disorder) and the familial system (i.e., having an alcohol dependent biological parent or second-degree relative, religious background, educational background of mother and father, being born to a teenage mother) significantly predict sexual debut. Although extrafamilial system influences were not directly assessed due to their unavailability in the dataset, symptoms of conduct disorder, a disorder marked by chronic conflict with parents, teachers, and peers, were included in the analyses as indicators of relationship difficulties (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). We recognize that a plethora of factors have been linked with adolescent sexual behavior in past studies (Kotchick et al., 2001); however, the predictor variables in the present study were chosen to correspond with the self and familial systems of influence on sexual debut and because of their availability within the context of a research project examining the genetics of alcoholism.
