Many adults would just like to believe that today’s adolescents are not sexual at all, or at least not their kid. The reality is that the statistics just don’t support their denial. In reality, sexual development encompasses a wide range of adolescent thoughts and actions. For this assignment you are to consider what the research says about normal adolescent sexual development to be and write a 4 page (including APA style cover sheet & reference page) paper about your thoughts.
This paper should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font and have 1 inch margins. No Abstract page is necessary.
Step 1 – Consider the list below to choose a topic you would like to research.
Age (what is appropriate & when?)
Culture (how does this influence the topic)
Experimentation (often among younger teens)
Homosexuality
“Hooking Up” (Is there a gender difference here?)
Is there an emotional component?
Masturbation
Why do so many adults have such a hard time with this when it is so common among adolescents?
Oral Sex (studies show it is on the rise in big ways)
Parenting skills
Lifelike baby care experiences
Relationship skills
There IS more to it than just intercourse, right?
How long should you “wait”
Religion & Faith background (how does this influence the topic)
Guilt
Sexual health education
At home or at school?
Parent(s) involved or not
“Abstinence only” or contraceptives?
Step 2 – After you have made your choice, locate 2 recent, peer reviewed, journal articles about this topic to present in your paper. Share why you chose this particular issue in adolescence. Provide a synthesis of what the research says about the topic. Compare/Contrast the research outcomes with your experience as a teen/emerging adult. Finally, write an informed piece about where you stand on the topic today.
