One takeaway here is that the process of sexual identity development is quite nuanced for a lot of teens.' 'Adolescence is a time of identity exploration, and sexual orientation is one aspect of that. 'The results for boys mirrored those for girls, albeit to a lesser degree,' said Stewart. The findings match previous studies which have suggested that sexual identity, romantic attractions and sexual behaviour do not always align - with adolescents, especially girls, being fluid in these dimensions over time. In fact, 9 per cent of the female participants report both labelling themselves as heterosexual and having at least some same sex attraction.Īlongside this, 12 per cent reported engaging in same-sex sexual behaviours despite identifying as heterosexual and declaring no sexual attraction to other girls. However, the researchers report, there was more variability among those students who self-identified as heterosexual - particularly among the girls in the study. The team found that the majority of the students who identified as belonging to a sexual minority also reported a degree of same-sex attraction - with most having engaged in sexual behaviour with an individual of the same sex. And when we looked at the extent to which sexual identity, attraction and sexual behaviour aligned, we saw some interesting trends.'Īccording to the researchers, the findings highlight how teens are 'nuanced and dynamic' in how they identify and experience their sexualities across time (stock image) 'Others fluctuated between heterosexual and sexual minority groups. as well as varying degrees of same-sex attractions - across all three years,' Ms Stewart noted 'Some adolescents shifted between sexual minority identities and/or attractions - gay or lesbian, bisexual, etc.
Over the course of the study, 21 per cent of students reported at least one change in whom they were attracted to - with some exhibiting multiple changes.Īs with self-defined sexual identity, there were significant differences in the responses of girls and boys, with 31 per cent of the former reporting shifts in romantic attraction as compared with only 10 per cent of the boys. The researcher also identified notable difference between the girls and the boys, with 26 per cent of the former reporting at least one change in sexual identity during the study, as compared to only 11 per cent of the boys.Īlongside sexual identity, the team also asked participants about the nature of their romantic attractions - that is, whether they were attracted to boys or girls.
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