When Do Rural Adolescents Start Sex: An investigation of the Effect by Use of Sexually Explicit Materials, Parental Internet Control, and Low Self-control

• In Event: Self-control, Parenting, Measurement and Crime

Abstract

The popularity of mobile device and easy access to internet have given rise to more use of sexually explicit materials (SEM) among youth. The current study investigated whether and how the use of SEM affect youth sexual behaviors, namely the age of onset of sexual intercourse. The indirect effects of parental internet control and low self-control on the age of onset via the use of SEM were also examined. Based on a sample of 621 rural adolescents (Meanage = 16.09, 54% female) who completed a survey from a Southern state, a model was tested using structural equation model in AMOS. Findings indicated that the model had a good fit to data, Chi-square (10) = 22.164, CFI = .986, RMSEA = .044, 90%CI = [.019, .069]. They also showed that parental internet control had no effect on the use of SEM (b = .161, ns) and that LSC predicted (b = .537, p < .001) the use of SEM. Low self-control and more use of SEM were both significantly associated with a lower age of onset of sexual intercourse.

Authors

• Guangyi Cui, University of Kentucky

• Alexander T. Vazsonyi, University of Kentucky