INFLUENCE OF HOME BACKGROUND ON ADOLESCENT’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS SEX AND SEXUALITY IN GOVERNMENT SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ZARIA EDUCATIONAL ZONE.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      Background to the Study,

Many psychologists like Enusesike (1985) described adolescence as a, period of experimentation, hypothesis formation’ and abstract reasoning. Adolescents would want to experiment what they see, hear or read be it negative or positive.

Blair and Sampson (1968) stressed that adolescence is the period of stress and storm in an individual life. That is the period that lies between end of the childhood and the beginning of adulthood. Adolescent period witness constant and serious changes in the, physical and emotional, social and psychological domains of life (Okorodudu, 1988). For instance, physical and emotional changes of adolescent begin with puberty (the maturing of the sexual functions). Also, adolescent’s problems arose from precocious puberty (Herbert, 1978), that is, a child behaves more like an adult. The physical and emotional changes make the adolescents to become insecure and have problems in articulating their needs. Sometimes family members or friends try to help the adolescent to “adjust”. For example, questions concerning sexual protection and unplanned adolescent pregnancies.

Shertzer and Stone (1976) noted that physical changes of the adolescents are marked by increase in the rate of physical growth. This can influence behavior of the adolescents both directly and indirectly. Directly, this determines what the child can do if he or she develops according to his or her age to enable him compete on equal terms with peers in games and sports. Indirectly it influences attitude towards self and others. The sudden spur in growth seen in both internal and external physiological features and increases in height being the most observable. Here are some major dimensions of the physical changes during adolescence for both girls and boys:

INFLUENCE OF HOME BACKGROUND ON ADOLESCENT’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS SEX AND SEXUALITY IN GOVERNMENT SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ZARIA EDUCATIONAL ZONE.