Adolescent Sexuality and Societal Change

Social changes have occurred so rapidly and in such magnitude as to invalidate previously effective coping mechanisms and to reduce the supporting factors in the social milieu. Concomitant with these changes has been an increase in adolescent sexual behavior. Psychoanalytic theory indicates that this behavior will warp or retard psychosexual maturity, but other authorities disagree with this stance. Present evidence does not allow a definitive statement, but indicates the need for more attention to those adolescents who escape psychic damage.