1. Gender role socialization and adolescent sexuality Biological, social, and cognitive influences on gender Sexual identity and orientation Adolescent sexuality Sex education

2. What is gender? The sociocultural dimension of being female or male.

3. What is gender role? A set of social expectations that prescribes how males and females should think, act, and feel.

4. Influences on gender Biological Sociocultural Cognitive

5. Biological influences on gender Pubertal changes –influence adolescents’ conceptions of selves e.g., “ideal self” regarding body image. Variations in hormone levels –androgen in females –testosterone in males

6. Social influences on gender Parents –roles, expectations Peers –modeling new behaviors Schools and teachers –classroom organization; student opportunities Mass media –mixed, confusing messages

7. Cognitive influences on gender Kohlberg’s cognitive developmental theory –gender constancy –gender consistency Bem’s gender schema theory –gender typing Bandura’s social learning theory –modeling, imitation, reinforcement

8. Adolescent sexuality and sex education

9. Constructing a sexual identity Sexual self-esteem Sexual self-efficacy Sexual self-image

10. Sexual orientation Heterosexual Homosexual Bisexual

11. Making sexual decisions Must move toward adulthood and away from childhood. Most sexual decisions made without adult guidance and support.

12. Contraceptive use and pregnancies 1 million teen pregnancies each year in U.S. Only 1 in 4 sexually-active youth say they always use some form of contraception. Reasons for lack of contraceptive use: –lack of information –inability to accept one’s sexuality –cognitive and emotional immaturity.

13. Sexually-transmitted diseases Chlamydia gonorrhea and syphillus genital warts and herpes genital lice AIDS

14. Sex education 90% of American adults favor sex education in public schools 90% of large school districts offer sex education programs Effectiveness of such programs varies, but tends to be effective in reducing sexual activity and increasing contraceptive use.