Purpose: To generate a substantive theory that explained the sexual decision-making of high-risk adolescent females.
Method: Grounded theory methods were used to concurrently collect and analyze data from interviews with 19 incarcerated adolescent females. Coding, memoing and constant comparison were used to identify the core variable and generate the theory.
Findings: The participants were bombarded by seductive influences. In response, they normalized risky sexual behaviors by finding membership in high-risk associations; perceiving "everybody's doing it;" disregarding conventional standards; and by saying "yes" to sexual opportunities.
Conclusions: The theory of Normalizing Risky ...