African American Adolescent Females' Perceptions of Neighborhood Safety, Familial Strategies, and Sexual Debut

Abstract

Sexual debut represents a developmental transition that holds possibility for growth and for risk. Family and neighborhood may impact timing of debut. This qualitative study examined family strategies (e.g., moving, parental monitoring), perceptions of neighborhood, and attitudes about sex and sexual debut among sexually experienced and inexperienced African American adolescent females living in disadvantaged urban neighborhoods. Findings show that more familial strategies were reported by sexually inexperienced females, suggesting that strategies may delay sexual debut. Furthermore, experiences with neighborhood violence related to attitudes about sex and sexual debut, suggesting a linkage between death anxiety and sexual debut among female youth.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This research was supported by National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Grant Number R01 HD061027-01, awarded to M. Margaret Dolcini.