Premarital sexual behavior is one of the problems often occurs among adolescence. This can be triggered by the characteristics of early adolescents (15-18 years) who are in a searching for self-identity period, attracted to the opposite sex, feel love and begin to fantasize about sex. While the characteristics of late teens (19-21 years) are teenagers who express their self-freedom and realize love they feel.
Surabaya is one of the major cities in Indonesia with a reputation as a big city of prostitution, because there are many former red district areas. In fact, one of these red-districts holds the title as the largest red district in Southeast Asia, Dolly alley Surabaya. Even though the Surabaya City Government closed the area in 2014, the problems related to free sex in the former red district have not been completely resolved.
Based on the results of an interview with one of the residents living in the former red district, it was found that the children who lived in the neighborhood were free to play among the women in the area from evening to night. According to community leaders in the former red district environment, the practice of prostitution in Dolly and Jarak alleys has been there for decades. The people who live in the environment consider it to be a normal thing and not taboo anymore because it has been hereditary and became their economic field. However, some people in Surabaya oppose this, because the practice of prostitution violates the rules and morals of religion and is feared to have a negative impact on the community, especially for adolescents who live in the red district environment.
Based on this phenomenon, in 2018, a study was conducted on 109 adolescents in a school located in a former red district area. The purpose of this study was to determine what factors are behind the behavior of adolescents in engaging a premarital sexual behavior. The factors studied were adapted from the transcultural nursing theory, a theory that explains a person’s behavior based on a cultural approach. This theory is considered suitable because sexual behavior in the former red district area has become a culture that has been going on through the years. Based on transcultural nursing theory, factors that influence a person’s behavior are knowledge, economic level, lifestyle and cultural values, family and social support, religiosity, regulations and policies, and technology.
The results showed a surprising thing. Of the many factors studied, the religiosity is the only factor that has a significant relationship with adolescent premarital sexual behavior in the former red district area. In this study, the lower the religiosity, the higher the premarital sexual behavior. Based on the answers to the questionnaire, it was found that the majority of respondents believed that God oversees every action taken. It shows that adolescent beliefs about religious teachings are very strong. Thus, adolescents will tend to do things that are commanded by God and stay away from God’s prohibitions, including premarital sexual behavior.
The majority of respondents from this study had moderate religiosity even though they lived in an former red district area. This might be caused by the culture of Indonesian people who still maintain strong religious values in everyday life. The main support of parents by providing religious education can build good character in children. Religious behavior that becomes a culture in a family can fortify adolescents from all juvenile delinquency behavior, including premarital sexual behavior.
The influence of religion has often been seen as an inhibiting force, where religion is an inhibiting factor by delaying, reducing or even limiting premarital sexual behavior in adolescents. Religion as a social control of behavior has direct and indirect influence. Religion can affect one’s behavior in three ways: (1) making individuals sensitive and aware of norms, moral issues and standards of behavior accordingly, (2) maintaining one’s conventional behavior and being aware of social sanctions, and (3) maintaining belief in God’s Punishment because committing sinful behavior.
The conclusion that can be drawn from the results of this research is the importance of character and religious education from an early age in childcare. Emphasis on these values must be continuously given during the growth and development of children, starting from the family and community environment, both through formal and non-formal education.
Author: Retnayu Pradanie, S.Kep., Ns., M.Kep
Details available at: https://www.degruyter.com/view/journals/ijamh/ahead-of-print/article-10.1515-ijamh-2019-0203/article-10.1515-ijamh-2019-0203.xml
