Neighborhood and Family Contexts of Adolescent Sexual Activity

Abstract

Although numerous studies have examined the sociodemographic and psychosocial factors associated with first sex there is little research on the contribution of social context. The impact of neighborhood and family structure on adolescents risk of first sex was investigated in a community-based sample of 879 ethnically diverse youth 12-17 years of age (mean age 14.5 years) from Los Angeles California. 48.7% of respondents were Hispanic; 57.9% lived with both biological parents. Commonly reported neighborhood hazards included gangs (59.8%) and drug use or dealing (43.4%). Males who lived in underclass Black or working class Hispanic neighborhoods had significantly higher rates of first sex than those from middle or upper-middle class White neighborhoods. Those reporting more ambient hazards in their neighborhoods had the highest levels of first sex suggesting that neighborhood structural effects are mediated by adolescents perceptions of the level of threat and social disintegration. Males and females living in single-parent or step-parent families had significantly higher rates of first sex than their counterparts living with both biological parents. Parental socio-emotional support and control captured distinct dimensions of the family contexts and were particularly important dimensions for males risk of first sex. These findings suggest that adolescents experience of their neighborhoods and their family situations are key determinants of their propensity to become sexually active. Both families and neighborhoods provide a milieu of opportunities and norms that shape social behavior.