Development of Attitudes The development of attitudes is influenced by age, cognitive development, and social experiences from settings where

adolescents functions (Van Ausdale & Feagin, 2001, Brown & Bigler, 2005; Van). As adolescents develop cognitively, they begin to categorize assimilate and accommodate information concerning behaviors of smoking, drinking, aggression and sexual behaviors. Aboud 1988 reported that 14- to 17-year-old European American adolescents were already aware that sexuality is against their cultural norms for the unmarried in society. Social experiences, including observation and interaction, provide adolescents with a perspective of the macrosystem in which they live and faction (Brown & Bigler, 2005; Hirschfield, 1997). Adolescents come to know attitudes about culture, religion, socioeconomic status, gender, disability, and age by watching TV, by hearing significant adults talk and seeing how they behave, and by noticing differences in neighborhood facilities (schools, theaters, sidewalks) and practices (employment and violence).

Family Parents have a large impact on adolescents attitudes and values concerning accepted behaviors of society including sexual behaviors as this has the potential to cause social breakdown of society and disappearance of social fabric. For example, a study of high school adolescents and their parents confirmed that adolescents identify with their parents attitudes (Sinclair, Dunn, & Lowery, 2005). Sexual behaviors also follow this general pattern. The sexual understanding of elementary school children represents diverse tends of their parents (Aboud, 1988). Studies of adolescent shows that those with the most positive attitudes towards sexual behaviors have parents who are uninvolved and unsupportive to their children and are inflexible in their attitudes toward right and wrong (Aboud, 1988). Thus, rigid parental attitudes foster similar ones in their children.

Modeling One explanation of the resemblance of adolescents and parents sexual attitudes is that adolescents develop attitudes through role modeling. Adolescents identify with models that are powerful and admirable. Through the process of identification, they begin to assume attitudes of the people they would like to

emulate (parents, relatives, friends, fictional heroes or heroines, television and movie characters, rock stars). Instruction One way adolescents learn attitudes is by instruction they accept as true the statements of their parents and others they admire because, with their limited experience, they are not apt to have heard anything different. According to Ramsey (2004), adolescents assimilate sexually related attitudes, preferences, and social expectations at an early age. They understand the world in terms of absolutes and believe overgeneralizations. Therefore, because of their cognitive level of development, some are receptive to global changes that happen in their surroundings.

Reinforcement and Punishment The socializing techniques of reinforcement and punishment are also involved in the way adolescents learn attitudes. For example, it has been demonstrated that attitudes toward sexual behaviors can be influenced simply by associating them with negative sentiments (reinforcement), such as sinful and punishable by God), (Aboud, 1988). Also, negative remarks by friends influence attitudes (Aboud & Fenwick, 1999). For another example, negative attitudes about individuals engaging in sexual behaviors are discriminated as their behaviors ashame their families and they are reinforced when such individuals are excluded from the mainstream of society (Gollnick & Chinn, 2005).

Community Community customs and traditions influence adolescents sexual attitudes. For example, Indonesian custom regarding sexual behaviors is to designate public restrooms boys or girls; and these clearly explains why such behaviors are strongly prohibited through religious teachings and social values of society where adolescents come interactions with others. Adolescents thus acquire attitudes that represent their environment.

Societal attitudes are reflected most obviously in the ways it communicates information about sexuality, this in turn, affects the behaviors of its members, whether kissing, necking are accepted socially, adolescents are more likely to incorporate their societal attitudes about sexuality into their own attitudes. Community attitudes regarding sexuality, recreation, youth employment, and curfews can affect the level of juvenile delinquency (Garbarino, 1992). Finally, the attitudes of the community members toward sexual behaviors can affect the level of sexual activities in community, families by influencing parenting attitudes. Mothers in communities of high support (such as neighbors, religious groups, therapy groups) reported that their children were significantly easier to have positive attitudes as compared to communities with low support (Garbarino & Sherman, 1980).

Peers Peers influence attitudes and behavior; adolescents compare the acceptability of their beliefs with those of their friends, adolescents whose peers are academically motivated are more likely to do well in school, at the same time, adolescents who think their friends are sexually active, are more likely to engage in sexual behaviors (Wigfield, 2006). Colemans (1966) classic study showed how attitudes were molded among high school students concerning sexuality. Other studies have shown that behaviors may be reduced by equal status contact with significant others in the pursuit of common goals (Oskamp, 2000). Peers are also very influential in the development of gender-role attitudes as well as influencing behaviors which may be accepted or rejected from the group based on similarities and/or differences. Because preadolescent children have a great need to identify with the peer group, someone who is sexually different is often excluded (Gollnick & Chinn, 2005). Other attitudes influenced by peers involve dress, dating and personal problems (Sebald, 1986; 1989).

School Schools another setting through adolescents attitudes can be influenced. A review of various studies (Sadker & Sadker, 1994; 2003) despite the continued resistance by some people to teach sex education in schools, these attitudes still exists as teachers and students and students as they interact with each other behaviors like necking can be easily observed. Schools that separate male and female activities and encourage boys to play in the block corner or take science classes and girls to go to the housekeeping area or take English classes, for example, are teaching adolescents that boys and girls can interact but they activities are limited.

school is very effective in influencing adolescents attitudes toward sexual behaviors. For example, researchers (Johnson & Johnson, 1999; Johnson, Johnson, & Maruyama, 1983) tried to identify conditions in schools that led to positive sexual attitudes of students. They found that when schools cooperated with parents to achieve a common goal, greater positive sexual attitudes emerged among adolescents. These positive attitudes included more realistic views of self and social norms, greater expectations of success, and increased expectations of favorable future observation of social norms.

Kohlberg's (1927-1987) theory understands values as a critical component of the right and wrong. Whatever the right or wrong is, for Kohlberg, it must be universally valid across societies (a position known as "moral universalism") there can be no relativism. Moreover, morals are not natural features of the world; they are prescriptive. Nevertheless, moral judgments can be evaluated in logical terms of truth and falsity. The cognitive moral development proposed by Lawrence Kohlberg (1927-1987) provides insight for this study investigation of moral development of adolescents. Despite its origin in the field of child psychology, Kohlbergs cognitive moral development has seen extensive used to other adolescents and adults as well. The continued reliance on Kohlbergs theory in empirical studies on adolescents moral/value development has made it arguably the most dominant theory in the area (Rest et al, 1999).