Age and Consumer Socialization Agent Influences on Adolescents’ Sexual Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior: Implications for Social Marketing Initiatives and Public Policy

Social marketing initiatives that influence adolescents’ sexual behavior are critical given that adolescents are the most at-risk group for sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned and unwanted pregnancy. This study, involving 1343 middle school– and high school–aged students, explores relationships among several factors that potentially influence adolescents’ sexual knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. The authors examine the influence of several socialization agents, including parents, peers, and mass media. The results show that parental influence is the most consistent socialization agent across age groupings on all dependent variables studied. However, the relative influence of parents, peers, and media may vary between middle school– and high school–aged adolescents. The authors discuss implications for social marketing initiatives, public policy, and further research.

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