Family and Community Influences on Adolescent Sexuality in the U.S. and Europe

Wide differences in sexual attitudes and practices of families and communities occur among the United States, the Netherlands, Germany, and France. In the three European countries, parents and communities accept youth as sexual beings and accept sexual intercourse as a logical outcome in intimate relationships. Most adults in these three nations do not see teenage sex as a problem so long as protection is used. Parents in the Netherlands, Germany, and France expect young people to develop a healthy sexuality, supporting both abstinent and sexually active teens in making responsible decisions. Dutch, German, and French parents use multiple channels to ensure that teens are well informed and socially skilled and may provide teens with condoms and contraception to protect themselves. Parents then trust teens to make good choices for themselves and to be responsible. In the United States, most families and communities work to assist young people to make healthy decisions about sex. Strategies for doing so vary. In some communities, teens are supported with information and services related to sexuality. In others, it is believed that teens should not be sexual beings, and the adults believe that information about sex will lead to sexual behavior and work diligently to prevent teens from acquiring accurate and comprehensive sexual health knowledge. Some, seeking to prevent teens from initiating sexual intercourse, attempt to discourage young people from becoming involved in steady relationships. Many parents do not provide their children with as much honest, open communication regarding sexuality as young people say they need. Teens receive little parental and community support or information about respect, intimate relationships, responsible decision making, and using protection in sexual relationships. Some teens in the United States feel alienated from their families and communities and have little motivation to protect themselves or their sexual partners A fundamental difference between the United States and the three European countries emerges in how teen sexual behavior is defined. This difference profoundly affects how families and communities address adolescent sexuality. In the Netherlands, Germany, and France, teen sexual behavior is a developmental and public health issue. The consensus about this demands family and community support and demands that all adults have a role in communicating about prevention and protection. Teen sexual behavior in the United States is viewed in many contexts: a moral failing, a political issue, a private family matter, or a public health concern, but seldom as a developmental issue. These multiple perspectives create a confusion of efforts at all levels and provide a backdrop for competing and conflicting messages to teenagers. In the European nations, public policy about sexuality and sexual health is more often dictated by pragmatism and research than it is in the United States, where a history of puritanism underpins conflicting attitudes about sexuality and often derails research-based public policy. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Excerpt from Chapter Five: Family, Community, and Religious Influences on Adolescent Sexuality of European Approaches to Adolescent Sexual Behavior and Responsibility.