What Does Healthy Sex Look Like among Youth? Towards a Skills-Based Model for Promoting Adolescent Sexuality Development

Bibliographic Data

ID20292695
AuthorsMiriam R Arbeit (0000-0003-4771-9330, corresponding author)
Year2014
Volume57
Issue5
Pages259-286
Publication date2014-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHuman Development (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0018-716X • E-ISSN: 1423-0054
PublisherS. Karger AG (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.1159/000367856
OpenAlexW2025512515
LanguageEN
Citations received16
References cited88

Sexuality is central in human life, perhaps especially in adolescence when multiple dimensions of change constitute physical, psychological, and social challenges and opportunities for the developing young person. Understanding this constellation of challenges and opportunities and formulating constructive, supportive interventions would be greatly facilitated by a skills-based model for promoting sexuality development in adolescence. Moving beyond the deficit, sex-negative approach, I propose a model that identifies three key elements of skillful adolescent sexuality development: sexual selfhood, sexual negotiation, and sexual empowerment. I link these components through the processes of personal agency, interpersonal intimacy, and social advocacy. I consider limitations of the model as well as the next steps for applying this theoretical framework to future empirical studies that seek to describe, explain, and optimize sexuality development throughout the adolescent years

Agency (philosophy) · Constructive · Developmental psychology · Empowerment · Human sexuality · Interpersonal communication · Negotiation · Process (computing) · Psychological intervention · Sense of agency · Social change · Sociology · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · Gender Roles and Identity Studies · Gender Studies · Psychology · Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology · Social Psychology