Original scientific paper

Dangerous Pleasures: Sexual Risk-Taking in Late Adolescence

Aleksandar ŠTULHOFER
Vesna JUREŠA
Maja MAMULA

Abstract

The paper examines the extent and structural characteristics
of sexual risk-taking (SRT) in student population. The
introductory section offers a definition of SRT, the age specific
contributing factors, and a brief overview of related
bihevioral research – including all the studies carried out in
Croatia (1973-1998). Four hypotheses regarding SRT in late
adolescence are tested in the empirical part of the paper,
which is based on data collected in the 1998 survey on
sexual knowledge, attitudes and behavior carried out on 1355 freshmen at the University of Zagreb. The results
confirm the first three hypotheses (regarding the normalcy or
omnipresence of SRT, gender specific and sequentially
organized structure of SRT), but offer only partial support for
the contextual rationality thesis, suggesting instead a
complex interplay of rational and irrational (habitual)
elements as the psychological background of SRT. The
concluding section discusses also more pragmatic, i. e. the
applied aspects of the research on SRT, calling for SRT
prevention in Croatia through comprehensive school-based
sexual education.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

20225

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/20225

Publication date:

31.12.2000.

Article data in other languages: croatian german

Visits: 4.997 *