Sexual Behavior Patterns in Contemporary Youth Culture--Implications for Later Marriage.

The adolescent lacks the maturity to estimate the ultimate effect of coitus upon his total personality integration. Heterosexual activities may represent (1) efforts to compensate for nonsexual affectional frustration, (2) surrender to peer group pressure to maintain status, or (3) abdication of the capacity for self-discipline and individual responsibility. They may lead to an undesired and undesirable marriage. Deterioration of the self-image may initiate marital conflict and recrimination inimical to conjugal harmony. The marriage counselor, however, would do well to focus with the utmost empathy on the total personality of each self-defeating spouse. Personal and marital contentment might be enhanced by offering adolescents well-designed instruction in what it means to be a human being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]