Proximal and Distal Indirect Influences on Adolescent Sexual Activity and Post Risky Sexual Behaviors INTRODUCTION: Prior literature has revealed a correlation between adolescent sexual debut and parenting behaviors. However, most existing studies has only focused on parental monitoring and control. This limitation, in addition to small, cross-sectional studies, has resulted in inconsistent and limited findings. These gaps are addressed in this present paper by investigating how family connectedness contributes to the age of sexual debut. It is hypothesized that adolescents who are 13 years of age and have a lack of family connectedness engage in high-risk behaviors sooner than their 13-year-old peers with greater family connectedness. METHODS: Data were drawn from the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. This paper focused on adolescents born in the year 1983 who had no sexual debut at baseline. Those selected were initially interviewed for baseline family connectedness and prospectively followed up to adulthood. Family connectedness was measured using five aspects: shared activities, parent-adolescent communication, parent admiration, parental support and the presence of family dinners. SAS 9.4 was used to perform survival analyses to examine the rate of teenage sexual debut by family connectedness. RESULTS: Findings suggest that family connectedness, specifically weekly family dinners and parent-child communication were significant familial factors that delayed adolescent sexual behavior. The hazards ratio of having an adolescent sexual debut at any time for an individual who had family activity at least once a week was 0.91 (95CI: 0.74, 1.14), having weekly family dinner (HR 0.70; 95CI: 0.53, 0.93), communication with parents (HR 0.78; 95CI: 0.68, 0.91), perceived parental support (HR 1.04; 95CI:0.91, 1.02), think highly of parents (HR 1.08; 95CI 0.93, 1.25). CONCLUSION: This study attempted to observe other factors outside of the parental monitor and control that could contribute to adolescent sexual activity. However, family connectedness was found to be a protective factor only among family weekly dinner and parent-child communitcation. Public health policy and interventions aimed at family connectedness alone will unlikely influence adolescent sexual behaviors. Therefore, other factors along with family connectedness should be further assessed to discover its true correlation on sexual debut.

In 2018, the Cowichan Therapeutic Riding Association (CTRA) connected with the University of Victoria to initiate a research project focusing on social connectedness. Social connectedness is the psychosocial process of belonging that can be developed within a community context. Feelings of social connectedness can reduce depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts, lessens violence, health compromising behaviours, and the impact of stress and trauma, and is linked to high self-esteem. The aim of this mixed methods case study was to understand the social connectedness of families participating in a community therapeutic riding program. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used to investigate social connectedness at the CTRA. Three different perspectives were sought to explore social connectedness at the CTRA; guardians, children, and instructors. Participants completed the quantitative Connectedness to Treatment Setting Scale (CTSS) in Phase 1, and qualitative semi-structured interviews in Phase 2 to follow-up and expand upon findings from Phase 1. Fifteen participants (guardians (n = 12) and instructors (n = 3)) participated in Phase 1 of the study whereas five guardians (including a guardian and child dyad) and two instructors participated in Phase 2 of the study. The CTSS comprised of 10 questions assessed on a 6-point scale (from 1 = Totally disagree to 6 = Totally agree). Frequencies were computed for each question and overall mean scores (+ SD) were computed for guardians and instructors separately. The interview transcripts were coded twice. Initially, a deductive orientational approach guided by seven attributes of social connectedness was used. Then, an inductive approach was used to examine how social connectedness was experienced, fostered, or hindered at the CTRA, as well as suggestions for improvement. The CTSS scores revealed that the vast majority of guardians and instructors felt highly socially connected at the CTRA. The overall mean score of the guardians was 55.3 (SD = 4.5) and 56.7 (SD = 3.1) among the instructors. All seven attributes of social connectedness were represented in the guardians and instructors’ responses however, trust, caring, and reciprocity were the most evident attributes. Two themes emerged from the inductive analysis: effective communication equates with social connectedness and expectations of services. Guardians reported that communication as a team with their instructor, volunteer(s), and the animals positively influenced their families’ social connectedness. The results suggested that social connectedness might be mediating relationships between negative factors preceding a therapeutic riding session and the experience of that lesson. Although the instructors and majority of families were socially connected at the CTRA, guardians had high expectations of the program and wanted the CTRA to foster connections beyond their son/daughters therapeutic riding lesson by organizing opportunities for peer and family relationships. The people and animals at the CTRA contributed heavily to family’s sense of social connectedness. Most families had a desire to connect and form relationships with the people and animals at the CTRA. The CTRA provides a community context that supports the development of social connectedness. / Graduate

Sexualvanor bland ungdomar har i generella termer genomgått stor förändring. Debutåldern sjunker och fler sexualpartners är mer vanligt förekommande. En tidig sexualdebut kan dock vara problematiskt i många avseenden. Forskning visar att en tidig sexdebut bör ses som ett tecken på en skadlig livsstil då det visat att ungdomar med tidiga sexuella relationer också tenderar att använda mer tobak, alkohol och droger jämfört med ungdomar utan sexuella erfarenheter. En studie pekar på att assyriska/syrianska ungdomar i Sverige tenderar att sexdebutera sent samt ha ett lågt antal sexualpartners. Det saknas dock kvalitativa studier kring gruppens värderingar och syftet med denna studie är att öka förståelsen för värderingar och beteenden kring sexualitet och se om det finns en påverkan från kulturella aspekter. Vidare syftar studien också i att undersöka om det finns ett samband hos ungdomarnas familjesamhörighet i relation till alkohol och drogvanor. Utifrån en kvalitativ ansats undersöks 12 assyriska/syrianska ungdomar genom skriftliga intervjuer som besvaras anonymt. Materialet analyseras genom meningskoncentrering där utvalda citat kortas ner och kategoriseras utifrån olika teman. För att tolka och analysera respondenternas värderingar och beteenden kring sexualitet, alkohol och droger, kulturella aspekter samt deras familjesituation, användes valda teorier som verktyg; intimitetens omvandling i förhållande till sexualitet, gemeinschaft och gesellschaft i förhållande till kultur samt socialt kapital i förhållande till familjesamhörighet. Detta för att nå en djupare förståelse för respondenternas värderingar. Slutdiskussionen berör diskussioner kring en varierad förekomst av värderingar och beteenden gällande sexualitet där flera uppger att de är emot föräktenskapliga relationer och andra som har en mer liberal syn och menar att det är upp till var och en att bestämma. Det framgår även att kultur eller religion har en inverkan hos de respondenter som uppger värderingar som är emot föräktenskapliga relationer. Även diskussioner kring familjesamhörighet samt alkohol och droger förs där det eventuellt finns kopplingar mellan svag samhörighet eller svag kommunikation i relation till missbruk. / Sexual habits among young people have in general terms undergone great change. Sexual debut age drops and it´s more common with an increased number of sexualpartners. An early sexual debut, however, can be problematic in many aspects. Research shows that early sexdebut should be seen as a sign of a harmful lifestyle when it revealed that adolescents with early sexual relationships also tend to use more alcohol and drugs compared with youths without sexual experience. One study indicates that the Assyrian/Syrian youths in Sweden tend to debut late and have a low number of sexual partners. However, no qualitative studies have been made about the group´s values and behaviors about sexuality. The purpose of this study is to increase understanding of the values and the behaviors about sexuality and if there is an influence from cultural aspects. Furthermore, the study also aimed to investigate whether there is a connection between familyconnectedness with alcohol and drug habits. Based on a qualitative approach 12 Assyrian/Syrian youths is being examined through written interviews answered anonymously. The material was analyzed by sentence concentrator and selected quotes were shortened and categorized based on different themes. In order to interpret and analyze the respondents values and behaviors about sexuality, alcohol and drugs, cultural aspects as well as their family situations, were following selected theories used as tools; intimacy transformation in relation to sexuality, gemeinschaft and gesellschaft in relation to culture and social capital in relation to family connectedness. This is to achieve a deeper understanding of the respondents’ values.  The final discussion involves discussions of a varied presence of values ​​and behaviors regarding sexuality, where some respondents say they are against premarital relationships and other who have a more liberal view and say that it is up to each individual to decide. It also shows that culture or religion has an impact of those respondents who indicates values ​​that are against premarital relationships. Even discussions about family connectedness in relation to alcohol and drugs are presented where there might be a possible link between weak connectedness and poor communication in relation to alcohol or drug abuse.