<p>I can’t link to the actual paper so here’s the part quoted, emphasis added:</p>
<p>"[On] college students casual physical encounters or what some have termed hooking up. In this article, we examine the impact of both individual and institutional religious involvement on hooking up in a national sample of college women (N= 1,000). Catholic college women are more likely to have hooked up while at school than college women with no religious affiliation. Second, conservative Protestant college women are less likely to have hooked up while at school than college women with no religious affiliation; however, this difference is mediated or explained by church attendance, which is protective against hooking up. Finally, women who attend colleges and universities with a Catholic affiliation are more likely to have hooked up while at school than women who attend academic institutions with no religious affiliation, net of individual-level religious involvement. </p>
<p>Other work on young womens sexual activity (Brewster et al. 1998), which shows sharply bifurcated patterns among Catholic womenthose with high levels of religious commitment tend to delay sexual activity while those with lower levels of commitment display increased odds of sexual behavior compared to their unaffiliated counterparts. Contrary to the moral communities thesis and to some widespread assumptions, the odds of hooking up are actually much higher at religious schools than at secular educational institutions. Upon closer inspection, this pattern is determined entirely by a large Catholic college effect."</p>
<p>dadx - ha ha, we must be the same age. And in that regard, this study proves (albeit with limited info per BCEagle) what I said 30 years ago when I was high school/college age – my friends that were in catholic schools growing up were so darn repressed they were crazier and were much more likely to go a little wild when that freedom hit than the rest of us (I am female, and catholic, and this anecdotal evidence is conveyed with a smile, so no severe reactions please). :)</p>
<p>“Catholic college women are more likely to have “hooked up” while at school than college women with no religious affiliation.”</p>
<p>That’s in line what I heard from a friend of mine who teaches English at a top Catholic college. As part of the coursework, my friend has her students write personal essays, and many choose to write about their sexual encounters. My friend – a devout Catholic – says that apparently many of the young women feel guilty about sex, so have sex while drunk so they can use drunkenness as the excuse. Instead of having sex with a steady boyfriend, they have sex with random guys.</p>
<p>The point is that Catholic schools have more not less sexual hooking up than unaffiliated, non-religious schools. I believe that’s contrary to the stated principles of Catholic schools.</p>
That’s not my point. My point is that unless they controlled for IQ whatever findings they’ve found are likely suspect. Religious affliliation, once controlled for IQ, generally reduces sexual promiscuity.</p>
<p>This is very interesting- the effect of religion and religious observance on particular behaviors. </p>
<p>Also interesting to determine how IQ effects particular behaviors. But, two different things in my mind- religion and IQ. </p>
<p>Another point- there are some mighty fine Catholic institutions out there that are quite competitive, where Harvard-able students choose to go. There are also lots of smaller, less prestigious Catholic schools out there with lower academic admission requirements. </p>
<p>So- throwing Harvard into the mix doesn’t seem logical to me regarding this particular thread.</p>
<p>The most promiscuous kids in my neighborhood attend Catholic HS. The most promiscuous college freshman my d met were Catholic HS attendees. Now, have the parents chosen parochial school because of their child’s wanton behaviors or are they a product of the "repressive"nature of said institutions. Knowing the kids locally about half were sent to Catholic because of the slippery slope they were on and continued on the school did not alter their behavior, they just found like minded friends.</p>
<p>PS Catholic educated parent here, so not singling out Catholics. But I chose public for my children because of my attendance in Catholic schools.</p>
<p>I also personally know the Nurse Practitioner at a top Catholic Uni., the drunken hook-ups/date rape is quite prolific.</p>
<p>A more interesting study would be girls’ relationships with parents vs frequency of hookup, and age of first sexual encounter. I think girls are less likely to do random hookups if they feel better about themselves, and are more confident. That sense of security often comes from how their parents make them feel, what’s their worth in their parents’ eyes. This is not based on any data, just my own observation of my kids’ friends and my own friends’ kids.</p>
<p>I’ll probably regret diving in here, but I was just talking to my teen-age sons about growing up Catholic and how my twin cousins got PG right out of HS. We weren’t in a Catholic school, but they were raised pretty strictly with very devout parents. I attribute their pregnancies to good ol’ Catholic guilt about their sexuality. I’m not surprised that they ended up PG because they weren’t using birth control, as using BC would show premeditation and sex is a sin and so isn’t it less wrong if it “just happens”? Much like NSM says above, using alcohol also absolves girls from taking full responsibility for their sexuality.</p>
<p>I have a few questions -
Where are the Catholic boys in all of this? Why would not the Scientific Study of Religion do research on the “hooking up” of Catholic boys at Catholic schools?</p>
<p>How do they define “hooking up”? Sex between a bf and gf? A one night stand? Does it always involve alcohol?</p>
<p>These days Catholics use birth control at the same rate as non-Catholics. They also live together and <em>shock</em> have pre-martial sex. The vast majority of American Catholics have kicked the Pope out of their bedrooms. I know plenty of young Catholic women who don’t harbor the “guilt” of a clandestine sexual encounter the way they did 30-40 years ago.</p>
<p>LOLdadx–When I was growing up, I knew a Catholic mom who wouldn’t let her kids listen to Billy Joel.</p>
<p>Bottom line of this study: “Hey baby, didn’t I see you at Mass last Sunday?” is not likely to be a very successful pickup line. (People who attend church, practice religion, are more likely to follow the moral teachings of that religion–no surprise there).
Other observations:</p>
<h1>1 There are a lot of non-Catholic students at Catholic schools.</h1>
<h1>2 Many people who have only a minimal cultural connection (they belong to an ethnic group that is, historically, Catholic) with the Catholic church will say they are “Catholic.” They do not attend Sunday Mass. They do not follow (or even know) what the church teaches. Perhaps they were baptized, and hope to have a church wedding and Catholic funeral someday. Maybe they go to Midnight Mass on Christmas. Maybe their grandma gave them a rosary when they were a kid. They are about as Catholic as Madonna (the pop star). Practicing Catholics would not consider most of the people who claim to be Catholic as “Catholic.”</h1>
<h1>3 Alcohol. Baptists tend not to drink. Catholics, especially certain ethnic groups, tend to drink. As already mentioned, there is nothing like alcohol to fuel hookups–even if you’re not religious or “sexually repressed” or “guilt ridden.” I’ve also noticed that Catholic high schools often have a bad reputation for drinking. This was true when I was in HS 30 years ago, and still true.</h1>
<p>If you’re looking for hookups, don’t look at the conservative schools in the Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College.</p>
<p>OK, I know everybody is trying to keep this light, but count me offended, especially at all these anecdotal stories that supposedly prove something. Lots of broad strokes here, folks. Not cool.</p>
<p>BTW, I am Catholic, and I belong to one of those (drinking) Catholic ethnic groups.</p>
<p>I also lived in the South, in a largely Baptist area, for more than a decade and noticed the difference.</p>
<p>Yes, everyone’s experience is anecdotal, but I have a very large–Catholic, of course-- extended family, so mine is not a small sample. . . Anyone is free to disagree, but I calls 'em as I sees 'em. And I don’t drink, so I was completely sober when I made these observations.</p>
Anyone is free to disagree, but I calls 'em as I sees 'em. And I don’t drink, so I was completely sober when I made these observations.</p>