The Role of Friends and Peers in Emerging Adults’ Sexual Behavior

Abstract Friends and peers play an important role in emerging adults’ sexual attitudes and sexual behaviors. This chapter highlights how friends and peers provide a context for interacting with sexual partners and engaging in activities, such as drinking alcohol, that make sexual behavior more likely. Furthermore, this chapter discusses how friends and peers help emerging adults interpret their sexual experiences through social norms and communication. In addition, the chapter provides recommendations for future research investigating how friends and peers impact emerging adults’ sexual attitudes and behaviors, including how peer influence differs across time, based on relationship context or based on individual characteristics, such as gender, sexual orientation, college status, and cultural background.