Family, individual, and social correlates of early Hispanic adolescent sexual expression

Abstract

Investigations of adolescent sexual expression have seldom included Hispanic youth. The current study addressed this deficiency by testing the theory‐based hypothesis that family influences would be stronger predictors of Hispanic adolescent sexual behavior than would individual and social influences. Block regression analyses of the responses of 489 young Hispanic adolescents did not support the hypothesis. However, the control variable of age, measures of attitudes toward premarital sex, and perceived peer sexual involvement predicted Hispanic adolescent sexual behavior. These relationships were stronger for males than for females. The results are consistent with Reference Group theory in that peer, rather than family influences, were more highly related to the sexual expression of young Hispanic teens.