INFLUENCE OF OLDER SIBLINGS ON INITIATION OF SEXUAL INTERCOURSE

This article hypothesizes that older siblings influence the timing of younger siblings' first intercourse because they are orientational oth ers for them (i.e., others who provide individuals with a concept of s elf through communication) and, therefore, intermediaries to their own reference group. Matching 183 pairs of independent interviews of coha biting adolescent siblings (from Philadelphia) and controlling for par ental attitudes and behavior relevant to teenage sexuality, this analy sis investigates several effects associated with older siblings as ori entational others. Interaction of these effects with gender is address ed. The results indicate that the sexual behavior of older brothers ha s a significant influence on the timing of younger siblings' initiatio n of sexual inter-course.