MAXIMIZING PEER POWER TO IMPROVE TEENAGE SEXUAL BEHAVIOURS
Jay, Claire, Joseph, Debby and Vincent have been friends all their lives as they were born about same time. They have attended same schools and progressed together. Recently, they have been having increasing discussions about things they will like to do as they turn thirteen in a few months and would officially be seen as teenagers. They have had conversations about their career plans, cities they would love to visit, work or live in. They have had several agreements and shared beliefs however, one area they’ve not been able to fully agree on has been their sexual lives.
It has been proven that teens are more likely to have sex if their best friends and peers use alcohol or drugs, or engage in other negative behaviour. Similarly, they are more likely to have sex if they believe their friends have permissive values about sex, or are actually having sex.
The teenage years of an individual’s life have been said to be one of the most crucial times of a person’s life. It is the time for discovery, exploration and immense growth. Rapid changes occur during this period, the body undergoes significant developmental changes, most notably puberty — the bodily changes of sexual maturation, and the formation of sexual identity. This period places a premium on guiding the individuals in this population segment towards building appropriate sexual dispositions. At Teens Going for Gold Network, we advocate sexual abstinence for teenagers. Besides preventing unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, teenagers that do not engage in pre-marital sex have also been found to be generally more disciplined and focused on achieving their life’s goals.
TEENAGE SEXUAL ACTIVITY ON THE RISE
In the world today, approximately half of the population is under 25, with 1.8 billion people aged between 10 and 24 years—90% of whom live in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). According to WHO Fact Sheet 364, Sixteen million girls aged 15–19 give birth each year, which is approximately 11% of all births worldwide; 95% of these births occur in LMICs. While sexual initiation and sexual activity vary widely by region, country, and sex, in all regions young people are reaching puberty earlier, often engaging in sexual activity at a younger age; consequently, they are sexually mature for longer before marriage than has historically been the case.
Parents and others concerned persons can try to influence those factors that in turn affect the sexual disposition of young people. For example, they can try to influence factors such as the teens’ values about sex, their perceptions of family values
An adolescent’s sexual and reproductive behaviour is strongly linked to their particular social, cultural, and economic environment. Many adolescents are confronted at some point during their teen years with choices about whether or not to have sex and, if they do (which we do not advise), whether or not to use condoms and/or other contraceptives. Many factors affect those choices. Parents, educators, and other adults working with youths have learned that they cannot directly control the sexual behaviour of teens. While at times, parents might wish to monitor their sons or daughters 24 hours a day to prevent them from having sex, or at the very least, unprotected sex, it is largely impossible.
INFLUENCING TEENAGE SEXUAL DISPOSITION THROUGH PEER-INFLUENCE
When teenagers are connected to groups that express a clear value or norm against engaging in pre-marital sex, they are less likely to do so themselves.
Instead, parents and others concerned persons can only try to influence those factors that in turn affect the sexual disposition of young people. For example, they can try to influence factors such as the teens’ values about sex, their perceptions of family values and their attitudes about condoms and other forms of contraception. Their educational and career plans, or their connection to their parents, their schools, and their faith communities, are also likely to affect their disposition towards sex and sexual activities.
Understanding important factors related to sexual behaviour is important not only to change that behaviour; it is also important to identify those teens who are most at risk of having sex and unprotected sex. It has been proven that teens are more likely to have sex if their best friends and peers are older, use alcohol or drugs, or engage in other negative behaviour. Similarly, they are more likely to have sex if they believe their friends have more positive attitudes toward child-bearing, have permissive values about sex, or are actually having sex. Peer norms directly affects the individual sexual and contraceptive behaviour of teens.
When teenagers believe that their peers have permissive attitudes toward premarital sex or actually engage in sex, and then they themselves are more likely to engage in sex, have sex more frequently and have sex with more than one partner. When teenagers believe that their peers favour condom use, they are more likely to use condoms and contraceptives. The implications of these suggest that when teenagers are connected to groups that express a clear value or norm against engaging in pre-marital sex, they are less likely to do so themselves.
Adolescents tend to capitulate when the unpleasantness of standing alone becomes too great, fostering a tendency to adopt behaviours that they think are norms in their environment in order to be accepted. This therefore places a premium on the need to shape the peer groups of teenagers as they wield great influence on the sexual behaviours and characteristics of growing adults. They should be made to understand the responsibility that comes with each choice that is made and also made accountable to one another. This would go a long way in making them more comfortable and responsible members of society and also enable them to make informed decisions when it comes to their sexual health.
Having this understanding, we should guide teenagers so that they choose the right kind of friends and peers. Having a peer group that adopts the right disposition towards sex will ultimately help them in their bid to excel in all life`s facets.
