Sexual Aspects of Adolescent Male Subculture

Male virginity has not been honored in male subculture in the United States (Tebor, 1961; Sorensen, 1973). Tebor found young men reporting little active support for sexual abstinence among members of their peer group or from their parents. Two thirds of 100 subjects reported reticence in discussing their virginity with female friends, and a third of them had never mentioned it to male friends. Most of the subjects tended to be on the defensive about their virginity in discussions with male members of their peer group. When their virginity was referred to in group discussions with other men, virgins reported that they were teased, 'razzed,' and considered foolish. Very few of the virgin men investigated in the study had ever had support of their virginity from male and female members of their peer group or from adults, including their parents.

Within the group, the individuals seemed to admire a pleasing personality to a great extent, and one who mixed easily was always a welcome addition. Next in line came the athlete. If one was an outstanding athlete, he received a higher position within the group, but at least an active interest was essential for membership. Intelligence was also a factor, and while non-essential for membership, it was a helper in attaining a higher position in the group. As far as any one person being the center of attraction, it was beyond doubt the fellow who had 'been around' in regard to sex. This particularly included the person who was not afraid to talk of his experiences and mention a few names. However, one of the most looked-up-to individuals was the one who was having sex relations but was not mentioning it to anyone.

Group pressures can be very binding on the male adolescent in attempting to establish his identity.
Athletics, ability to seduce women, drinking, automobiles, and physical strength were all of the desirable attributes of the guys in the group. Thinking back, I believe most of the guys would have disapproved of the group behavior, but it seems that once everybody was together as individuals, we lost our feelings of individuality and responded only as a group.

Most of the boys did not talk of love in the real sense of love, but mostly of the sexual pleasures that they would derive from a girl. We divided the girls into two groups. Our sister part of our clique or girls that we dated at school and the girls outside our clique, usually younger girls whom we took out trying to achieve some form of sexual gratification. These were the two accepted forms of dating within our group, and the latter being a very common locker room topic.
There was emphasis put on how far you could get with her, and if you clearly advanced and you broke up, you might let the boys know, and they would attempt a try at her. If an innocent girl had been dealt with rather immorally, the act would have been frowned upon, but in a case of a girl out for a good time, she was free game for anyone.
The respect was for the guy who could 'move' very well, but was not continually talking of his many conquests. I feel that there was no particular merit, or it gave you no higher esteem, to say that you had made a girl.

At times all we want is a good make, and if we hear of a sharp girl who 'does the trick,' we jump at the chance to date her. This is for purely sexual desires and satisfaction of those desires. At other times we want someone with whom we can discuss either our problems or theirs.
This is not to suggest that there are no male groups wherein the ideal is premarital virginity.
Few of the boys in my gang could boast that they had 'laid a girl,' or at least if they had, they were more prone to keep it quiet. The general consensus of opinion was that it was not the thing to do, and it was to be reserved for marriage. Sex made for interesting conversation, but no one was specifically informed. It was mainly what we had picked up from other fellows, men's magazines, and movies.
Nor is coitus the only topic of interest when boys talk about girls and dates, but there is no question that boys and boys' groups are more erotically oriented than are girls and girls' groups.