Sexual socialization for Grenadian adolescents: An exploratory study

In the past decade, risky sexual behaviors have been a persistent concern for policy makers, parents, and social service providers in the Caribbean regions, including Grenada. When viewed from a social ecological perspective, adolescents’ knowledge and attitudes about sexuality can be learned from a range of sources to include parents, community, church, school, media, and peers. A grounded theory inquiry, investigating the sexual socialization of Grenadian, adolescent girls, revealed “sexual responsibility” as the central phenomenon through which emergent categories were structured. Findings from 12 participants indicated that Grenadian mothers largely relay values that have been learned from church and school experiences. Mothers seemed to serve as the primary source of guidance regarding adolescents’ perceptions of sexual health. Motherdaughter communication included: general messages about abstinence, asserting sexual limits, use of protection, abstinence until marriage, and abstinence due to school completion. Implications for further research, policy planning, and counseling practice are discussed.