The Ties that Bind: A Secondary Analysis of Family Structure and Attachment Strength on Adolescent Sexual Decision Making

Abstract

In sociological literature and in health policies on adolescent sexual behavior, researchers, educators, and policymakers continue to express their concern with the high number of adolescents engaging in an early sexual debut because of pregnancy risk, high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In particular, much attention is given to the young age of sexual experiences among Black youth compared to those of other races. However, for Black female adolescents, the experiences and dilemmas they face can be more compelling, because the “Black female experience defies a singular definition” (Rozie-Battle 2002, p. 60). This study will fill a gap in previous literature on sexual decisions among Black teens by moving beyond a discussion of only negative decisions. If attachment and social bond theory are taken into consideration, family instability could weaken attachment and lead to riskier sex by weakening controls on undesirable behavior like condom non-use. These same theories would also pose that weakened attachment between family members and adolescent women can create replacement ties and stronger bonds to a sexual partner, which in turn leads to more sex, but not necessarily riskier sex. Utilizing the Young Women’s Project (YWP) at Indiana University, the present study investigates both of these hypotheses.