In addition, it is important to note that the base rates of behavior problems associated with early sexual activity vary as a function of gender, location, and race. For example, girls are less likely than boys to show overt aggression, African American girls are likely to initiate sexual activity at a younger age than European-American girls, and youth who live in violent, urban areas have increased opportunities for deviant peer involvement relative to rural youths (Doljanac and Zimmerman 1998; Zweig et al. 2001). Hence, examining gender, race, and urban/rural differences in the predictability of early sexual activity is warranted.
