NCJ Number
225629
Journal
Journal of Adolescent Research Volume: 24 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2009 Pages: 91-113
Date Published
January 2009
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This study examined the high occurrence of Asian-American adolescents dating without parental permission and its potential link to high risk behaviors.
Abstract
Findings revealed that Asian-American adolescents frequently date without parental knowledge and parental permission. Adolescents with the highest Asian Values Scale scores were most likely to date without parental knowledge and believed that sexual intercourse should occur after a longer period of dating. Asian-American also reported that their parents secretly permitted them to date, as long as it did not interfere with academics. Asian-American dating progression often differs by skipping intermediate stages and proceeding to a single steady relationship. Study findings revealed that 70 percent of Asian-American adolescents dated without parental knowledge. Dating without parental knowledge among adolescents in general has been examined in a few studies; however, this is the first study to examine this issue in Asian-American adolescents. Before obtaining permission to date, 30 percent of all high school seniors surveyed dated without parental knowledge. Another study revealed that Vietnamese-American young adults dated without parental permission partners who did not meet their parents’ approval. Dating without parental knowledge has been associated with high-risk behaviors, including delinquency and drug use. These results suggest the importance of carefully questioning Asian-American adolescents about dating without parental knowledge and their participation in other high-risk behaviors. Data were collected from a Chinese community center in a southwestern city of the United States where Asian-Americans comprise 5 percent of the population. Figure, tables and references