Adolescent Sexual Guilt and the Development of Self-Esteem During the Transition to Adulthood: The Moderating Effect of Race

Early adolescent sexual experiences have been found to be associated with lower levels of well-being; however, this relationship has been found to be better explained through the adolescent’s perception of their sexual behavior. The present study explored the implications of adolescent sexual guilt...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sexuality & culture 2019-06, Vol.23 (2), p.641-656
Main Authors: Scroggs, Barrett, Madrigal, Ryan, Faflick, Nathaniel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescence
Adolescent sexuality
Child development
Guilt
Life transitions
Minority & ethnic groups
Original Paper
Personality and Social Psychology
Psychology
Regional and Cultural Studies
Self esteem
Sexual behavior
Social Sciences
Teenagers
Well being
White people
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Summary:Early adolescent sexual experiences have been found to be associated with lower levels of well-being; however, this relationship has been found to be better explained through the adolescent’s perception of their sexual behavior. The present study explored the implications of adolescent sexual guilt on the development of self-esteem across emerging adulthood. Using secondary data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health the present study found that self-esteem developed in quadratic fashion from adolescence to adulthood. Sexual guilt was associated with lower levels in self-esteem at each of the four time-points from adolescence to adulthood for both people of color and white individuals. The association between sexual guilt and the change in self-esteem was only significant for people of color. The study illustrates the importance of sex-positive conversations around sexual behavior and safety to reduce the development of guilt and the lasting influence guilt has on development. Additionally, this study illustrates unique risks which people of color experience.
ISSN:1095-5143
1936-4822
DOI:10.1007/s12119-018-09582-3