Adolescents who start having sex a year or more earlier than their peers are 20 percent more likely to commit acts of delinquency such as stealing, vandalizing property and selling drugs. Meanwhile students who waited longer than the average student at their high school were 50 percent less likely to engage in such acts.
"We're not finding that sex itself leads to delinquency, but instead, that beginning sexual relationships long before your friends is cause for concern," said Stacy Armour, co-author of the study and a doctoral student in sociology at Ohio State University....These effects lasted into early adulthood. Students were first surveyed in 1994-1995, one year later and again six years later. When the same respondents were surveyed in 2002, at the age of 18 to 26, age of first intercourse continued to be associated with current levels of delinquency."If you're having sex a lot earlier than your friends, you may be hanging out with a new group of kids, ones who are probably older," Armour said.
"Having sex brings with it this feeling of being an adult. They may feel like they can do things older kids do, and for some that may include delinquency."
Link: EARLY SEX MAY LEAD TEENS TO DELINQUENCY, STUDY SHOWS
ABSTRACT: Adolescent Sexual Debut and Later Delinquency
del.icio.us |
digg |
FURL |
Netscape |
reddit |
Stumble! |
My Web
