Juping Yu
Early sexual initiation and unwanted teenage pregnancy are issues of concern in many western countries. Adolescent sexual behavior varies between different ethnic groups. However, little is known about the processes that produce such differences, particularly amongst Chinese British people. This paper reports the attitudes of Chinese British adolescents on sexual behavior within their sociocultural contexts. Using an ethnographic approach and snowball sampling, data were collected through in-depth interviews with 20 adolescents and 20 parents. Traditional sexual attitudes were common within the families, and parental sexual values were found to be important. Similarities in sexual values and behavior among friends were apparent, but differences were also found. Sexual knowledge acquired at school was thought necessary because a variety of barriers prevented parents from communicating sex-related topics effectively. However, the ‘safe sex’ strategy was criticized by parents, who thought sex education would work more effectively if it was provided within a moral context by teaching young people the option of sexual abstinence. The paper suggests that the exploration of adolescent sexual behavior within socio-cultural contexts is important for the development of greater culturally-competent practice.
