Teenagers have been sexually active for decades. Teen pregnancy and STD are a common problem across the country. Sexual activity among adolescent and teenagers has increased in this era of life. Decades ago it was unlikely for teens to become sexually active before marriage and was frowned upon in the communities when it occurred. The way kids are raised has changed and the morals are different than when our grandparents were teenagers. What is the causes for teens to become sexually active? There could be several factors that have increased sexual activities in teens across the world.
There are many causes that factor into why teenagers want to start becoming sexually active. The first factor is they want to appear older and mature. Teenagers want to grow up and move out of their parents’ house. One way to appear that they are older and grown up is to interact with sexual experiences. Teenagers may have an idea that if they start having sex they will be ready for adulthood and sex will show they can have freedom and independence. What teenagers find out is the consequences of sex can cause them to grow up quicker than they are actually ready to be. They find out sex can have unwanted consequences such as pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
The idea of having sex with someone for the first time may be due to falling love. Teenagers think they are in love when they are in relationships. They have fantasies of love and sex go together. The pressure from their partner may be to have sex in order to prove love. Females are especially prone to this type of reason for having sex even if they don’t feel ready. Teenagers will have sex anyway to show their partner they love them. They may also do it to keep their partner from leaving them for someone’s who will have sex. Peer pressure is a huge problem amongst teens and their friends.
Peer pressure can cause teenagers to do things they would not normally do. Friends of teenagers can be very persuasive and make the teens feel embarrassed if they don’t do what their friends are doing. The type of pressure that can be put on a teen is different than an adult. Adults are not as vulnerable and persuasive as teenagers, and adults think about consequences. Teenagers normally do not think of consequences because they live in the moment and not for the future.
Sometimes teenagers will become sexually active to fit into the crowd. If the other kids are having sex, then they may do so to belong to the group. Teenagers like to be accepted by their friends and feel a sense of belonging to a group. “They will begin having sex because everyone else is doing it” . Sex may seem like a huge step of maturity and belong to the group of friends they hang out with.
Another reason teenager may engage in sexual activities is because of rebellion. They may start having sex to define their parents and act out against parental authority. Teens who live in homes that are not stable may interact in sexual activities to have a feeling of defiance and independence. Parents who may be strict can be a reason teens have sex. They feel it is a way to break the rules and obedience from their parent’s grasp. Using sex as a way to defy authority can be a sense of freedom and maturity for the teenager. Teenagers start having sex for numerous reasons and often do not understand or think about the consequences of their actions. Sexual activity among teens is increasing and for many reasons that are different.
Work Cited
Sabo, Courtney. "What causes teens to be sexually active." Psychology Today (2013): 1-4. web.
