special subjects
Overview of Sexuality
Developmental Aspects of Sexuality
(See also Development of Sexuality and Gender .) Helping adolescents put sexuality and sexual identity into a healthy context is extremely important. Some adolescents struggle with their sexual identity and may be afraid to reveal their sexual identity to friends or family members, particularly if they have a non-heterosexual identity. Adolescents with a non-heterosexual identity are 2 to 3 times more likely to have suicidal and self-harming behaviors than their heterosexual peers. Adolescents and their parents should be encouraged to speak openly regarding their attitudes toward sex and sexuality. Parents can damage their children’s ability to develop sexual and emotional intimacy by doing things such as the following: Being emotionally distant Punishing children too severely Being overtly seductive and exploiting children sexually Being verbally and physically hostile Rejecting children Being cruel Parents' opinions remain an important determinant of adolescent behavior in spite of the influences of social media and internet sources of information. Social media may form the basis for most information and misinformation on sexuality obtained by adolescents. 