Sexual Partner Accumulation From Adolescence Through Early Adulthood: The Role of Family, Peer, and School Social Norms

Abstract

Purpose An early age of sexual initiation and sexual activity with multiple partners are risk factors for an array of detrimental outcomes. Drawing on social norms theory, this study assessed the role of subjective and descriptive social norms from parents, peers, and schoolmates on trajectories of sexual partner accumulation from early adolescence through early adulthood. Methods Data were drawn from the in-home survey sample of Add Health, following 14,797 youth from adolescence through early adulthood. Social norms data were drawn from youth, parent, schoolmate, and school administrator reports. Multi-level growth models assess how parent, peer, and school social norms predicted initial levels and growth in sexual partner accumulation. Results Parent and peer approval of youth sexual behavior, as well as lower perceived negative repercussions of pregnancy, predicted greater initial levels and greater growth over time in the accumulation of sexual partners. Similarly, youth attending schools with a greater proportion of sexually experienced schoolmates reported higher initial levels of sexual partners. In contrast, greater parental warnings regarding negative consequences of sex predicted heightened sexual partner accumulation. Some moderation by youth gender and age emerged as well. Conclusions Results highlight the role of both subjective and descriptive social norms, suggesting the importance of understanding and seeking to influence the social beliefs and expectations of youth and their families.

“Enjoy Your Sexuality, but Do it in Secret”

“…My findings align with previous research, whereby college students reported having more frequent and comprehensive conversations with their friends about sex and romantic relationships than they do with their parents (Lefkowitz & Espinosa-Hernandez, 2007; Levin, Ward, & Neilson, 2012). The difference between the current study’s more conservative characterization of friends’ sexual communications and previous research’s (e.g., Coley, Lombardi, Lynch, Mahalik, & Sims, 2013; Kenney, Thadani, Ghaidarov, & LaBrie, 2013) characterization of more permissive peer sexual norms may be due to pluralistic ignorance. That is, young people may consistently overestimate the extent to which they believe their peers have permissive sexual attitudes and take sexual risks (Chock, 2011; Holman & Sillars, 2012; Lewis, Lee, Patrick, & Fossos, 2007).…”

Identifying peer effects using spatial analysis: the role of peers on risky sexual behavior

“…The spatial parameters for casual sex and unprotected sex are both significant at the 5 % level, while the spatial parameter for multiple partners is insignificant. Recent work has shown that looking at peer influence as occurring through social norms can explain the significant effects (Coley et al 2013; Wisnieski et al 2013). The following tables provide the results of the marginal effects of peer influences.…”

Social context and sexual intercourse among first-year students at selective colleges and universities in the United States

“…For example, local neighborhood norms about sex are associated with adolescent sexual behavior: Adolescents in neighborhoods with less restrictive norms are more likely to have sex, casual sex, and more sexual partners (Warner et al, 2011). Similarly, adolescents who attend high schools with fewer virgins are less likely to remain virgins themselves (Regnerus, 2007) and to accumulate more sexual partners (Coley et al, 2013). These findings suggest that individuals take cues from the attitudes and behavior of those around them and factor them into their own sexual decision-making.…”