Adolescents and Premarital Sex : Perspectives from Family Ecological Context

Sex is a universally developmental process in any society throughout the world. Recently, the numbers of reported cases of social problem specifically related to sexuality issues among adolescent keep on increasing yearly. In Malaysian context, issue of premarital sex become a growing public concern especially with the alarming of social issue problems. Premarital sex is considered as sexual intercourse between a man and woman who are not married to each other. The increasing trend of premarital sex experience specifically among the Muslim young girls needed a serious attention especially within the Muslim majority population country since the prevalence and incidence of premarital sex become a norm by young generation. Early initiations of sexual intercourse are among the key indicators that influence the onset of premarital sexual engagement. Based on the Bronfenbrenner’s Social Ecological Theory, human interaction within their environment will reflect their types of behaviour. In this conceptual paper, the discussion will give better understanding towards issues of premarital sex involvement by not simply highlight on the onset factors but rather helping to understand more clearly by focusing on the protective factors, particularly from the family ecological context in understanding the issues of premarital sex. It is shows that those adolescents who resided within nuclear two parent families had significantly lower rates of premarital sexual intercourse. Consistency in parental communication as well as closely monitoring towards adolescents daily life practice contribute significantly positive development in young generation. Since the issues of premarital sex are alarming especially involving adolescents, therefore a serious intervention need to come into place and closely monitored.