AGE-DIFFERENCES IN PARENT AND PEER INFLUENCES ON FEMALE SEXUAL-BEHAVIOR

The aim of this study was to develop and test a model of the influence of parents and friends on adolescent female sexual behavior that woul d integrate age-related changes in these influences. Self-report measu res assessing discussion of sexual topics with parents and friends, pe rceived approval of sexual behavior, sexual attitudes, and sexual beha vior were administered to 267 high-school and college-aged female subj ects. As expected, results suggested that the influence of friends and parents varied as a function of the age of the adolescent. The effect s of discussion with mother and parental approval on sexual behavior o perated indirectly through sexual attitudes, with the effect of discus sion with mother being the strongest in the 9th and 10th grade. The in direct influence of friends' approval on sexual behavior via sexual at titudes varied across the three age groups, peaking in 11th-12th grade s; the direct effect of friends' approval on sexual behavior peaked in the college sample.