Sexual Behaviors - Adolescents

Understanding What is Normal & When to Be Concerned

Green Light: Natural & Expected

  • Foreplay (petting, making out, fondling)
  • Hugging, kissing, holding hands
  • Interest in erotic material
  • Jokes and obscenities within cultural norms
  • Monogamist intercourse (stable or serial)
  • Mutual masturbation
  • Sexual innuendo, flirting, courtship
  • Sexually explicit conversations with peers
  • Solitary masturbation

Yellow Light: of Concern

  • Intense interest in erotic material
  • Mooning and obscene gestures
  • Promiscuous sexual intercourse
  • Pulling up skirt/pulling down pants
  • Sexual graffiti (chronic, humiliating, threatening)
  • Sexual preoccupation/anxiety
  • Sexually aggressive themes/obscenities
  • Sexually embarrasses others
  • Single occurrences of peeping, exposing, rubbing against other people
  • Violates others body space

Red Light: Seek Professional Help

  • Attempting to expose others genitals
  • Chronic preoccupation with sexually aggressive pornography
  • Compulsive masturbation
  • Degrading, humiliating sexual themes
  • Sexual offenses:
    • Bestiality
    • Child sexual abuse
    • Exhibitionism
    • Forced sexual contact
    • Obscene phone calls
    • Rubbing against other people
    • Voyeurism
  • Sexually explicit conversations with younger peers
  • Sexually explicit threats (verbal or written)
  • Touching genitals of others without permission