Boys Growing Up: Understanding Boys' Sexual Health Education and Its Implications for Attitude Change.

Recent research has begun to examine heterosexual male behavior and the early experiences of masculinity. This pilot research project used naturalistic inquiry methodologies to investigate the experience and education of boys/young men in relation to matters of sexual health and masculinity and to develop an understanding of the relationship among values, beliefs, and action. Over an 11-month period, in-depth interviews were conducted with 39 boys/young men between the ages of 11 and 21, all residing in England. The methodological experience regarding these interviews, and a model which was developed to understand the formation of values and identity among young men, are emphasized in this paper. Results indicate that participants appeared to deal on two separate levels with the anxieties associated with entering secondary education: the private and the public. In the private context, boys were exploring concepts such as doubt, independence, fear, romance, uncertainty, academic pressure, and anxiety. In peer groups, boys struggled with ideas like solidarity, mutual trust, and conformity. The evidence suggests a developmental model, in which young men pass through different phases in their private/public relationships. (RJM)