family structure. Frequency of intercourse and initiation of intercourse clearly distinguish adolescent sexual behavior by race. It is important how sexual activity is measured.