Research by Amy Schalet on the different approaches of American and Dutch parents to teenagers’ sexual relationships has been picked up by journalists across the globe. An article by Schalet in Contexts, a publication of the American Sociological Association, was recently featured in Salon and Time Online. Schalet has also been contacted by Dutch radio concerning her research.
Schalet is Assistant Professor of Sociology and a CPPA affiliate. She also is a member of the UMass Public Engagement Project steering committee, which supports and trains UMass faculty members to help make a difference in the world.
Schalet’s research contrasts the attitudes of Dutch parents, who commonly allow their teenagers to spend the night with steady boyfriends or girlfriends, to those of American parents, who rarely condone such behavior. Teen birth rates in the U.S. are 8 times as high as those in the Netherlands. These findings have important implications for thinking about teen sexuality and possible approaches to sexual education.
Schalet’s work on teen sexuality has been featured in other widely-read publications in the past. See, for example, an op-ed by Schalet in the Washington Post and an article that appeared on the website of Advocates for Youth, a national nonprofit that helps young people make informed and responsible decisions about reproductive and sexual health.
Schalet will be a featured speaker at the CPPA Faculty Colloquium on Monday, December 6 (12-1 p.m., Thompson 620).