Early Sexual Activity: An Introduction

Who has the most influence on whether your child engages in early sexual behaviors? You do.¹ That’s why it’s so important for parents to talk to their kids about sex and to give them clear guidelines about what is expected—and why. What exactly does “early” mean? Most parents and sex educators would hope it means before graduating from high school, but today only 35 percent of kids abstain from sexual intercourse until they’re 18.²

Did You Know?

• According to Search Institute research, only 3 percent of middle and high school-aged youth with high levels of Developmental Assets indicate that they have had sexual intercourse. This contrasts sharply with the 33 percent of young people who have few assets and have had sex.
• Even though teenagers are more likely to have sexual intercourse as they get older, having more assets keeps many from doing so. While 17 percent of high school seniors with 31 to 40 Developmental Assets say they have had sexual intercourse, 59 percent of high school seniors with 10 or fewer Developmental Assets report having sex.
• High-school girls are most at risk when it comes to early sexual activity. Sixty-nine percent of high school senior girls who have 10 assets or fewer have sexual intercourse, compared to 54 percent of guys.³

The asset-building approach encourages kids to abstain from early sexual activity. In fact, kids who value restraint and believe it’s important not to be sexually active (along with not using alcohol and other drugs) are more likely to succeed.