Social Environments, Sexual Networking and Adolescents' Heterosexual Relationship In Lagos Metropolis

Abstract

This study investigated adolescents' social environments, different strategies manipulated for sexual networking and the effect on adolescents' heterosexual relationship in Lagos metropolis. The total sample for the study comprised 80 male and female adolescents randomly selected from two mixed secondary schools. A researcher-made questionnaire on adolescent's sexual-networking was administered to elicit responses from the participants. The data obtained were analysed using the student's t-test to determine the differences between the variables. The findings revealed that sexual networking had a significant effect on adolescents' heterosexual relationship. It further showed that the social environment which is highly proliferated by the markers of modernity and civilization also had a significant effect on adolescents' hetero social relationship. The results of this study point to the need for Guidance Counsellors as well as Marital Counsellors to screen and guide adolescents' general information networking to reduce the prevalence of sexual experimentation. Results also indicated the need for the Government to expand the existing curriculum of sexuality education in the secondary schools.

Keywords: Social Environment; Sexual Networking; Heterosexual Relationships; Sexual Experimentation.

International Journal of Educational Research Vol. 3 (1) 2007 pp. 127-134