A survye of attitude of adolescents towards masturbation in two senior high schools in Cape Coast

Abstract

The study was conducted to investigate the attitude of male and female adolescent towards masturbation in two Senior High schools in Cape Coast. Second year students of St Augustine’s College were randomly selected to represent male second cycle institutions, while Holy Child Senior High represented the female institutions. The research design used for the study was descriptive survey. A total sample of 160 students was selected for the study, 80 from each school. The instrument used for gathering data from the schools was a questionnaire. The Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient for reliability text was .814. The finding revealed that adolescents have relatively positive attitude towards masturbation despite the moral implications, myths, and threats and taboos that some societies hold about masturbation. Even though both males and females admitted that masturbation is common among adolescents, more males than females are sure that masturbation, like any other habit, once acquired can be stopped. The recommendations included the need to give profound attention to methods of dealing with masturbatory activities that give rise to needless anxiety and fear in some adolescents that makes them masturbate in secret; therefore creating guilty feelings in some of them. Attention should also be given to attitudes toward masturbation reflected and influenced by modern concepts of childhood, adolescence and adolescent growth and psychological development.