Youth & Sexuality
Lecture 1: Introduction, historical overview & psychosexual development
When we talk about Youth in this course, we are mostly talking about the age group from 12-
25.
Some concepts we will be discussing a lot:
Sex = the act of having sex, sometimes even penetrative intercourse. This definition is
different for everyone, sometimes even kissing can be seen as sex.
Sexuality = your sexual orientation (heterosexual, homosexual), but also sexual health,
pleasure, etc.
Sex (‘sekse’) = mostly used for biological aspects, such as female or male reproductive
systems
Gender = how you identify, ‘in your mind’. Not completely different from ‘sekse’, but
mostly used in the sense of gender identification (e.g. cisgender)
Sexology = This term is used for the study of sexuality, but also for more specific things
such as clinical sextherapy, sexuologists, sex therapists, etc.
Sexual health = referring to STD’s etc.
Sexuality (WHO, 2006): Sexuality is experienced and expressed in thoughts, fantasies,
desires, beliefs, etc. While sexuality can include all of these dimensions, not all of them are
always experienced or expressed. Sexuality is influenced by the interaction of biological,
psychological, social, economic, political, cultural, legal, historical, religious and spiritual
factors.
The modern study of sexuality:
First scientific developments (1900-1940):
From religious-moral to medical-psychiatric
German psycho-analysts layed foundation for sexology: Von Krafft-Ebing, Freud often
considering female desire as deviant
1906: birth of sexology as a science (Iwan Bloch)
o Hirschfeld & Blochz; founded sexual science institute
o Havelock Ellis, Bloch & Hirschfeld; research on homosexuality
First steps of moving away from viewing LGBT as a disease, immoral or a crime
Alfred Kinsey (US, 1894-1956), Pioneer of sex research
Biologist, zoologist, sexologist
,“The kinsey reports” (1948, 1953), based on 5000 and 6000 interviews
Revolutionary: he moved the field from medical
to multiple disciplines (biology, sociology, etc.)
Taxonomy of human sexual behaviors (including
pedophilia); describing the full spectrum of
observable sexual behavior, without moral claims
about right/wrong
Introduced a scale to ‘measure’ the level of
homosexuality
Controversial in his time: revelations about
masturbation, orgasm, premarital sex,
homosexuality, differences and similarities
between men and women, and more
John Money (New Zealand, 1921-2006), Psychologist &
sexologist
Groundbreaking clinical empirical research on
gender identity development among intersex children
Introduced the term ‘gender’ (1955): all those things that a person says or does to
disclose himself or herself as having the status of man or woman. It includes, but is not
restricted to, sexuality in the sense of eroticism.
Criticized for Bruce/Brenda/David Reimer sex reassignment study
Masters & Johnson:
1966: ‘discovery’ of the human sexual response cycle
o Stage 1: excitement
o Stage 2: plateau
o Stage 3: orgasm
o Stage 4: resolution
A natural physiological process, can be blocked by psychological inhibitions
Controversial methods: observing people having sex, hiring prostitutes, etc.
Layed foundations for behavioral therapy of sexual dysfunctions
The 70’s: Michel Foucault, John Gagnon, William Simon, Shere Hite, Susan Brownmiller
Emergence of social-constructivist perspectives, dismissal of the Freudian idea of
‘sexual instinct’, growing attention for sexual violence, sexual equality (m/f)
Sexuality = product of societal regulation, norms, meaning, and the freedom/right to
express themselves
Sexual behavior = social behavior (sensitive for interpersonal and intrapsychological
cultural scripts)
1974: Removal of homosexuality from the DSM
After a heated debate, 58% of 10.000 APA
psychiatrists voted that homosexuality is no longer a
mental disorder. This lead to increased awareness:
what is normal and abnormal? What is sexual
deviance of variation?
1998/2005: ‘discovery’ of the full anatomy of the
clitoris – Helen O’Connell, US urologist
Ellen Laan (1962-2021)
Groundbreaking research into female sexual arousal.
Some myths maintaining sexual inequalities:
1. Men are from Mars, women from Venus
a. Of 30 sexual behaviors, only 4 moderate
a difference, and 80,26% overlap
2. Penis and vagina are important for reproduction and therefore for sexual pleasure
a. Penis-in-vagina-sex does not facilitate women’s orgasms
,Sexual inequality observation 1: orgasm gap
Rutgers sex under 25: do you usually have orgasms during sex with last sexual partner?
We do know that lesbian women have a much higher percentage of orgasm than
heterosexual women (Frederick et al. 2018)
Sexual inequality observation 2: sexual pain
About 10% of women always have pain during intercourse, in men this is rare.
Over 50% of young women in NL says they sometimes have pain.
The expectation of pain impairs arousal > more pain.
Sexual inequality observation 3: sexual coercion & sexual violence
Percentages vary in research, but in general, there is a large gap in victimization (and
perpetration) of sexual violence between girls and boys.
Sex under 25 (2023):
#metoo/SV 66% of girls vs 29% of boys
Forced to have sex 20% of girls vs 4% of boys
For LGBT+ these numbers are often higher
Sexual similarity observations:
Men and women are similar in the capacity to experience sexual pleasure
Responsivity to sexual stimuli
Sexual desire
Sex drive/hormones (no, men aren’t always in the mood)
But: in cishetero relationships, men and women have different opportunities for sexual
pleasure
Gendered scripts (penis-in-vagina sex does not facilitate women’s orgasms)
This impacts the expectation of pleasure, which in turn may impact sexual response.
Toward sexual equality: a prioritization of pleasure for all > health benefits, diversity/inclusion,
reduce impact of gendered scripts, discourse of similarities instead of differences
Ellen Laan: “Sex should not refer to a particular act, but to an experience: a sexually
pleasurable experience that is (can be) affectionately shared by equal individuals.”
Sexual development is a lifelong process, it is mutildimensional (body image, gender, sexual
risks, beliefs and emotions, love and relationships, sexual orientation, etc.) and it is also
context-related (biological, social and psychological).
There’s a constant interaction between the individual and the context.
Age Context (biopsychosocial context): Sexual development:
0-5 Attachment (works out in later Discovering own body and that
life phase, can be adapted in of others
later life experiences) Language for genitals
Motor skills Discovering gender identity,
Self-awareness and self- noticing men and women are
appreciation (recognition in different
mirror, no insecurity) Discovering social rules
Language
Toilet training
Age Context: Sexual development:
6-11 Taking others’ perspectives, more First insecurities
insecurity Conscious of social rules >
Conscious of social norms masturbation in privacy
School important social factor Shame about nudity
Friendship (mostly same-sex) Being in love and going steady
(social) media Some basic knowledge
Parents are important (social Curiosity about sexuality
sources)
, Age 12- Context: Sexual development:
14 Physical changes Insecurity (‘is this normal?’)
Identity development Arousal and masturbation
Neurological development (gender differences)
Secondary education Love and relationships
Parents still important Kissing and occasionally touching
Friends more important Most not ‘ready’ for more
(social) media (communication
via the internet)
Age Context: Sexual development:
15-18 Physical changes continue Appearance important, less
Less sensitive to social pressure insecure
Parents less important Relationships more important
Partner more important, and intimate
relationships are getting more Important sexual orientation
personal milestones
(social media) Sex progresses step-by-step
Age Context: Sexual development:
19-24 Self-control increases Satisfied with appearance
Legally adults, but cognitively not Positive view of sex
Serial monogamy (multiple Peak in sexual activity, most
steady relationships that last a sexually active life phase in a
couple years) whole lifetime
Leaving home Peak in problems and risks
Going out, drinking and drugs
Age 0-5:
Sexual tinted behaviour: parents’
observations (this is a disadvantage,
because parents don’t see everything their
child does in private, and you can’t
interview young children)
Age 6-11:
Sexually tinted behaviour: parent’s
observations: ‘iewl phase’
Young starters run greater risks:
Less access to information
Less knowledge of sex, STDs and
contraceptives
Less well protected against pregnancy and
STDs
More likely to be persuaded or forced the
first time
Early start (<14) is more likely to be a positive
experience if:
Step-by-step progression (starting with kissing, having a boyfriend, etc.)
The sexual debut is expected
Autonomous decision making > person made the decision to take the next step
Open communication with important others (parents and/or friends)
Step-by-step development has benefits:
Greater control over each step (more autonomous decision making)
Better prepared
Better protected
Can you be ‘too late’?
