Table 1.

Major questions in the focus group guide.

Sexual development When do you think boys/girls first become interested in having girlfriends/boyfriends? (At what age?) When do you think kids start becoming interested in having sex? (At what age?) Why do you think some kids have sex as early as the fifth or sixth grade? What does having sex at this age mean to boys? What does it mean to girls?

Influences on children What is important to fifth-graders and sixth-graders? Who do fifth- and sixth-graders look up to? Where do you think fifth- and sixth-graders get their information about sex? In your opinion, who influences the way kids think about sex? Do you think boys and girls get different messages about sex? Do you think some kids are afraid of being teased if they don’t have sex?

Ideas for interventions How much do you think parents influence their kids when it comes to sex? Do you think parents or other adults ever encourage kids to have sex? Why? What might parents be able to do to encourage kids to wait longer before having sex? What would you like your children’s schools to do to encourage kids to wait? Most kids wait until they’re older than the fifth grade to have sex. How would you describe the kids who decide to wait until they’re older to have sex? What do you think might be good ways to encourage more kids to wait until they’re older? What types of activities are available for fifth- and sixth-graders in your neighborhoods?