Sexuality
Evolution of Teen and Adolescent Sexual Identity
Human Sexuality
American Military University
Evolution of Teen and Adolescent Sexual Identity
Teen sexuality has evolved over time because of several different influences. The idea of abstinence for teens has change tremendously. The article by Liana Y. Bay-Cheng is about the "reliance of American school-based sexual education programs on a moralistic agenda and several presuppositions of adolescent sexuality" (p. 61). The group being researched were adolescent, high school children. The research method was naturalistic observation. During the eight years that President George W. Bush there was a significant backlash in sexuality education both at home and abroad (Gresle-Favier, 2010). Recent statistics make it clear why sexual behavior, specifically in teens, plays an important role in the national public health agenda. According to Bay-Cheng (2003), "In 2003, one million teenage women became pregnant per year, 78% of these pregnancies are unplanned; one in four sexually experienced teens acquire a sexually transmitted infection per year; and Chlamydia and gonorrhea are more common among teens then adult men and women" (p. 61). Although the concerns of unwanted pregnancy, infection, and assault are logical, a number of researchers in the field of adolescent sexuality argue that just focusing on these concerns minimizes our understanding of adolescent sexuality. This view limits the ability of parents and educators to support, provide teens with knowledge and guidance.
Research has been focused on the effectiveness of school-based sexuality education but not much research has been focused on the values and norms that these classroom classes are conveying. The conclusion of the research on the evolution of teen sexuality was that our very own construction of adolescent sexuality justifies our attempts to control it (Bay-Cheng, 2003). The narrow definition of adolescent sexuality,
Human Sexuality
American Military University
Evolution of Teen and Adolescent Sexual Identity
Teen sexuality has evolved over time because of several different influences. The idea of abstinence for teens has change tremendously. The article by Liana Y. Bay-Cheng is about the "reliance of American school-based sexual education programs on a moralistic agenda and several presuppositions of adolescent sexuality" (p. 61). The group being researched were adolescent, high school children. The research method was naturalistic observation. During the eight years that President George W. Bush there was a significant backlash in sexuality education both at home and abroad (Gresle-Favier, 2010). Recent statistics make it clear why sexual behavior, specifically in teens, plays an important role in the national public health agenda. According to Bay-Cheng (2003), "In 2003, one million teenage women became pregnant per year, 78% of these pregnancies are unplanned; one in four sexually experienced teens acquire a sexually transmitted infection per year; and Chlamydia and gonorrhea are more common among teens then adult men and women" (p. 61). Although the concerns of unwanted pregnancy, infection, and assault are logical, a number of researchers in the field of adolescent sexuality argue that just focusing on these concerns minimizes our understanding of adolescent sexuality. This view limits the ability of parents and educators to support, provide teens with knowledge and guidance.
Research has been focused on the effectiveness of school-based sexuality education but not much research has been focused on the values and norms that these classroom classes are conveying. The conclusion of the research on the evolution of teen sexuality was that our very own construction of adolescent sexuality justifies our attempts to control it (Bay-Cheng, 2003). The narrow definition of adolescent sexuality,