The American surveys also revealed that adolescents in different social classes had different attitudes towards sexuality. Among young men in lower socio-economic groups there was greater sex segregation in peer groups. Masturbation occurred less often and started later, as it was considered ‘unmanly’. Sexual intercourse started earlier than in the higher socio-economic groups. It was often casual and exploited the women, the men being sexual adventurers who avoided any romantic attachment. Within the peer group each member tried to impress the others by his aggression, by physical display, and by his sexual successes. In modern terms, the young man was developing into a male chauvinist pig, who had a strong double standard of sexuality and who perceived women as objects for sexual pleasure.

In the higher socio-economic groups there was far less sex segregation and much earlier masturbation, which was accompanied by sexual fantasy. The young men had sexual intercourse later, often made romantic attachments, and found it less necessary to impress the peer group by physical display, aggression, or sexual prowess.

The differences in sexual behaviour between young women of different social classes were less marked. Women in lower socioeconomic groups masturbated less, but had sexual intercourse earlier and more often, although they apparently had less enjoyment from sex, reaching or being helped to orgasm less often.

It is interesting too that adult concepts of ‘bad’ when related to young adolescents of each sex were different. Adults accepted that a ‘bad boy’ could be bad in several ways. He could fight excessively, lie, steal, take drugs, or play truant from school. But to say a girl was a ‘bad girl’ meant that she was sexually permissive.

*55/16/1*

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