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It has been known for some time that children who are raised in homes without a biological father have sex earlier than children raised in traditional nuclear families – and it has been a commonly accepted theory that the reason is early childhood stress that accelerates a child’s physical development. Also, children who see their parents dating may start dating earlier.
New research now indicates that this scenario may be much more complicated than previously thought. In addition to general environmental factors, genetic factors may play a significant role, according to Jane Mendle, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Oregon, who led a recent study that covered this topic.
“Our study found that the association between fathers’ absence and children’s sexuality is best explained by genetic influences, rather than by environmental theories alone,” Mendle said. “While there’s clearly no such thing as a ‘father absence gene,’ there are genetic contributions to traits in both moms and dads that increase the likelihood of earlier sexual behavior in their children. These include impulsivity, substance use and abuse, argumentativeness, and sensation seeking,” she explained.
Mendle and her team followed more than 1000 cousins ages 14 and older from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth over the course of the study.
The study design tested for genetic influences as well as factors such as poverty, educational opportunities, and religion. It compared children who were related in different ways to each other, and who differed in whether they’d lived with their fathers. The more genes the children shared, the more similar their ages of first intercourse, regardless of whether or not the children personally had an absent father.
This finding, the researchers claim, suggests that environmental theories cannot fully explain the puzzle. Instead, genetic influence can help us understand the tie between fathers’ absence and early sex.
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