Adolescent Sexuaiity: Judith Marks Mishne D.S.W
Adolescent Sexuaiity: Judith Marks Mishne D.S.W
Adolescent Sexuaiity: Judith Marks Mishne D.S.W
Adolescent SexuaIity
Introduction
Anna Freud noted t h a t following the publication of "Three Essays on
Sexuality" [S. Freud, 1905], and the observance of the existence of an
infantile sex life, the significance of adolescence diminished. Prior to
this publication " . . . . adolescence a derived major significance for
its role as the beginning of sex life in the individual; after the discov-
ery of an infantile sex life, the status of adolescence was reduced to
t h a t of a period of final transformation, a transition and bridge be-
tween the diffuse infantile and the genitally centered adult sexual-
ity" [A. Freud, 1958, p. 256]. Understanding the contemporary teen-
ager necessitates consideration of the existent social changes which
have altered familial style, roles, parental work patterns and adoles-
cent peer behavior and sexual patterns. Currently, we observe ever
increasing numbers of children raised without consistent parenting.
The increase of divorce has all but ended shared parenting. The lack
of an available extended accessible family and inconsistent social ties
are the inevitable results of increased social mobility. The high pro-
portion of substance abuse and the resultant regression has made it
Dr. Mishne is Professor New York University School of Social Work and in private
practice. Address reprint requests to Dr. Mishne at 255 W. 88th Street, # 4E, New
York, NY 10024.