Impact of Pubertal Status, Timing, and Age on Adolescent Sexual Experience and Delinquency

This study examined the influence ofpubertal status, pubertal timing, and chronological age on adolescent heterosexual experience and delinquency. The sample consisted of adolescent males and females primarily 10 through 16 years of age. Hierarchical regression analyses examined the linear and curvilinear effects of chronological age and pubertal status. Statistically significant age and pubertal status terms were then combined in a full model comparing their relative influence. In females, pubertal status predicted delinquency and sexual experience independently of age. In males, the evidence of independent pubertal effects was weaker. Separate analyses of pubertal timing indicated male and female early maturers reported engaging in more sexual activity and delinquent behavior than late maturers. The results are discussed in terms of apsychosocial expectations model that includes pubertal effects in explanations of adolescent behavior.