Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association 2005;43(3):45-57.
비행청소년의 조기 성행동에 대한 질적연구
A Qualitative Study on the Sexual Activities of Juvenile Delinquents
Sungeun Yang, Jo, Ju-Young
Division of Public Administration and Social Welfare, Chosun University, Cheongju-city Youth Center
ABSTRACT
The purposes of this phenomenological study were to investigate the sexual experiences of juvenile delinquents, and to understand how ecological systems affected their sexual activities. The participants were 13 adolescents on probation and 12 adolescents from juvenile correctional facilities or prisons. They explained their meanings of sex, their sexual behaviors, and their coping strategies for sexual problems. Participants conceptualized sex as physical intercourse, while excluding the emotional aspects of sex. They accepted adults' sexist attitudes toward male and female sexual behaviors, and followed adults' commercialization of sex. In contrast to their routinizing sexual behaviors, they had neither enough knowledge of sex nor effective strategies to solve sexual problems. The sexual activities of juvenile delinquents were influenced by their peer groups and sexual messages from media and internet, rather than by their tamely and school. The holistic view of the study highlights the importance of interactions between individuals and the ecological systems when interpreting the sexual experiences of juvenile delinquents.