Title: AtRisk Female Adolescents and the Factors that Affect their Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors
1At-Risk Female Adolescentsand the Factors that
Affect their Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors
- A Qualitative Case Study
- By Danielle Martinez
- Social Science 193
- Dr. Jeanett Castellanos
2Girls like us are in the clearance bins at
half-off thrift stores.Girls like us will let
you unlock their bedroom windows at night,And
under bleachers and stairwells you can kiss
us,And tell us we are beautiful.Open your eyes
wider, sweetheart, and try to look earnest.We
don't have Valentine cards with our names drowned
in red foil glitter.Girls like us will only fog
up the windows of your pathetically broken-down
sedan,But be easy to get rid of later.Girls
like us are perfectFor boys like you.
I close my eyes,and fall back into my mold while
you tighten the rope.The chains around my neck
are kept strong,so you can lead me and I'll
follow.You tell me what you want from me,and
take me where you want to go.I do everything you
could ever want. -I dress to impress, I smile to
kill.Such a shame that it's not real.My heart
breaks, And my smile fakes the emotions that I
will never feel.I gravely bear andawait the day
my guard goes down.And even if youre not worth
itI'll just wear my smile.After all, my life is
not so perfect.
Author, 17, female at-risk teen
3National Statistics
- 1 in 5 teens have had sex before 15th b-day
- ?
- A sexually active teen who does
- NOT use contraception has a 90 chance of
pregnancy within one year - ?
- 14 and under 20,000 pregnancies, 8,000 births
- 15-19 years 850,000 pregnancies, 450,000 births
- (National Campaign Publication, 2003).
- (Alan Guttmacher Institute, 1998).
4The BIGGER Picture Problem
- 34 of all teenage girls in this country will get
pregnant at least once before the age of 20!! - 78 of teen pregnancies are unintended
- (National Campaign, 2004)
5International Pregnancy and Birth Rates, Teens
15-19The United States has much higher teen
pregnancy and birth rates than other fully
industrialized countries. U.S. teen pregnancy
rates are twice as high as rates in Canada and
eight times as high as rates in Japan.
Unfortunately, Were 1!
UNICEF. (2001).
6100 teen girls get pregnant each hourNearly 1
million teen pregnancies occurred in 1996. To
put it another way, more than 100 U.S. teens
become pregnant each hour. Forty percent of
these pregnancies were to girls under age 18, and
60 percent were to girls aged 18-19.
Total 905,000
542,640
337,530
24,830
The Alan Guttmacher Institute. (1999). Special
report U.S. teenage pregnancy statistics with
comparative statistics for women aged 20-24. New
York Author.
7Who are At-Risk Female Adolescents?
- 13-19 years of age
- Experience chronic school failure
- Usually attend alternative education
(continuation HS) - Vulnerable to peer persuasion
- Family/social environment of abuse, neglect,
poverty, dysfunction, or unemployment - Usually engage in more risky behavior
- Tendency to prove not fearful of risk
(Kagan, 1991).
8Problems of At-Risk Teen SexualityIndividually
- Peer pressure to have sex
- non-voluntary sexual activity
- Limited academic success ? low self-efficacy
- Early initiation of sex leads to other risk
behaviors and consequences
9Problems of At-Risk Teen SexualityCollectively
- Teen mothers prone to
- experience low achievement,
- poverty, lack of provisions
- Likewise, have children with behavioral problems
? feeds the cycle - 2nd pregnancy can exacerbate problems of early
childbearing
10Purpose of Study
- To investigate the psychological,
- social, and educational factors
- that affect the sexual attitudes and behaviors of
at-risk female adolescents - (PSE model)
11Review of the LiteratureBackground Variables
- Socioeconomic Status
- Teens of a lower SES more likely to be sexually
active - (Casper, L., 1990)
- Family Problems
- Teen pregnancy parenthood frequent results of
family dysfunction. - (Hanson, 1992)
- Girls whose mothers gave birth in adolescence
also have sex birth earlier than teens whose
mother at least 20 yrs during 1st pregnancy. - (National Campaign, 2003)
- Age
- 13- if same age, 26 if partner 2yrs older, 33
if partner 3 yrs older. - (National Campaign, 2003)
- Ethnicity
- Black and Hispanic adolescents have higher
birthrates than white adolescents. - (Moore, K.A et al., 1998)
12Review of the LiteraturePsychological Factors
- Self-Motivation
- Individual sexual experiences including
motivation and opportunity to have sex most
prevalent risk factors - (Blum, R.W. et al., 2000)
- ? academic success, ? job opportunities, ?
motivation and aspirations ? ? sexual activity
and pregnancy - (Shearer, et al., 2002)
- Low-cognitive ability
- Young women with low cognitive ability are at
increased risk for early initiation of sexual
activity and pregnancy - (Shearer, et al., 2002)
13Review of the LiteratureSocial Factors
- Social Networks/Dating
- Significant association between dating
relationships and sexual activity - (Ibid, D. et al., 1993)
- Peer Pressure/Acceptance
- Girls whose group of close friends is composed
primarily (75) of high-risk friends is twice as
likely to initiate intercourse as girls with
mostly low-risk friends. - (Bearman, P. et al., 1999)
- Family Support
- Adolescents who perceive that they have little
parental support and do not communicate well w/
their parents are more likely to be sexually
experienced. - (Jessor, S.L. et al., 1972).
14Review of the LiteratureEducational Factors
- Sex education
- Factors associated w/ recent decline in teen
birthrate include parent-child communication,
formal sex education programs and engagement in
schooling - (Manlove, J. et al., 2000)
- Low academic performance
- Low academic performance associated w/ early
sexual initiation and pregnancy. - (Kasen, S. et al., 1998)
- 9 out of 10 adolescents enrolled in alternative
H.S. have already had sex. - (Grunbaum, J.A. et al., 1999).
15Review of the LiteratureGaps in Research
- Limited studies on high-risk adolescents, only
teenagers in general not sufficient in this area - Sexual activity of girls in group homes?
- Limited stats on perceptions of both parent-teen
relationships communication
16Research Questions of Study
- What personal factors lead at-risk female
adolescents to engage in premature sexual
activity? P - What roles do family, peers, and other social
figures play in the daily lives of female
adolescents? S - What attitudes and perceptions do at-risk female
adolescents have towards sex education and teen
pregnancy programs? E
17Methodology of Study
- Research Design
- Qualitative case study
- Site interaction
- Observe behaviors record patterns of meaning
- Social influences and
- relationships
- Triangulation
- Multiple sites hours
- Comparison of data
- Site Selection
- Girls, Inc. PAP
- Based on location, risk, city, times,
availability - Boys Girls Club
- 17th Ross
- Century Day
- Participants
- Convenience sample
- 18 girls (14-19 yrs)
- Constant and irregular participants
18Methodology of StudyBackground of Participants
(18)
- Ethnicity
- 3 Caucasian
- 12 Latina
- Mexican, Salvadoran, Cuban, Puerto Rican
- 3 Asian
- Vietnamese, Filipino, Samoan
- Age
- 22-- 15 yrs old
- 45-- 16 yrs old
- 22-- 17 yrs old
- 11-- 18yrs old
questionnaire Latina (18), White (2), Asian
(1) GARD predominately older (17) SANT
predominately younger (15)
19Methodology of StudyBackground of Participants
(18)
- Living Arrangement
- Dual-parent household -- 5
- Single-Parent household -- 4
- Group Home -- 4
- Extended Family 3
- Friend/Significant other -- 2
- Family Income (SES)
- 0-15,000 -- 2
- 15,000-30,000 4
- 30,000- 45,000 2
- 60,000 or more 1
- Dont know 5
- Not applicable -- 4
questionnaire dual (8) and single (7) -- mom
20Methodology of Study
- Informal Discussions
- Voluntary on-site
- Few pre-determined
- Focus Group
- Demographics (BVs)
- Timeline activity
- Photo Reaction
- Formal Interviews (2)
- Key informant and gatekeeper
- Predetermined and controlled
- Questionnaires
- To both consistent irregular
- Open-ended, written response
- Data Collection
- Participant Interaction
- Observations
- Character profiling
- Extensive Field Notes
- Quality/relevancy
- Mapping of interactions
- Matrices of participants
- Enumerated moods, activity, participation, unique
actions
Note unwillingness w/ authority, comfortable
w/ group work opposite of low-risk teens or high
school teens not considered at-risk
21Generations, pre-marital pregnancy, single parent
household, teen pregnancy, mother-daughter
relations
Romantic relationships, partner age, time period
of sexual behavior, what is appropriate in public
vs. private, values, peers
22Methodology of Study
- Data Analysis
- Extensive review of field notes RQs
- Sorting, Coding and Recoding
- Hi-lighting, circling, underlining, symbols
- Common variables and patterns
- Theme Selection
- Modeling of Relationships
- Matrix Enumeration Tallying-- triangulation
23Summary of FindingsBackground Variables
Living Arrangement
Age
age at first sex
Sexual Activity
Ethnicity
SES
Religion
24Summary of FindingsBackground Variables
- If she is sexually active
- 16
- Latina
- Dual or group home
- SES Dont Know
- Junior level ed
- Religion-- Catholic
- If she is NOT sexually active
- 16
- Caucasian or Latina
- Single parent mom
- SES 30,000-45,000
- Sophomore level ed
- Religion- Christian
25Summary of FindingsPsychological
- High self-esteem despite situations and sexual
behaviors - Dont fear failure
- I dont think it matters how old you are just
as long are you are mature enough to handle sex
and if something bad comes out of it like if you
can take care of yourself and the other person
that means pregnancy too. NOTE, GARD, V, PREG - Very aggressive and largely outspoken not shy or
low self-image - Im very intelligent, social, I like anything to
everything. I like to go anywhere in my
underwear. QUEST, GARD, I - Even though low academic success, high goals and
motivation - 93 expressed future ambitions concerning HS
graduation, college, profession, or family - Go to a UC after graduating from high school and
get a good job and help my parents. GARD, CY - Only 8 did not know or did not have any future
goals - Opposite of literature for sexually active
at-risk teens
26Summary of FindingsPsychological
when asked to describe yourself in
questionnaire
27Summary of FindingsSocial- Family
- Lack of parental influence and communication
- Confide most in sister or relative then parents
(see chart) - Feel cant go to parents for many reasons
- Oh my gosh, my mom drives me crazy! She always
thinks Im having sex and she doesnt even
believe me when I tell her Im not like Im
lying or something! I havent even had sex
before! NOTE, CY, VIR, GARD - My mom had me when she was 15 so she knows
better than to tell me what to do. NOTE, TUST,
DI - Similar Experience relationship between teen mom
and at-risk teen - Become teen mother as well
- Yeah, of course Im gonna keep it oh, Im
staying with my mom for right now. She said
shes gonna help me nah, shes not mad.
(after telling shes 4 months pregnant) 16,
anonymous, never came back to class - Or, are knowledgeable in sexual activity and
consequences - Its every time you have sex, theres a chance
of getting pregnant. Youre stupid if you dont
know that. -- 16, Cuban, in single mom household
28Social- Family InfluenceWho do you go to when
you need advice about the following?
Parents lack influence over teens go most to
sister or extended relative in a family Result
Friends was found most common in all areas
main source of information and influence
29Summary of FindingsSocial- Peers and Partners
- Strong Peer Influence
- At-risk friends and peers influence attitudes
toward sex - If you dont want to have sex, you dont have to
have sex you should wait anyway until youre
married like meer, maybe. I guess it depends
on the guy like if were in love or something.
-- (as eyes roll, she changes opinion frequently
throughout course) 16, Caucasian, single
household w/ father after mother left, high SES - Sense of competition, especially in group homes
- Girls are always talking about who they screwed
last night its not even a big deal. -- 17,
Mexican, group home, unwanted by mother, doesnt
know father - Partner Relationships increase premature sexual
activity - Need to have affection through sex
- that the girl ends up giving up her virginity
and has sex anyway because if she really cares
for the guy shell do anything to keep him
shes scared of losing him it happens all the
time. NOTE, GARD, ES - Especially age at first sex and older partners
- I was only 12 years old and this older guy I
liked forced himself onto me it doesnt matter
anymore guys always tell me they love me so
sex is easy. 15, extended household, Salvadoran - Ive been with my boyfriend for almost a year
now he buys me everything! (giggles) Oh hes 23
he only does what I want though. (which later
meant everything from massages to oral sex) 15,
single household w/ mom, Mexican
30Social InfluencePeers
Who do you go to when you need advice about the
following?
31Social InfluencePartners
Who do you go to when you need advice about the
following?
32Summary of FindingsEducational
- Sex education positive impact on female at-risk
teens - Especially Girls, Inc. PAP doesnt stress
abstinence like HS ed - Found helpful and influential in sexual attitudes
and decisions - I do think it helps because maybe a girl is
planning to have sex, but then hear of all that
could happen and decide not to. But for the
girls like me, who wont have sex until they get
married, it teaches them how to protect
themselves when they dont want to have a baby.
NOTE, GARD, CY, VIR - It makes you think before you do stuff. NOTE,
SANT, anonymous - It gets us aware of things, like diseases.
QUEST, ES, GARD - Teens want to know more about sexual consequences
- They should teach about what happens after you
have a baby. QUEST, GARD, SA
33Educational InfluenceDo you think sex education
helps?
Sex education refers to sex ed class in school
and pregnancy prevention programs such as Girls,
Inc.
34Initial Research Model
Independent Variable Domain
Dependent Variable Domain
At-Risk Peer Influence
Sexual Activity/ Behavior
Family Support/ Communication
Social/Dating Relationships
Age at 1st sex
35Final Research Model
Independent Variable Domain
Dependent Variable Domain
Psychological Factors
Female At-Risk Teen Sexual Attitudes Behaviors
NOT COMPLETED YET
Social Factors
Educational Factors
36Closing
- Limitations
- Only one agency with specific sites
(govt-assigned) - Small sample venture outside of O.C.??
- Cant generalize findings to larger at-risk
population - Not enough background info/literature on
at-risk - Recommendations
- Further research of sexual behaviors of at-risk
female adolescents their relationships to
family
37Closing
- Implications
- Sexually experienced more apt to other risky
behaviors and consequences - Parent(s) should communicate w/ teen about sex
and relationships at early age - Need more mentorship programs and role models for
at-risk teens, esp. in group home environment - We still have much to learn about this
population!