This study examines the gender-specific contextual and individual socioeconomic predictors of the timing of first intercourse among low-achieving African American youth. Following financial deprivation and collective socialization theories, the authors test separate models for males and females and include neighborhood poverty and race composition, family social class position, and social control mechanisms such as family structure, parental involvement, and prosocial activities as predictors. The sample comprises 558 African American high school students followed over a 3-year period. For young women, the significant predictors are age, mother's education, time with mother, and involvement in church activities. For young men, the significant factors are school achievement, an interaction between living in an two-parent family and time with father, participation in family decision making, and neighborhood poverty level. Thus, males and females are differently affected by social control processes and neighborhood poverty plays a significant role in young African American men's sexual behaviors.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Allen, L. , & Mitchell, C. (1996). Poverty and adolescent health. In M. Kagawa-Singer, P. Katz, D. Taylor, & J. Vanderryn (Eds.), Health issues for minority adolescents (pp. 1-35). Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
2.
Aneshensel, C. S. , & Sucoff, C. A. (1996). The neighborhood context of adolescent mental health. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 37, 293-310.
3.
Benda, B. B. , & Corwyn, R. F. (1998). Race and gender differences in theories of sexual behavior among rural adolescents residing in AFDC families. Youth & Society, 30, 59-88.
4.
Bingham, R. C. , & Crockett, L. J. (1996). Longitudinal adjustments patterns of boys and girls experiencing early, middle, and late sexual intercourse. Developmental Psychology, 32, 647-658.
5.
Bingham, R. C. , Miller, B. C., & Adams, G. (1990). Correlates at first intercourse in a national sample of young women. Journal of Adolescent Research, 5, 18-33.
6.
Blossfeld, H. , Hamerle, A., & Mayer, U. K. (1989). Event history analysis: Statistical theory and application in the social sciences. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
7.
Brewster, K. L. (1994a). Neighborhood context and the transition to sexual activity among young Black women. Demography, 31, 603-614.
8.
Brewster, K. L. (1994b). Race differences in sexual activity among adolescent women: The role of neighborhood characteristics. American Sociological Review, 59, 408-424.
9.
Brewster, K. L. , Billy, J., & Grady, W. (1993). Community influences on the sexual and contraceptive behaviors of adolescent women. Social Forces, 71, 713-740.
10.
Brooks-Gunn, J. , Duncan, G. J., Klebanov, P. K., & Sealand, N. N. (1993). Do neighborhoods influence child and adolescent development?American Journal of Sociology, 99, 353-395.
11.
Buckhalt, J. A. , Halpin, G., Noel, R., & Meadows, M. E. (1992). Relationship of drug use to involvement in school, home, and community activities: Results of a large survey of adolescents. Psychological Reports, 70, 139-146.
12.
Catalano, R. F. , Kosterman, R., Hawkins, D. L., Newcomb, M. D., & Abbot, R. A. (1996). Modeling the etiology of adolescent substance use: A test of the social development model. Journal of Drug Issues, 26, 429-455.
13.
Centers for Disease Control . (1992). Sexual behavior among high school students—United States, 1990. MMWR: Morbidity Mortality Weekly Report, 40, 885-888.
14.
Centers for Disease Control . (1998). Trends in sexual risk behavior among high school students—United States, 1991-1997. MMWR: Morbidity Mortality Weekly Report, 47, 749-752.
15.
Cooksey, E. , Rindfuss, R., & Guilkey, D. (1996). The initiation of adolescent sexual contraceptive behavior during changing times. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 37, 59-74.
16.
Crane, J. (1991). The epidemic theory of ghettos and neighborhood effects on dropping out and teenage childbearing. American Journal of Sociology, 96, 1226-1259.
17.
Crockett, L. J. , Bingham, C. R., Chopak, J. S., & Vicary, J. R. (1996). Timing of first sexual intercourse: The role of social control, social learning, and problem behavior. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 25, 89-111.
18.
Diaz, M. R. , Ayala, G., & Bein, E. (1999, September). Impact of sexual discrimination, poverty and racism on the health and well-being of Latino gay men. Paper presented at the NIMH Conference on New Approaches to Research on Sexual Orientation, Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Bethesda, MD.
19.
Dorius, G. L. , Heaton, T. B., & Steffen, P. (1993). Adolescent life events and their association with the onset of sexual intercourse. Youth & Society, 25, 3-23.
20.
Duncan, G. , Brooks-Gunn, J, & Klebanov, P. (1994). Economic deprivation and early childhood development. Child Development, 65, 296-318.
21.
Eccles, J. S. , & Barber, B. L. (1999). Student council, volunteering, basketball, or marching band: What kind of extracurricular involvement matters?Journal of Adolescent Research, 14, 10-43.
22.
Ennett, S. T. , Flewelling, R. L., Lindrooth, R. C., & Norton, E. C. (1997). School and neighborhood characteristics associated with school rates of alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana use. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 38, 55-71.
23.
Furstenburg, F. F. , Morgan, P. S., Moore, K. A., & Peterson, J. L. (1987). Race differences in the timing of adolescent intercourse. American Sociology Review, 52, 511-518.
24.
Gottfredson, D. C. , McNeil, R. J., III, & Gottfredson, G. D. (1991). Social area influences on delinquency: A multilevel analysis. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 28, 197-226.
25.
Hanks, M. (1979). Race, sexual status and athletics in the process of educational achievement. Social Science Quarterly, 60, 483-495.
26.
Hayes, C. D. (1987). Risking the future: Adolescent sexuality, pregnancy, and childbearing (Vol. 1). Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
27.
Hayward, M. D. , Grady, W. R., & Billy, J. O. (1992). The influence of socioeconomic status on adolescent pregnancy. Social Science Quarterly, 73, 751-772.
28.
Hill, R. B. (1993). Research on the African American family: A holistic perspective. Westport, CT: Auburn House.
29.
Hirschi, T. (1969). Causes of delinquency. Berkeley: University of California Press.
30.
Hogan, D. P. , Astone, N. M., & Kitagawa. E. M. (1985). Social and environmental factors influencing contraceptive use among Black adolescents. Family Planning Perspective, 17, 165-169.
31.
Hogan, D. P. , & Kitagawa, E. M. (1985). The impact of social status, family structure, and neighborhood on the fertility of black adolescents. American Journal of Sociology, 90, 825-855.
32.
Hollan, A. , & Andre, T. (1987). Participation in extracurricular activities in secondary school: What is known, what needs to be known?Review of Educational Research, 57, 437-466.
33.
Jencks, C. , & Mayer, S. E. (1990). The social consequences of growing up in a poor neighborhood. In L. Lynn & M. McGeary (Eds.), Inner-city poverty in the United States (pp. 111-186). Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
34.
Jessor, R. , Costa, F., Jessor, L., & Donovan, J. E. (1983). Time of first intercourse: A prospective study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44, 608-626.
35.
Jorgowsky, P. , & Bane, M. J. (1990). Ghetto poverty: Basic questions. In L. Lynn & M. McGeary (Eds.), Inner-city poverty in the United States (pp. 16-67). Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
36.
Krause, N. (1993). Neighborhood deterioration and social isolation in later life. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 36, 9-38.
37.
Ku, L. , Sonenstein, F., & Pleck, J. (1993). Neighborhood, family, and work: Influences on the premarital behaviors of adolescent males. Social Forces, 72, 479-503.
38.
Lawless, J. F. (1982). Statistical models and methods for life time data. New York: John Wiley.
39.
Marsh, H. W. (1992). Extracurricular activities: Beneficial extension of the traditional curriculum or subversion of academic goals. Journal of Educational Pyschology, 84, 553-562.
40.
Massey, D. S. , & Denton, N. A. (1993). American apartheid: Segregation and the making of the underclass. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
41.
Massey, D. S. , Eggers, M. L., & Gross, A. B. (1991). Segregation, the concentration of poverty, and the life chances of individuals. Social Science Research, 20, 397-420.
42.
McAdoo, H. (1988). Changes in the formation and structure of Black families: The impact of Black women (Working Paper No. 182). Wellesley, MA: Wellesley College Center for Research on Women.
43.
McGee, L. , & Newcomb, M. D. (1992). General deviance syndrome: Expanded hierarchical evaluations at four ages from early adolescence to adulthood. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 6, 766-776.
44.
McNeal, R. B., Jr. (1995). Extracurricular activities and high school dropouts. Sociology of Education, 68, 62-81.
45.
Miller, B. C. , Norton, M. C., Curtis, T., Hill, E. J., Schvaneveldt, P., & Young, M. H. (1997). The timing of sexual intercourse among adolescents: Family, peer, and other antecedents. Youth & Society, 29, 54-83.
46.
Montgomery, L. , Kiely, J., & Pappas, G. (1996). The effects of poverty, race, and family structure on U.S. children's health: Data from the NHIS, 1978 through 1980 and 1989 through 1991. American Journal of Public Health, 86, 1401-1405.
47.
Moos, R. H. , & Moos, D. S. (1981). Family Environment Scale manual. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists.
48.
Nakao, K. , & Treas, J. (1990). The 1989 socioeconomic index of occupations: Construction from the 1989 occupational prestige scores (GSS Methodological Report No. 4). Chicago: National Opinion Research Center.
49.
Newcomb, M. D. (1990). What structural modeling techniques can tell us about social support. In I. G. Sarason, B. R. Sarason, & G. R. Pierce (Eds.), Social support: An interactional view (pp. 26-63). New York: John Wiley.
50.
Ramirez-Valles, J. , Zimmerman, M., & Newcomb, M. (1998). Sexual risk behavior among youth: Modeling the influence of prosocial activities and socioeconomic factors. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 39, 237-253.
51.
Salem, D. S. , Zimmerman, M. A., & Notaro, P. C. (1998). Effects of family structure, family process, and father involvement on psychosocial outcomes among African American adolescents. Family Relations, 47, 1-11.
52.
SAS Institute . (1992). SAS/STAT software: Changes and enhancements, Release 6.07 (SAS Technical Report P-229, pp. 433-479). Cary, NC: SAS Institute.
53.
Sells, W. C. , & Blum, R. W. (1996). Morbidity and mortality among U.S. adolescents: An overview of data and trends. American Journal of Public Health, 86, 513-519.
54.
Sonenstein, F. , Pleck, J., & Ku, L. (1989). Sexual activity, condom use and AIDS awarness among adolescent males. Family Planning Perspective, 21, 152-158.
55.
Stack, C. B. (1974). All our kin: Strategies for survival in a Black community. New York: Harper & Row.
56.
Stanton, B. , Li, X., Black, M., Ricardo, I., Galbraith, J., Kaljee, L., & Feigelman, S. (1994). Sexual practices and intentions among preadolescent and early adolescent low-income urban African Americans. Pediatrics, 93, 966-973.
57.
Sucoff, C. A. , & Upchurch, D. M. (1998). Neighborhood context and the risk of childbearing among metropolitan-area Black adolescents. American Sociological Review, 63, 571-585.
58.
Taylor, R. D. (1996). Adolescents' perceptions of kinship support and family management practices: Association with adolescent adjustment in African American families. Developmental Psychology, 32, 687-695.
59.
Taylor, D. , & Katz, P. (1996). Health related services available to Black adolescents. In M. Kagawa-Singer, P. Katz, D. Taylor, & J. Vanderryn (Eds.), Health issues for minority adolescents (pp. 36-79). Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
60.
Tienda, M. (1991). Poor people and poor places: Deciphering neighborhood effects on behavioral outcomes. In J. Huber (Ed.), Macro-micro linkages in sociology (pp. 24-62). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
61.
Udry, J. R. , & Billy, J.O.G. (1987). Initiation of coitus in early adolescence. American Sociological Review, 52, 841-855.
62.
U.S. Bureau of the Census . (1985). Poverty areas in large cities (PC80-2-8d, pp. A-2). Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.
63.
Warren, C. W. , Santelli, J. S., Everett, S. A., Kann, L., Collins, J. L., Cassell, C., Morris, L., & Kolbe, L. J. (1998). Sexual behavior among U.S. high school students, 1990-1995. Family Planning Perspective, 30, 170-172, 200.
64.
Wilson, W. J. (1987). The truly disadvantaged: The inner city, the underclass, and public policy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
65.
Wilson, W. J. (1991). Studying inner-city social dislocations: The challenge of public agenda research. American Sociological Review, 56, 1-14.
66.
Zimmerman, M. A. , Caldwell, C. H., & Bernat Hilkene, D. (in press). Discrepancy between self-report and school record GPA: Correlates with psychosocial outcomes among African American adolescents. Journal of Applied Social Psychology.
67.
Zimmerman, M. A. , & Maton, K. (1992). Life-style and substance use among male African American urban adolescents: A cluster analytic approach. American Journal of Community Psychology, 20, 121-138.
68.
Zimmerman, M. A. , Salem, D. A., & Maton, K. I. (1995). Family structure and psychological correlates among African American adolescent males. Child Development, 66, 1598-1613.
