This document discusses various influences on attitudes toward sex, including culture, media, parents, peers, and past relationships. It outlines three general orientations toward sex: procreational, recreational, and relational. It also addresses changing attitudes over time, debates around safe sex vs abstinence, communicating with children about sex, sexual coercion, date rape, sexual harassment, and strategies for protecting oneself.

1. Communicating
Sexually
The Closest Physical
Encounter

2. What influences our Attitudes
Toward Sex?
 Culture
 The Mass Media
 TV (16 and Pregnant, Bachelor)
 Music (Lady Gaga & Kesha vs. Marvin Gaye & Al Green)
 Print (Playboy vs. Cosmo)
 Parents
 Peers
 Past Relationships

3. Three General Orientations
toward Sex
 Procreational: sex is for making babies
 Recreational: sex is for fun
 Relational: sex is an expression of intimacy
What orientation is most accepted in the US?

4. Changing Attitudes about Sex
 How have attitudes toward sex changed over the
years?
 Why do you think this is?
 Is this good or bad?

5. Safe Sex vs. Abstinence?

6. THE TALK!

7.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL33hoaGM

8. The Talk
 When is the best time?
 Are there consequences for starting the talks
too young?
 What should be said?
 Why is there a debate on what schools
should teach our children about sex?

10. Sexual Invitations and Coercion
 Why do men typically initiate sex in early
relationships?
 What is date rape?
 The rape paradox~
 If you come out  Victimized
 If you stay quiet  Silenced
 Both cases, Power is removed…
 What do you think are some of the causes
of date rape?

11. What is sexual harassment?
SEXUAL HARASSMENT

12. Sexual Harassment
 One out of every two working women is
sexually harassed at some time.
 Women sometimes see behavior as more
sexually harassing than men do.
 Various verbal and nonverbal behaviors
can be interpreted as harassing, including:
 comments about a person’s body, dating
relationships, or sexual activity
 touch, especially to vulnerable or intimate body
parts

13. Responses to Sexual Harassment
 Passive: indirect strategies, such as
ignoring the harassment or appeasing the
harasser
 Assertive: directly telling the harasser to
stop the behavior; issuing warnings or
threats
 Retalitory: punishing or getting revenge
on the harasser

14.  Based on what you learned in this chapter,
what strategies would you use to protect
yourself from sexual coercion or
harassment?
 Why do you think people misinterpret
supposed sexual cues so often?