SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR OF BLACK AFRICAN ADOLESCENTS IN THE NORTH WEST PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA

The present study was guided by Bronfenbrenner's bio-ecological theory of human development. Among the social ecological context variables examined were school, peer, community and family influences on adolescent sexual behaviours among black African adolescents in the North West Province of South Africa. Consistent with existing empirical evidence, aspects of contextual factors such as peer, school, family and community proved to be significant in understanding adolescent sexual behaviours, even though some of these effects were not always in the expected direction. Beside these contextual factors, individual-level factors such as age, gender, religious affiliation, residence, grade level and aggressiveness were also found to be important correlates of adolescent sexual behaviour.