Updated on July 20, 2023
Your Teenage Daughter Is Promiscuous And Sleeping With Older Men: What Should You Do?
When Deb's phone rang just before bedtime, she thought it was her mother wanting to know when Deb would pick her up tomorrow for their weekly shopping trip. But it wasn't her mother. It was Beth, her daughter's best friend's mother. As soon as Deb heard Beth's voice, she knew something was wrong. Deb listened in disbelief and horror as she learned that her 16-year-old daughter Erin had a reputation for "sleeping around" with guys attending the local university. "I just thought you ought to know," Beth said. "Sarah is anxious about Erin but didn't want to make her mad by confronting her. So she asked me to call you". After the call ended, Deb walked down the hall, started to knock on Erin's door but stopped. She had never felt so overwhelmed and frightened in her life. It can't be true that my daughter is promiscuous, Deb thought. What should she say to Erin? How can you bring up such an intimate conversation with your teenage daughter without the conversation devolving into a fight? What if Erin were pregnant at the moment?
Defining Teen Promiscuity
Is My Daughter Promiscuous?
The clinical definition of promiscuity emphasizes the obsessive compulsion for engaging in "sexually casual" relationships with numerous partners.
Unfortunately, the word “promiscuous” is now used to negatively describe anyone who has sexual relationships with multiple partners.
However, psychologists assert that “promiscuity” should only be used when referencing someone who engages in compulsive sexual behavior (sex addiction.)
Let’s be clear, being sexually active does not mean your daughter is promiscuous.
Adolescence is a time of physical, emotional, and cognitive upheaval. In addition to developing physical characteristics of young adult women, teen girls contend with the powerful pull of peer pressure.
Having friends and belonging to a group of peers is a top priority in any teen’s life.
Experiencing a constant sense of belonging in high school and participating in after-school activities is an essential aspect of adolescent life.
When a teenager does not feel like they “belong” or can’t find a way to “fit in,” they may become depressed. Develop eating disorders, use drugs and alcohol or adopt self-harming behaviors, including promiscuous behavior.
What if Your Teen Daughter Sleeping With Older Men?
Erin’s search for belonging, self-esteem, and a sense of self-identity may have led her to seek relationships with older men. Some teenage girls view older men as “status symbols” because they are usually living on their own, have jobs, money to spend, and drive flashy cars.
When young people like Erin engage in sexual activity without regard for the consequences, it can often be a way of rebelling against parents who she views as too controlling.
Teenage promiscuity is a cry for help. As parents we must answer before your child’s behavior alters their future.
Some teen girls living in dysfunctional families may think an older man will “rescue” them and take them away from a horrible home environment.
The only way Deb will discover why Erin is sleeping with older men is to simply sit down and have one of the most difficult conversations she will ever have with her daughter.
What Parents Should Know About Teen Girls and Older Men
The first question parents want to know the answer to is:
The answer?
For many of the same reasons, a teen girl wants to have an older boyfriend.
It’s no secret that many older men feel a twinge of envy when they see a 60-year-old man with a 25-year-old woman. This reaction is no different when it involves college-aged men dating teen girls.
If you are wondering why older men are attracted or want to date a teenager. The answer is simple, it comes down to ego! However, the roots of the attraction are more complicated and explained in evolutionary psychology, female fertility, and men having as many offspring as possible as a sign of virility.
While the dynamics of why a teenage girl sleeps with older men is not entirely explainable in a few paragraphs, understanding such relationships’ consequences is straightforward.
How To Talk To Your Daughter About “Hanging Out” With Older Men
When parents talk to their teen girl about “hanging out” with older men or engaging in risky and dangerous sexual behaviors. Tell her the consequences, be clear and avoid judgement. Please make certain she understands the risks and the harm that can result from her sexual behavior.
How to Talk to a Teenager Who Doesn’t Want to Talk?
