THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS IN A RELIGIOUS MORAL BASED UNIVERSITY

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS Asia-Pacific International University THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS IN A RELIGIOUS MORAL BASED UNIVERSITY A Master thesis Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF EDUCATION by Hansel Teo Sze Yong April 2019

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS i THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS IN A RELIGIOUS MORAL BASED UNIVERSITY A Master thesis Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF EDUCATION By HANSEL TEO SZE YONG APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE Amanda Simon, PhD Josephine Esther Katenga, PhD Research Advisor Chair of Master Program Kham Khan Khai, PhD Naltan Lampadan Panelist Dean, Faculty of Education Jimmy Kijai, PhD External Examiner

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS ii ABSTRACT Master of Education Emphasis in Administration Asia-Pacific International University Faculty of Education TITLE: THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS IN A RELIGIOUS MORAL BASED UNIVERSITY Researcher: Hansel Teo Sze Yong Research advisor: Amanda Simon Date Completed: April 2019 The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze the perception of premarital sex in a religious based University among international undergraduate students in Thailand. A quantitative online survey was used to collect data. The data was analyzed using SPSS software. The study investigated the relation between Moral development activities and students’ perceptions of premarital sex and also the factors that impact perceptions of premarital sex among students. The results indicate that at least 60% of students were against sex before marriage. It was found that moral development activities correlate with perceptions of premarital sex among students, however the correlation is weak (r=.03), thus moral development activities may have a small impact on premarital sex perception. The findings suggest that the Internet is the biggest factor that impacted student’s perception of premarital sex, as it was the most popular factor selected by 33% of the participants. The findings also suggest that

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS iii “Movie/Television”, is one of the important factors impacted perceptions of premarital sex as it was selected by 28.2% of participants.

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I want to praise and thank God for giving me the will and encouragement to complete this research. Secondly, I want to thank my advisor for the patience, effort, and time in guiding me in this research. Thirdly, I want to thank the research committee for giving me a chance to continue my research. Lastly, I also want to thank Dr Damrong for his effort in guiding me for my research questionnaire.

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS..........................................................................................iv LIST OF TABLES......................................................................................................viii LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................viii CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................1 Background ...................................................................................................3 Problem Statement ........................................................................................6 Rationale .......................................................................................................6 Purpose of the Study .....................................................................................7 Research Questions:......................................................................................7 Null Hypothesis.............................................................................................7 Conceptual Framework .................................................................................7 Significance of Research...............................................................................8 Definition of Key Terms:..............................................................................8 Limitation......................................................................................................9 Delimitation ..................................................................................................9 Organization of Thesis Chapters...................................................................9 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................11 The Concept of Premarital Sex ...................................................................11 Prevalence of Premarital Sex Amongst Young People...............................11 The Attitudes Towards Premarital Sex Among Youth ...............................13 Female Youth Involvement in Premarital Sex............................................15 Factors that Impact on Premarital Sexual Activity .....................................16 Exposure to Sexually Explicit Media ..................................................18 Family Environment and Parental Monitoring on Premarital sex ....................................................................................21 The concept of Moral Development and Religious Values........................24

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS vi Impact of Religious Moral Development Activities on Premarital Sex...........................................................................................25 Summary .....................................................................................................29 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.....................................................................30 Positivist Paradigm .....................................................................................30 Research Design..........................................................................................30 Population and Sample................................................................................31 Description of the Sample Among University Students.............................31 Instrumentation ...........................................................................................32 Validity and Reliability...............................................................................33 Data Collection............................................................................................34 Data Analysis..............................................................................................34 Ethical Considerations ................................................................................35 4. RESULTS ........................................................................................................36 Result by Research Question ......................................................................36 Correlation Analysis....................................................................................40 Summary of major finding..........................................................................43 Null Hypothesis...........................................................................................45 5. SUMMARY, DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION, AND IMPLICATION..........47 Purpose of the Study ...................................................................................47 Review of the Literature..............................................................................47 Prevalence of Premarital Sex Amongst Young People........................48 Factors that Impact on Premarital Sexual Activity..............................49 Exposure to Sexually Explicit Martial/Media......................................49 Family Environment and Parental Monitoring on Premarital sex ....................................................................................50 Religious Moral Development Activities on Premarital Sex .....................................................................................................50 Methods.......................................................................................................50 Results.........................................................................................................51 Discussion and Findings .............................................................................53 Conclusion ..................................................................................................59 Limitations ..................................................................................................59 Implications.................................................................................................60 Recommendations for future research ........................................................60

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS vii REFERENCE LIST .....................................................................................................61 APPENDIX..................................................................................................................71

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS viii LIST OF TABLES 1. Demographics of University students..............................................................32 2. Perception of Premarital Sex Among Students................................................37 3. Moral Development Activities on Campus......................................................37 4. The impact of Moral Development Activities on Perceptions of Premarital Sex..................................................................................................39 5. Factors That Impacted Student’s Perception of Premarital Sex ......................40 6. Moral Development Activities and Statements M and SD (n=103)................42 7. Correlation Coefficients Between Moral Development Activities and Perception on Premarital Sex (n=103).............................................................43 LIST OF FIGURES 1. Conceptual Framework......................................................................................8

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION The prevalence of premarital sex has increased over the years. In 2002, 34% of America women aged 18–24 years were involved in sexual activity and it has increased to 41% in 2006–2010 (Martinez, Copen, and Abma, 2011; Abma, Martinez, and Dawson, 2004; Abma and Martinez, 2017). According to Finer and Zolna (2016), 75% of unintended pregnancies occur among American girls 15 to 19 years old and adolescent pregnancies account for about 15% of all unintended pregnancies worldwide due to premarital sex. In 2013, there were 110,000 cases of abortion among unmarried young girls aged 15 to 19 years old (Kost, Maddow-Zimet, Arpaia, 2017). To add to this, there has been an increase of HIV and STI rates among young teens in the 15-24 years range. Nearly 2.7 million are infected with HIV worldwide (UNDP, 2010) and CDC reported that 19.7 million American young people aged 15 to 24 years old cases of STI. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). According to Focus on the Family (n.d), factors associated with premarital sex among American adolescent were alcohol and drugs use, less parental monitoring, frequent family relocations, only one parent in the house hold and early steady relationship among adolescent and peer pressure. This peer pressure can influence how young people dress, what kind of music they listen and what types of behavior they engage in, including behaviors such as using drugs and alcohol, and engaging in sex (Wells, n.d). Most young people are often challenged with strong social, peer and

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 2 cultural pressure to engage in premarital sex (Alemu et al., 2017; Sieving, Eisenberg, Pettingell, and Skay, 2006). Young people are also highly affected by sexual practice among people (Laumann, 2006). For example, it is common for movies to show hugging, kissing and sex scenes .Influences from social media such as video and pictures of nude people also influence people. Because of the prevalence of these scenes, youth explore the type of behavior shown on the movie.s (Collins et. al., 2004) AsekunOlarinmoye, Asekun-Olarinmoye, Adebimpe, and Omisore (2014) discovered that sexual content is prevalent on television. The influence of media portrayals of sexual attitudes and expectations to young people at a critical developmental stage, affects them in such a way that they begin to normalize or take part in behaviors which they otherwise would not take part in. For example, seeing young people on tv having sex could encourage someone waiting for marriage to have sex, to have premarital sex. Lastly, some young people want to show off to their peers that they had sex with multiple people to gain respect and popularity .These young people influence others to do the same.(Bauermeister et al., 2009) Siegel, Klein and Roghmann (1999) study found that 52% of freshman college students in America had premarital sex .They further stated that the percentage of students who had sex during college years had increased, reaching 86% during their senior years. Patrick, Maggs, and Abar (2007) stated that since many students fail to use a contraceptive, which leads to unwanted pregnancy and (STD) Sexual Transmitted Disease, it is important to understand the reasons behind premarital sex among students on campus .The change in sexual behavior in this age group is crucial in tackling sexual diseases .Despite the campaigns for sexual disease and the

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 3 availability of condoms for safer sex to young people, these efforts have often had disappointing results (Marston and King, 2006). Tant (2011) suggested that religious moral development could reshape young people behavior and attitudes towards premarital sex. Moral development focuses on emergence, change, and the understanding of morality from adolescence to adulthood. Morality develops and is influenced by an individual’s experiences and their behavior when faced with moral issues. Morality concerns an individual’s growing sense of what is right and wrong (Homiak, 2019). Moral development is thus process through which proper attitudes and behaviors towards other people in society are developed, based on social and cultural norms, rules, and law (Wells, n.d). Moral development could influence sexual behavior and attitude among adolescents. Kanzal, Subikshalakshmi, and Goswami )2016 (stated that moral values could impact an individual in every aspect .It is a responsible attitude towards others and understanding the difference between right and wrong behavior .Moral and religious development help develop an awareness and appreciation of an individual’s value in society regardless of their background. This leads to people having a sense of responsibility to others (Curriculum for Excellence: Religious and Moral Education, n.d). Kanzal, Subikshalakshmi, and Goswami )2016 (further stated that schools could be effective resources in implanting moral values in children, therefore moral development benefits the society and the student .Children are supported in developing and reflecting upon capacity for moral judgement and their values and the youth are taughtvalues, making better choice sand practic ,ing .good behavior Background In this research, moral development will be associated with religion because of its similarity, in that it influences young peoples’ sexual behavior. Empirical studies

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 4 (e.g. Gyan, 2018; Christopher and Frandsen, 1990; Chiao and Yi, 2011) have focused on strategies to reduce premarital sex but not many have incorporated the impact of religious moral development on sexual behavior. There is therefore a lack of research on religious moral development and the way in which it influences perceptions of premarital sex. This study will investigate perceptions of premarital sex among students in a religious moral based university. In Biney and Dodoo (2016) research on Ghana adolescents, using data from the 2011 RIPS Urban Health and Poverty Project survey, they found that majority of 196 males and females, age 12 to 19 years, old did not consider themselves to be sexually ready .The respondents came from different ethnic groups in Ghana; some from the matrilineal system and some from patrilineal system. Through observation and analysis, they found that sexual experience, exposure to pornographic material, gender, ethnicity, and financial standing of the family could be linked to respondent’s readiness for sex. For example, more of the respondents from patrilineal systems identified as sexually ready compared to their counterparts. Those who were older and also males also identified as sexually ready compared to the other respondents. Biney and Dodoo also found that sexual readiness likely encourages or causes people to engage in sex because they think they are ready. Involvement in sexual activity further reinforces their readiness. The Internet is widely used around the world, it is easy to access to the Internet even for children to explore. According to Bragg and Buckingham (2002), the use of internet influences adolescent sexual attitudes. Bragg and Buckingham found that adolescent were more permissive towards sex because of internet access exposure to Sexual Explicit Media (SEM) or pornography or nudity on the web. Arulogun, Ogbu, and Dipeolu (2016) found that the high prevalence of internet use was

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 5 associated with higher permissive sexual behavior among adolescents. Owens, Behun, Manning, and Reid (2012) stated that because of easy access to the internet, young people who view SEM through the internet had developed unrealistic sexual values and beliefs. Lamb (1997) strongly argues for an integration of moral development and sex education curricula. Lamb stated the benefit of moral development is focusing on primary values that would be taught not only for sexual behavior, but also in relating to the general treatment towards people. Lamb noted that moral development could change the behavior and attitudes towards premarital sex among young people, and would also encourage them to treat others with respect, which would be of benefit to the society. This study will take place in one of the religious universities in Thailand that emphasizes the importance of religious moral principles. The University’s religious belief is against premarital sex, and only supports sex within marriage. in the context of this institution the Christian belief is that sex before marriage is a sinful act towards God. ThisUniversity value is based on the bible and the concept thatwhen two .”people who are not married engage in sex it is “fornicationThe University have strict rules on student relationships and forms of physical contact, such as no holding hands, hugging, and kissing on and off campus .There are separate male and female dormitories, and a 10pm curfew for students living on campus .The university wants to maintain the Christian image, and students who commit wrongful sexual behavior, particularly premarital sex, are going against the university’s Christian values and beliefs. The University has a strong belief in the Bible, premarital sex is looked upon as sin. Moral development activities are at the core of the university because they

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 6 teach Christian education that promotes good behavior to prepare young people for the future. As the university is grounded in the bible and its beliefs, and they have programs to educate students and help them develop morally, this might have an impact on the perceptions of premarital sex held among students. Problem Statement Previous studies have shown that premarital sex is prevalent among youth worldwide. The influence of media and internet causes young people to discover their sensuality at an early age. Premarital sex is prevalent among most young people in most Universities or schools, and methods such as rules, seminar, or sex prevention programs have been put in place to help prevent students from engaging in premarital sex, however not many studies have investigated the impact of religious moral development activities on the perceptions of premarital sex. This study explored the perceptions of premarital sex amongst international students at a religious Christainbased university and to what extent religious moral-based activities could influence the perceptions of premarital sex among students. The study will also seek to discover the key factors that have contributed to student’s perceptions of premarital sex. Rationale Premarital sex is common among the young people. Through this study I wish to investigate the perceptions of premarital sex among students in a religious based University. In a religious University, students are taught morality and they have moral development activities to help with this. The university discourages sex before marriage. I want to know whether the university moral development activities have an influence on students’ perception of premarital sex. I also want to find out the factors that shape students’ perceptions of premarital sex, based on their own responses.

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 7 Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study was to describe, and analyze the perceptions of premarital sex in an international religious University. The study includes the investigation of the relationship between Moral development activities and perceptions of premarital sex, and the key factors that impact perception of premarital sex among students. Research Questions: 1. What are the perception levels of students pertaining to premarital sex? 2. How often do students attend moral development activities on campus? 3. To what extent have students’ perceptions of premarital sex been influenced by the moral development activities on campus? 4. What are the key factors that have impacted student’s perceptions of premarital sex? Null Hypothesis 1. There is no relationship between involvement in moral development activities and perceptions of premarital sex. The null hypothesis is related the following research question “To what extent have students’ perceptions of premarital sex been influenced by moral development activities on campus?” Conceptual Framework The conceptual framework shows the independent and the dependent variables of this study.

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 8 Figure 1. Conceptual Framework Significance of Research Many previous studies have focused on perceptions of premarital sex in general, but not many studies have focused on the relationship between religious moral development and perceptions of premarital sex. This research has a potential to contribute to the understanding of how religious moral development can possibly influence premarital sexual behavior among youth. Thus, it is not only schools and universities that can benefit from this research, parents, families and other organizations can also learn from, and make use of the results of this study. Definition of Key Terms: Moral development – Development of proper attitude and behavior toward other people in society, based on social and cultural norms, rules and laws Morality – a set of values and principles and deciding of what is right and wrong . Premarital sex –Sex before marriage (Dependent variables) Perception of Premarital Sex (Independent variable) Factors that impact perception of premaital sex (Indepentent varible) Religious Moral devleopment activities

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 9 Sexual Activity – Actions that stimulate genitals, for instance: hugging, kissing or touching Collective worship – where everyone is giving an opportunity to worship God within a particular faith such as Christianity or Islam (“Collective worship in school”, n.d) Limitation Some anticipated limitations are that since premarital sex is a sensitive topic, some students might not answer the survey truthfully and will not want to participate in the research. Also, the survey will be written in English, however the level of English proficiency of some students maybe limited, which may result in some students having difficulty understanding the objective of the study and perhaps the questions as well. To address this, the questions will bephrased clearly without the use of complicated terms, for participants to understand the researchclearly. The re is alack of liturature review on moral development on premarital sex, not many researchersha ve demonstrated an interest in the relationship between moral developmentand .premarital sex Delimitation I chooseto conduct the research at University level instead of any other level of education because of the topic areauniversity students are more mature than high , ,school students and therefore University studentsshould be able to take amore reliableand sensible approachto this research compared to high school students who may be tooyoung to fully.understand the objective of the research Organization of Thesis Chapters Chapter 1 presents an introduction, background, problem statement, purpose of study, research question, null hypothesis, definition, significance of the study,

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 10 limitation, and delimitation. This will give a broad understanding of the topic area. Chapter 2 presents the literature review. The literature review is divided into sections coving key areas such as: the concept of premarital sex, prevalence of premarital sex amongst young people, factors that impact on premarital sexual activity, moral development and religious values, and religious moral development and premarital sex. Chapter 3, the methodology, presents research design, population and sample, instrumentation, data collection, data analysis, validity and reliability, and ethical consideration. This chapter explain the type of method was used, and will explain how the data was gethered. Chapter 4 provides a description of the results obtained in the study. Chapter 5 provides a summary, discussion, conclusions, and future research.

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 11 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter presents the related literature and studies conducted by various researchers. This chapter examines the concepts of premarital sex, moral development and religion. The literature review will discuss the prevalence of premarital sex amongst young people, factors associated with premarital sex, Moral development and religious values, and the impact of religious moral development on premarital sex. The Concept of Premarital Sex People who have sex before marriage practice premarital sex. Historically, premarital sex was considered a moral issue in many cultures and considered a sin by a number of religions. There are cultural differences as to whether and in which circumstances premarital sex is socially acceptable or tolerated. Premarital sex can be related to wider issues such as sexual morality or unplanned pregnancy. Premarital sex may take place in a number of situations. For example, it may take place as casual sex for participant seeking to experience sex before marriage, couple living together for long-term relationship and engaging in sexual activity before marriage, or having more than one sex partner before marriage (“Premarital sex”, n.d) Prevalence of Premarital Sex Amongst Young People This section investigates the prevalence of premarital sex amongst young people. It is related to this study because it is essential to explore the prevalence of

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 12 premarital sex so as to give a broad understanding of young peoples’ behaviors and attitudes towards premarital sex. In recent years, attitudes towards sex have been changing all around the world, more adolescents are engaging in premarital sex and sexual activity. According to Fatusi and Blum (2008) study on 2,070 adolescent aged 15–19 years in Nigeria for instance, 40% of Nigerian adolescents were sexually experienced. the study found that in the south of Nigeria, 53% of adolescents had engaged in premarital sex compared to 25.2% in the North. The reserachers stated that given the high prevalence of premarital sex in Nigeria, adolescents are at risk of Sexually transmitted inflection (STI) and unwanted pregnancies. In the region of Central America, findings indicate that younger adolescents are engaging in premarital sex. Peltzer and Pengpid )2015 (examined early premarital sex among 9,948 school children aged 13 to 16 years old in six Caribbean countries . The result revealed that 26.9 %had experienced sex before the age of 15 years old, 37.2 %among boys and 16.9 %girls .Peltzer and Pengid’s findings indicate that 33.6 %of children reported having sexual intercourse, 19.5 %of the children had two or more sexual partners during their lifetime, and among the sexually active, 76.7 % reported using condom when they last had sex . Finer (2007) used data from the survey National Survey family Growth in 1982, 1988, 1995, and 2002 to examine American youth who engage in premarital sex. Finer concludes that in 2002, 75% of youth had premarital sex by age 20. In all four surveys for women only, Finer stated that 74% of young American women had engaged in premarital sex by the aged of 20. Finer’s findings suggests that majority (91%) of American youth had premarital sex by the time they reached the age of 30.

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 13 Finer further stated that it is not surprising that American youth had premarital sex by this age, but it is also common at much younger ages. Saranrittichai, Sritanyarat and Ayuwat (2006) investigating sexual behavior among young people aged between 13-19 years old in Khon Kaen province, Thailand, showed that 83.3% of males and 61.5% of females had engaged in premarital sex. In Chiang Mai province, it was reported that 49% of Thai youth had engaged in premarital sex, and 44.7% had engaged premarital sex with 2 or more partners, and 13% had had premarital sex at the age of 15 (Aurpibul et al, 2016). Podhisita, Xenos, and Varangrat (2004) findings found 92.8% of male and 31.4% females aged 15 to 24 held liberal attitudes towards sex. They also found that 95.6% male and 32.2% female had engaged in premarital sexual behavior. Sranrittichai et al and Podhisita et al studies suggest that the prevalence of premarital sex among young Thais s rising and this might raise concerns about reproductive health issues among young people. Kumar and Tiwari (2003) investigated behavior towards premarital sex among 469 unmarried youths living in the slum of Delhi and Licknow, India, using the semistructured interview schedule. They discovered that 23.1% of youth in Delhi had premarital sex, which was less than Lucknow at 12.1%. They also discovered in both cities, 75.3% of youth engaged in sexual activities and only 3.5% admitted to have sex with multiple people. Their finding suggested that premarital sex is prevalent among the youth in the slums of India. The Attitudes Towards Premarital Sex Among Youth Wang et. al. (2007) examined 1,304 youth attitudes towards premarital sex in China. They found that 60% of youth held favorable attitudes towards premarital sex and 18% of youth reported having engaged in sexual activity. They discovered that

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 14 one fifth of the 18% of sexually active youth had always used contraception and onequarter had been pregnant or had impregnated a partner. Bhatta, Koirala, and Jha (2013) examined the attitude towards premarital sex in three secondary schools in Nepal with structured self-administered questionnaires. The results revealed that 32.4% of the respondents mentioned that premarital sex is appropriate, 48% of youth wanted to engage in premarital sex because of sexual desire and 31.4% wanted to experience sex. Furthermore, they stated that of the respondents who engaged in premarital sex, 16% of the respondents faced problems with unwanted pregnancies, 53.8% went for abortion, and 46.2% used a contraceptive method to avoid getting pregnant. They noted that premarital sex and sexual reproductive health of the youths is now a growing concern for many developing countries due to the increasing trend in sexual activity and unwanted pregnancies among them. Yip et. al. (2013) looked at 1,126 unmarried youth aged 18 to 27 years old in Hong Kong .They found that 63.8% held liberal attitudes toward premarital sex, about half of them held liberal attitudes towards any form of sexual activity, and 60% held conservative attitudes toward casual sex relationships and multiple sex partners. Yip et. al. stated that 41.5% of unmarried youth included in the study, were engaging in premarital sex and 10% reported engaging in risky sexual behavior. Yip et. al. stated that most young people in Hong Kong held liberal attitudes towards premarital sex and it is common among unmarried youth to engage in premarital sex. All the above studies show how premarital sex is currently being perceived. Where as in times past, sex was sacred and something reserved for marriage, attitudes these have changed. And because of this change in attitudes, perceptions about premarital sex and immorality are also changing.

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 15 Female Youth Involvement in Premarital Sex Mulugeta and Berhane )2014 (conducted a cross-sectional survey to assess the magnitude of involvement in premarital sex on 1,123 high school female students in Ethiopia .Their research indicated that 30.8 %of female students reported having premarital sexThey discover .edthat the earlie stage of female youth engaging in premarital sexwasyears old. They also found that 47.2% of female youth had 13 more than one sexual partner and 24.4% who engage in premarital sex hadbecome pregnant . Exploring premarital sex in South Africa, Manzini (2001) using data from 1999 survey ‘Transition of Adulthood in the Context of AIDS in South Africa’, identified the age sexual debut and childbearing among adolescent girls in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Of the 796 girls who were sexually active, 67.3% had, had premarital sex by the age of 16 years old, 87.9 %reported being pregnant once and 71 %of the respondents said their pregnancies were unplannedManzini stataed that . the high prevalence of premarital sex is harmful to adolescent health andthat these young people would be ina better position to complete their education if they did not .engage in premarital sex In Malaysia, the study of Ghani, Abdullah, Akil, and Nordin )2014 (consisted of 238 female Muslim inmates selected from four governmental welfare institutions based on the background of the adolescents who were involved with premarital sex . The results revealed that all 238 respondents admitted to having premarital sex, 47.2 %of the respondents stated that they were involved with premarital sex age at 12 to 14 years old, and 21 %of the respondents experienced pregnancy. In this section, the studies suggest that many young teen girls are engaging in premarital sex. The studies suggest that premarital sex is popular among the girls.

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 16 Many young girls are engaging in premarital sex aged between 13 to 16 years old. Premarital sex also leads to unwanted pregnancy, health issues, and school dropout among the teenage girls. Factors that Impact on Premarital Sexual Activity This section was to explore the factors that impact perceptions of premarital sex among young people. It includes factors such as exposure to sexually explicit material, and family environment and parental monitoring. In this study, is it essential to understand the factors that impacted young peoples’ perception of premarital sex. Examining the factors that contribute to premarital sex in different countries. Wong et. al. (2009) conducted a case-control study on 500 adolescents who reported engaging in premarital sex in Malaysia between 2006 and 2008. Wong et. al. study reveals that the major associated factor for premarital sex among males was watching pornography, peer pressure, drinking and smoking, and family financial problems. For girls, the associated factor was peer pressure, permissiveness regarding sex, sexual abuse and school dropout. Chi, Yu, and Winter (2012) self-reported questionnaire on youth sexual behavior was completed by 1,500 university students in Hefei, China. It was reported that 12.6% of students had sexual activity, 10.8% had oral sex, 46% reported masturbation, and 86.2% of students watching pornography. Furthermore, their result reveal that 2.7% reported forcing their partner to have sex, and 1.9% reported being forced to have sex. They discovered the major factors for sexual behavior among Chinese youth were watching pornography, spending time on the internet, and talking about sex with friends. In Cambodia, Yi et al (2010) examined 1,049 students aged 14 to 20 years to identify the associated risk factors of premarital sex on family, individual, peer,

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 17 school, and community. The results revealed that 12.7% of adolescents had sexual activity during the past three months. Out of those sexually active, 34.6% reported having multiple sex partners over the same period, and 52.6% did not use any contraception in their last sexual activity. Their findings indicate that substance use and peer pressure were the most important factors of premarital sex among youth. Hurissa, Tebeje, and Megersa (2014) conducted a cross-sectional study on 361 students of Jimma Teacher Training College, Ethiopia. Findings of this study revealed that 39.7% of participants hadpracticed premarital sexual activity, of whom were males and 36.6% were female, and the age of first sexual intercouse was %63.4 to 19 years old. They stated that the factors 15leading toyouth s’first sexual activity were, fallingin love, peer pressure, personal desire and alcohol. They noted that young people were practicing risky sexual behavior such as watching pornography, .using drugs, and having sex with a prostitute Olijira, Berhane, and Worku (2012) conducted a cross-sectional school-based study to identify the factors associated with premarital sexual debut among 2880 inschool adolescent in Eastern Ethiopia. Olijira et. al. discovered that 24.8% reported engaging in premarital sex. They also discovered that the premarital sexual debut ranged from 13 to 19 years old. Their studies revealed that family residential area, gender, and educational rank were factors associated with premarital sex. They stated that premarital sex was more common among adolescents who lived ,in urban areas had a perceived low education level, and who lived in rented housing . According to Olijira et al, urban families were more likely to engage in premarital sex than those from rural area, this may be due to more liberal lifestyle in urban areas compared to cultural conservatism in rural areas. Premarital sex was associated with gender, in that females were 56% less likely to engage in premarital

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 18 sex compared to males. They explained that due to a double-standard culture for males and females; expectations of virginity at marriage for females was high while there was lesser cultural pressure on males to be virgins. Educational rank was also associated with premarital sex debut. Olijira et al found that students who are less educated were two times more likely to engage in premarital sex, compared to those who are more educated because low educational rank students received less sexual and reproductive information than high educational rank students. In the study of Badaki and Adeola (2017) investigating the peer pressure influence on premarital sexual behavior of secondary school students in Kaduna Sate, Nigeria, it was found that students seek information from their peers on sexual issues. They stated that student’s premarital sexual behavior was linked to peer influence, relationship, communication, interaction connection and control within peer groups. They point out that peers are known to change the attitude and behavior of students in relation to drinking alcohol and visiting sex workers. They concluded that peers have a major influence on premarital sexual behavior among young people. Most of the studies in this section point out that peer pressure is an important factor that contributes to the prevalence of premarital sex. Most young people received sexual information from friends that easily influenced them to engage in premarital sex. Exposure to Sexually Explicit Media Exploring the effects of exposure to Sexually Explicit Media (SEM) on premarital sex. Lou et. al. (2012) examine the exposure of mass media and internet use and pornographic material on 16,554 unmarried youth in Hanoi, Shanghai and Taipei. Lou et al revealed that more than half of the respondents in three cities reported having learned about sex from the internet. In all three cities 86 – 99%

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 19 reported having learned about sex from the media than from the internet. The percentage was higher in Hanoi than in Taipei. They stated that 86% of Taipei respondents reported having watched pornographic movies and videos. They noted that both media and internetareimportant factor sthat influence premarital sex .among young people Habesha, Aderaw, and Lakew )2015 (examined 750 selected youth students of preparatory school at Hawassa city in southern Ethiopia to assess exposure of Sexually Explicit Media )SEM .(The study revealed that internet searching was the major source of information for sexually explicit materials at 45.9 .Habesha et al study also found that respondents who were exposed to SEMs indulged in risky sexual behaviors; 38.7 %of youth tried to do what they had seen after exposure, and 5.3 %indulged in sexual activities such as oral sex or anal sexHabesha et al stated . that easy access SEM through the internet caused young people engage in premarial sex because it reshapedyoung people s’perception and behavior with regards to .sex SEM normalizes premarital sex and therefore creates a want to try it. Habesha et al findings suggested that internet is an important factor that impactspremarital sexual .behavior among young people Brown and L’Engle )2009 (examine the correlation of the effects of sexually explicit media on the sexual attitudes and behaviors of early adolescents in 14 public middle schools in the Southeastern United States .Brown and L’Engle found that 53 %of males and 28 %of females reported viewing SEM .They also found that 40 % of young males viewed SEM through the internet, 36 %viewed X-rated movies, and 29 %looked at pornographic magazines. For females 24% were most likely to view X-rated movies and 10 %viewed naked people on the internet, and 5 %looked at adult magazines .

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 20 According to Brown and L’Engle (2009), SEM content is related to more permissive sexual norms and behaviors especially for male youths .Early exposure to SEM among adolescents aged 12 to 14 years old was related to permissive sexual norms, frequent sexual harassment, and being involved in sexual activities .They further stated that both male and female exposure to SEM increased the likelihood of having sexual activity by the aged 14 to 16 years oldbecause adolescent ,sseek .pleasure and sexual activity after frequent viewing on SEMTheir findings suggested that SEM should be considered an important factor that impacts on adolescents’ sexual behavior . Kraus and Russell )2008 (conducted a study in North-East state-funded liberal arts college in the United States on 437 online participants aged between 12 to 17 years old, to investigate whether viewing X-rated movies and internet access differs between ages of first sexual activity .Kraus and Russell discovered that male with exposure to X-rated movies initiated sexual activity at a younger age and had a higher number of sex partners compared to female or males not exposed to X-rated movies . They also found that those who had internet access reported earlier sexual activity compared to others with no internet access .Kraus and Russell’s findings suggested that exposure to internet access and X-rated movies for both males and females influence early sexual activity . Ward and Friedman )2006 (examined the contributions of TV viewing on adolescents ’sexual attitudes and behavior using both correlational and experimental methodology on 244 high school students attending suburban high school in Long Island, New York .Their finding suggested that TV use, in multiple forms, appear to be linked to adolescent sexuality in many ways, both shaping and guiding their sexual experiencesThey stated that frequent viewing talk shows, prime-time programs, and .

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 21 TV viewingwere associated with early sex debut s .among young people Gruber and Grube )2000 (support Ward and Friedman’s findings, suggesting that adolescents are exposed to many sexual images and messages on television that could potentially increase adolescents ’sexual behavior . Studies in this section have shown that most young people received sexual information from the internet or media. Frequent exposure to SEM through the internet or media, changes the perceptions of young people because the internet and media have normalized sex as a “common practice” which causes youth to try the premarital sexual activity that they see on the internet and in the media. Family Environment and Parental Monitoring on Premarital sex Exploring the factors of family environment and parental monitoring on premarital sex behavior. Markham et al (2003) surveyed 976 urban high school students in Houston, Texas, in 2000-2002 to determine whether family connectedness is related to premarital sex among youth. Their findings indicate that students who perceived high levels of family connectedness were less likely than those who perceived lower family connectedness to have ever had sex or had sex without a condom in the past three months and to have ever been involved in a pregnancy. They further stated that family connectedness is associated with not initiating sexual intercourse at an early age. Henrich, Brookmeyer, Shrier, and Shahar (2006) examine the longitudinal associations between supportive relationship with parents and risky sexual behavior among adolescents in the United States. The analyses was conducted on 2,652 sexually active adolescents from of the National Longitudinal study of Adolescent Heath. Their findings indicated that parents’ connectedness and interaction with adolescents resulted in a lower risk of sexual risk behavior.

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 22 Suwarni, Ismail, Prabandari, and Adiyanti) 2015 (examined the role of understanding parental monitoring in adolescent’s premarital sexual behavior on Junior High School in Pontianak, Indonesia, using a cross-sectional study and proportionated random sampling on 402 adolescents .They discovered that parental knowledge and parental-adolescent relationship had a strong influence on adolescent sexual behavior .They stated that parental monitoring had a significant relationship with adolescent premarital sexual behavior. They further stated that parental monitoring could act as a protective factor against early adolescent premarital sexual behavior . In the United States, Romer et al )1999 (conducted a cross-sectional survey on 2,400 African-American children aged 9 to 17 years old to determine whether parental monitoring of children’s social behavior and communication between parents and children about sexual risk, reduced risky sexual behavior .Their results revealed that children who reported high levels of parental monitoring were less likely to report sexual behavior in pre-adolescence and had a lower rate of sexual activity as they aged .Mehrotra, Zimmerman, Noar, and Dumenci )2013 (also agreed that parental monitoring emerged as potentially effective means of controlling sexual activity . Romer et al further stated that for children who had more parental monitoring, there was less likelihood of them engaging in sexual activity. Donenberg, Wilson, Emerson, and Bryant )2002 (explore whether perceived parental monitoring and perceived parental permissiveness were linked to risky sexual behavior in 169 ethnically diverse urban youth seeking mental health services in Chicago .They discovered that with less parental monitoring, adolescents were more likely to engag in premarital sexual behavior. Donenberg et. al. explained that the lack of responsibly and bond from a child’s parent, adolescents are likely to seek attention,

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 23 intimacy and acceptance with their peers, that results in them engaging in risky sexual behavior. In the United States, DiClemente et al )2001conducted a study at the ( ,University of Alabama Family Medicinethey examined the less perceived impact of parental monitoring on adolescent health. the study examined behavior and outcomes on 1,130 teens between 14 to and 18 years old, residing in low-income neighborhoods .The results from the study revealed that less parental monitoring was associated with STDs .Martins, Storr, Alexandre, and Chilcoat (2008) support the findings of DeClemente et al. in their study, there were more frequent reports of young people not using any contraception on their last sexual activity, having multiple partners, having engaged in fights in the past 6 months with their partners, and having marijuana use and alcohol consumption in the past 30 days with less parental monitoring .DiClemente et al findings also demonstrate a consistent pattern of health risk behaviors, and adverse biological outcomes associated in cases where there was less parental monitoring. Manlove et al )2012 (conducted a study using data from the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to assess the association between family environment and first sexual activity among youth. They found that 25 %of females and 43 %of males who had sex by the age of 18 years old in a causal relationship .They discovered that higher parental monitoring was associated with a reduced risk of first sex in a causal relationship, and higher family routines was associated with a reduced risk of sex in a relationship for both males and females. They also found that family environment was connected to the relationship context of first sexual intercourse . According to them, higher parental monitoring was associated with a lower risk of

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 24 sexual activity. These findings are also supported by Henrich et al (2006) and Dittus et al (2005). The research in this section suggests that family environment and parental monitoring are important factors that contribute to premarital sex. Young people who have close connection are unlikely to engage in premarital sex. For example, communication, supervision, and support from the parents build a bond between child and parent that could help in preventing them from bad influences from friends and engagement in premarital sex. With less supervision and communication, parents have no control over their child social lifestyle (Shahid, Bakar, and Wahab, 2017). The factors that impact on sexual activity such as exposure to Sexually Explicit Media and family environment and parental monitoring are essential to this study to investigate the factors that could potentially influence the perceptions of premarital sex among students in a religious University. The findings could provide a broad understanding of the factors that could impact University students’ perceptions of premarital sex. The concept of Moral Development and Religious Values Moral development consists of creating an appropriate environment for incorporation of components of social morality into the student’s personality structure which leads to the implementation of proper moral conduct. Moral development and religious values are related because religious values strengthen moral knowledge and moral action combined with ethical values and principles in religious nature (Manea, 2014). According to Kuar )2015 (moral development and religion have the same concept of influencing how young people think, feel, and act regarding issues of right and wrong .Kaur explained that historically moral teachings have been central to all

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 25 religions .For instance, historically since the time of the Bible, moral teachings have been the central of Christianity and the Bible is its core, a book of ethical guidance “)Biblical Ethics :An Introduction”, n.d .(Moral development is therefore associated with religion. In this study, the University used moral development activities as a form of collective worship such as church service, Sabbath school, assembly and 10 Days of Prayer to give an opportunity for students to worship God. These moral development activities are combined with spirituality that teaches religious principles and beliefs of the university. It provides spirituality and morality to students through discussions on personal issues and reflection. these activities also help students to develop a relationship with peers, and create a sense of belonging in the University. Impact of Religious Moral Development Activities on Premarital Sex In a study on the impact of religious moral development on premarital sex, Opayemi (2011) examined the significant relationship among self-esteem and religiosity on premarital sex, using convenience sampling on 247 students from Olabsis Onabanjo University, Nigeria. The data from the study revealed that there is no significant relationship found between self-esteem and religiosity, and sexual behavior. However, Opayemi’s correlation results suggest that religiosity had a positive significant influence on sexual behavior. Opayemi explained that levels of religiosity could determine university students’ engagement in premarital sex. Opayemi further explained that the findings can be linked with social lifestyle among university students which has been traced to peer, mass media influence and the influx of the liberal sentiment approach towards controversial issues that impacts the thinking of every student and encourages them to search for identity and liberation from the assumed Western religious colonialism (e.g. Odimegwu, 2005).

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 26 In the United States, McCree et al (2003) examined 522 adolescent AfricanAmerican female aged 14 to 18 years to investigate the association between religiosity, sexual behavior, attitudes towards sex, and ability to negotiate safer sex, using confidential self-administered questionnaire that examined religiosity, and a structured interview regarding sexual behavior. They discovered that adolescents with higher religious involvement were 1.9 times more likely to communicate with a partner about sex and 2.1 times more likely to refuse unprotected sex. They stated that adolescents with higher religious involvement had more positive and supportive attitudes towards condom use than those with lesser religious involvement. Those with higher religiosity were 1.5 times more likely to have positive attitudes toward using condoms and 1.7 times more likely to be supportive of safer sex. Their findings suggested that greater religious involvement is protective factor against premarital sex or unprotected sex. Penhollow, Young, Bailey (2007) examined the relationship between premarital sexual activity and religiosity in the mid-southern university. The results from this study indicate that most respondents had engaged in premarital sexual activity, males (64%) were more likely to report their sexual behavior than females (47%). However, findings from this study reveal that regular religious service attendance and a degree of religious feeling at religious service were associated with lesser premarital sexual activity among college students. They stated, that male students who attended religious services and had stronger religious feeling were less likely to engage in sexual activity, and frequent attendance at religious service was related to less sexual intercourse among female students. In the United States, Helm, McBride, Knox, and Zusman (2009) examined the rate of various sexual behaviors among students attending a church-affiliated

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 27 university in relation to premarital sexual activity, using the convenience sample of undergraduate and graduate students, only 751 useful surveys were obtained .The survey revealed that the respondents had a lower rate of involvement in all types of sexual activity, than other populations; generally, 40-45% lower .They explained that the position of the school which the students agreed to uphold, required sexual abstinence for the unmarried and, as a result, the rate of sexual activity appeared to be low . Helm et al found the majority of both genders (about 60%) reported that they were uncomfortable with sexual activity. However, interestingly they discovered that 60% of males and 52% of females reported sexual activity with their partner. They stated that respondents were likely to feel comfortable with sexual activity as opposed to sex .They suggested a level of rationalization to stay in harmony with religious subcultural norms while achieving some level of sexual satisfaction. The data gathered by Helm et al also suggests that a large majority of students ideologically support the sexual norms of the school and church with which it is affiliated, yet they are likely to engage in sexual behavior inconsistent with these norms .Helm et al discovered that in an age that is characterized by sexual freedom, religious, subcultural belief systems may have some successes among young adults at reducing levels of sexual activity to nearly half of those of the general population .They explained that this may be of some comfort to parents who participate in these traditions to protect their children from what they perceive as the sexual excess of the age . Burdette and Hill (2009) used two waves of data from the National Survey of Youth and Religion from 2002 and 2005 to examine whether religious involvement is associated with reducing sexual activities among youth .Burdette and Hill results

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 28 revealed that religious involvement is associated with reducing sexual behavior and activities among youth .They also found that religious interaction was associated with a reduction of sexual touching such as holding hand or hugging, and sexual activity for boys and girls .Private religiosity such as bible study and group prayer has a strong association in reducing sexual touching and activity among teens . Ghaffari, Gharghani, and Rakhshanderou (2015) investigated the correlation between religious beliefs and behaviors and the intention of premarital sexual abstinence among 577 Iranian youths through random sampling method. Ghaffari et al findings showed a positive correlation between religious belief and behaviors and the intention of premarital sexual abstinence among young people. Ghaffari et al concluded that religion is a protective factor against premarital sexual activity and it is consistent with religious values and social norms. Regnerus (2005) investigated data from the first wave of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health among 3,000 students grade 7 – 12, and National Study of Youth and Religion among 3,290 U.S teenagers aged 13 and 17 years old to examine the link between religion, sex and birth control. Regnerus’s results indicate that religiosity is, in fact, related to communication about sex. Regnerus explained that when religious parents said they are talking their children about sex and birth control; the results suggest that this refers to conversations about morality of adolescent sexual involvement. Regnerus further stated that regular church attendance contributes to less frequent conversations both about birth control and sex, but more frequent conversation about the moral issues involved in adolescent sex. The studies above suggest that religious moral development activities are a protective factor that could prevent young people from engaging in premarital sex.

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 29 According to researchers in the literature, religious moral development is related to premarital sexual attitudes. This section is essential to this study, because it gives indications as to whether or not religious moral development activities would help to change the perceptions of premarital sex among University students on campus. Summary The literature review has suggested that premarital sex is prevalent among young boys and girls in different countries. The discussion of the prevalence of premarital sex among young people, as an issue, is essential to this study, because it gives an insight of their perceptions of premarital sex. According to the researchers in the literature review, factors such as, peer pressure, exposure to sexually explicit media, and family environment are important factors that influence young people’s perceptions. It is important to investigate such key factors that contribute to students’ perceptions of premarital sex in this study. This literature review also suggests that religious moral development is related to premarital sexual attitudes among young people that could influence the perception of premarital sex among them. This study will also investigate whether or not moral development activities on campus are related to perceptions of premarital sex among students, and how moral development activities could possibly influence their perceptions of premarital sex.

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 30 CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The purpose of this chapter is to explain how the research is designed and the methods employed to collect relevant data as well as mentioning the instrumentation, data analysis, and ethical considerations in collecting the data. The chapter outlines the complete journey of the research study, and gives details of the data collection method that was used. Positivist Paradigm The positivist paradigm commonly used for quantitative approach. Studies within the positivist paradigm involves a process of experimentation that is used to explore observations and answer questions, and aims to provide explanations and to make predictions based on measurable outcomes (Kivunja and Kuyini, 2017). This study, will be using positivist paradigm to provide findings of the research. Research Design The design of this study was quantitative non-experimental descriptive, using the survey method. The quantitative design was ideal to examine students perceptions of premarital sex and to investigate any correlations between the involvement in moral development activities and premarital sex perceptions. This study aims to explore the perceptions of premarital sex among student in a religious based university. The quantitative online survey will be carried out using a structured self-completion questionnaire. Respondents completed the questionnaire

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 31 online. Because of the sensitivity of the research, some participants may not have wanted to take part in the study, due to certain cultural beliefs. Hence, the online survey was selected because, it was the most appropriate to keep participants completely anonymous in this study. Population and Sample The population for this study were international university students only, approximately 400 students in total. The sample size for the study was calculated using the following equation devised by Yamane (1957), n= calculated sample size, N= total number if population, and e= allowable error. In this research, the margin of error was 8% of the sample size; the sample size will be 110 of the population. = 400 1 × 400(0.08) 2 = 110 The sample was drawn from the population by convenience sampling, distributing the online survey through the university intranet to students on the international programme. The reason this sampling technique was chosen is because it eliminates bias by giving all members of the population an equal chance to participate. However, perhaps because of the sensitivity of the research, only 103 students responded to the survey. Description of the Sample Among University Students Findings in table 1 show that the total number of respondents is 103 (100%). The numbers of male and female respondents were almost equal with male respondents being 55.3% of the sample and female respondents being 44.7%. The chart shows that the vast majority (90.3%) of the participants were from Asia. Most of the participants were unmarried, 73.8% of the respondents were single and 20.4% dating.

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 32 Table 1. Demographics of University students Gender Male 57 (55.3%) Female 46 (44.7%) Nationality Africa 6 (5.8%) Asia 93 (90.3%) Australia 1 (1%) Europe 2 (1.9%) South America 1 (1%) Status Dating 21 (20.4%) Married 6 (5.8%) Single 76 (73.8%) Age 16-20 30 (29.1%) 21-24 53 (51.5%) 25-29 14 (13.6%) 30above 6 (5.8%) Religion Buddhist 12 (11.7%) SDA&other Christian 88 (85.4%) Others 1 (1%) No religion 2 (1.9%) The majority of respondents were between the ages of 16 and 24 with half of all respondents being aged between 21-24 years old at 80.6%. Most of the respondents (85.4%) classed themselves as Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) or ‘other Christian’. Instrumentation A designed non-experimental survey questionnaire will be used as a tool to collect quantitative data in this research. Because of the sensitivity of the topic, the online survey was selected. The survey aims to draw data from a sample so that we can understand perceptions of premarital sex relating to moral development activities and perception of premarital sex among international students. The quantitative survey is a preferred method for data collection in this study, to keep participants anonymous. The questionnaire was divided in to 5 sections: demographic data, perceptions toward premarital sex, participation in religious moral development activities, the

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 33 impact of religious moral development activities on perceptions of premarital sex, and factors that impacted premarital sex. There were 5 questions in the demographic data section such as age, nationality, and religion; 10 questions on participation in Morcal development activities such as “Assembly”, “Chapel”, and “Family group.” Using the Likert scale, indicating 5= Always, 4= Often, 3= Sometimes, 2= Occasionally, and 1= Never. 12 questions on the impact of moral development on premarital sex perception such as “Moral development activities have taught me to view sex as sacred to marriage.” “Moral development activities have taught me to value sexual abstinence before marriage.”, and “Moral development activities teach me premarital sex is a sinful act towards God.” 10 questions on Perceptions toward premarital sex such as “Neither a man nor women should have premarital sex.”, “Premarital sex sexual relationship should be absolutely prohibited” and “Premarital sexual relation is acceptable if a “couple” fall in love.”; Perception were measured using the Likert 5- points scale, indicating 5=Strongly agree, 4=Agree, 3=Neutral, 2= Disagree, and 1=Strongly disagree. The last section, asked participants “What are the factors that influenced their perceptions of premarital sex.” This section contained an open question so that participants could write their personal opinions of the factors that influenced their perceptions of premarital sex. The survey questionnaire was designed so that it could be completed in no longer than 15 minutes. Validity and Reliability The section of the questionnaire that focused on perceptions of premarital sex was adopted from Adhikari and Adhikari (2017) named “Premarital sexual behavior among male college students of Kathmandu Nepal”. The researcher’s questionnaire was given to experts to test the validity. Modifications were done according to

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 34 expert’s opinions. The validity was calculated using Cronbach Alpha coefficient that scored 0.7. The section of the questionnaire that was focused on Moral Development Activities Participation and the impact of Moral Development Activities on Premarital Sex Perception was self-constructed. Measurement was in the form of responses such as Strongly Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree. Using the (IOC) index of item-objective congruence devised by Rovinelli and Hambleton (1977) to test the validity, it was given to 5 experts in the University. It was signed and approved by the experts, changes were made by experts’ opinion and were given validity coefficient score more than 0.5 by experts. After the IOC was signed, the questionnaire was sent to the University research committee and was approved. Data Collection The data was collected using an online survey. Permission from the research committee was granted for distribution of the survey. The survey link was given to the university administration after receiving the letter of approval from the research committee, and the survey was sent to the undergraduate students on the international programme through the university intranet, by the university administration. After a week, the survey link was sent out again with the permission from the administration. The participants were required to answer all questions. No name was required to be given by the participants due to the sensitivity of the research and in order to maintain confidentiality and anonymity. Data Analysis The descriptive result was first analyzed in frequency and percentage on Moral development activities, Moral development on premarital sex perception,

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 35 Students perception on premarital sex, and factors that impact perceptions of premarital sex. Pearson’s correlation analysis was done on students’ perception on premarital sex and moral development activities. Data was analyzed using statistical software: Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). A thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data on the factors that impacted premarital sex among students. Thematic analysis is widely used method for analyzing qualitative data, thematic analysis is a foundational method of qualitative data analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006). Ethical Considerations Due to the sensitivity of the topic, a consent form was made, indicating the main aim of the study and letting students know that their participation was voluntary, and that personal information of participants would be kept confidential and anonymous. The names of the participants were not required in this study, to protect their personal information and privacy. A reminder was given at the end of the questionnaire (before submitting), to remind participants that the study is voluntary, so that participants could decide not to submit at the end of the survey if they did not want to. Before conducting this study, permission from the university research committee was sought.

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 36 CHAPTER 4 RESULTS This chapter represents an analysis of the data gathered in the research. Its findings were based on the data collected through the online survey from the respondents. The gathered data were then analyzed on descriptive result in frequency and percentage. Correlation analysis was also carried out on the data gathered. The findings of the study are present in tables. Result by Research Question 1. What are the perceptions of AIU students on premarital sex? Table 2 Shows frequency and percentage of student’s responses that reveal their perceptions of premarital sex. A total of 10 statements were used to measure the perceptions of premarital sex. The overall results in Table 2 show that most respondents agreed with the idea that sex should not be engaged in before marriage. The first 4 statements, nearly 35% of the respondents strongly agreed and 20% or more agreed with the statements. At least 30% or more strongly disagreed and 20% or more disagreed with the last 6 statements. The results also show that almost 30% selected neutral for every statements. 2. How often do students attend moral development activities on campus? Findings show in Table 3 of the frequency and percentage of attendance on moral development activities amongst students on campus.

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 37 Table 2. Perception of Premarital Sex Among Students Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree A woman should be virgin at marriage. 4(3.9%) 10(9.7%) 25(24.3%) 28(27.2%) 36(35%) A man should be virgin at marriage. 4(3.9%) 12(11.7%) 29(28.2%) 24(23.3%) 34(33%) Neither a man nor woman should have premarital sex. 7(6.8%) 8(7.8%) 32(31.1%) 25(24.3%) 31(30.1%) Premarital sexual relationships should be absolutely prohibited. 6(5.8%) 10(9.7%) 34(33%) 20(19.4%) 33(32%) Sexual relation before marriage is a normal phenomenon because it is a kind of biological need. 24(23.3%) 19(18.4%) 32(31.1%) 20(19.4%) 8(7.8%) Premarital sexual relationships should be acceptable because it can help to select an ideal wife/husband. 36(35%) 27(26.2%) 23(22.3%) 10(9.7%) 7(6.8%) Pre-marital sexual relation is acceptable if a “couple” fall in love. 36(35%) 26(25.2%) 23(22.3%) 14(13.6%) 4(3.9%) The premarital sexual relation is acceptable if a “couple” practice safe sex. 34(33%) 19(18.4%) 23(22.3%) 21(20.4%) 6(5.8%) The premarital sexual relation is acceptable if he/she has only one sexual partner. 32(31.1%) 23(22.3%) 23(22.3%) 15(14.6%) 10(9.7%) The premarital sexual relation is acceptable if the “couple” plan to marry in the future. 28(27.2%) 20(19.4%) 22(21.4%) 20(19.4%) 13(12.6%) The findings indicate that most respondents regularly attended moral development activities on campus. The results show that the highest attendance among respondents was at chapel (73.8%). Festival of Faith was the second highly attended activity with 50.5% of students attending, followed by Assembly, Church Service, and Vesper that

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 38 Table 3. Moral Development Activities on campus Never Occasionally Sometimes Often Always Assembly 5(4.9%) 6(5.8%) 7(6.8%) 34(33%) 51(49.5%) Chapel 1(1%) 3(2.9%) 5(4.9%) 18(17.5%) 76(73.8%) Church Service 6(5.8%) 7(6.8%) 13(12.6%) 29(28.2%) 48(46.6%) Dorm Worship 17(16.5%) 13(12.6%) 12(11.7%) 39(37.9%) 22(21.4%) Family Group 21(20.4%) 16(15.5%) 11(10.7%) 27(26.2%) 28(27.2%) Sabbath School 9(8.7%) 13(12.6%) 21(20.4%) 21(20.4%) 39(37.9%) AY Program 42(40.8%) 22(21.4%) 20(19.4%) 13(12.6%) 6(5.8%) Vesper 7(6.8%) 3(2.9%) 12(11.7%) 34(33%) 47(45.6%) Festival of Faith 7(6.8%) 6(5.8%) 11(10.7%) 27(26.2%) 52(50.5%) 10 Days of Prayer 15(14.6%) 12(11.7%) 9(8.7%) 34(33%) 33(32%) reached almost 50%. overall, nearly 30% or more attended most of moral development activities. The results also show that 40.8% “Never” attended AY program was the highest. Nearly 20% “Never” attended Dorm Worship, Family group, and 10 Days of Prayer. Almost 20% or less “Sometimes” attend every moral development activity. 3. To what extent have students’ perceptions of premarital sex been influenced by the moral development activities on campus? The findings show in Table 4 the descriptive results on the impact of moral development activities on perceptions of premarital sex. Overall, most participants agreed with the statement that moral development activities taught them not to have sex before marriage. Almost 35% of the respondents strongly agreed and at least 40% or more agreed with every statement about moral development activities and premarital sex. Nearly 5% of respondent strongly disagreed and 8% agreed with every moral development and premarital sex statement.

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 39 At least 20% or more selected neutral in every statement relating to the impact of moral development activities on premarital sex. Table 4. The impact of Moral Development Activities on Perceptions of Premarital Sex Moral development activities lessons Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree To view sex as sacred to marriage. 5(4.9%) 8(7.8%) 27(26.2%) 39(37.9%) 24(23.3%) To value sexual abstinence before marriage. 5(4.9%) 5(4.9%) 21(20.4%) 48(46.6%) 24(23.3%) I should respect my body and keep it pure for marriage. 4(3.9%) 2(1.9%) 18(17.5%) 43(41.7%) 36(35%) I should respect others and help them keep their bodies pure. 3(2.9%) 3(2.9%) 22(21.4%) 39(37.9%) 36(35%) I should control my sexual desires until marriage. 2(1.9%) 8(7.8%) 23(22.3%) 35(34%) 35(34%) Sex is important and that of should not be taken lightly. 5(4.9%) 1(1%) 20(19.4%) 45(43.7%) 32(31.1%) The importance of controlling sexual thoughts. 2(1.9%) 2(1.9%) 28(27.2%) 43(41.7%) 28(27.2%) Sex is not only about physical intimacy but also spiritual and emotional. 3(2.9%) 5(4.9%) 22(21.4%) 42(40.8%) 31(30.1%) To avoid sexual activity with a partner in a relationship. 6(5.8%) 4(3.9%) 20(19.4%) 42(40.8%) 31(30.1%) Premarital sex is unholy 3(2.9%) 8(7.8%) 21(20.4%) 38(36.9%) 33(32%) Sex is God’s gift to be used in marriage, not before marriage. 5(4.9%) 3(2.9%) 20(19.4%) 36(35%) 39(37.9%) Premarital sex is a sinful in a sight of God. 5(4.9%) 2(1.9%) 28(27.2%) 30(29.1%) 38(36.9%) 4. What are the key factors that have impacted student’s perceptions of premarital sex?

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 40 The findings show on table 5 the frequency and percentage of factors that influence perceptions of premarital sex. Table 5. Factors that Impacted Student’s Perception of Premarital Sex Factors that impacted student’s perceptions of premarital sex N (%) Internet 34(33%) Movies/Television 29(28.2%) Other 29(28.2%) Influence from friends 8(7.8%) Drugs/Alcohol 3(2.9%) According to participants responses, internet was the most popular factors that impacted perceptions premarital sex amongst the students; 33% selected this category. The second most popular factors, both chosen by 28% of participants were ‘Movies/Television’ and ‘Other’ both being chosen by 28.2% of participants. The “Other” factors mentioned by respondents included: family, church, desire, western culture, and community influence. The result indicated that 7.8% of the respondents chose “Influence from friends” and Drugs/Alcohol was the least popular factor that impacted the perception of premarital sex; chosen by only 2.9% of participants. In the final section of the survey, respondents had a chance to choose to give a more detailed explanation of how these factors have impact their personal perception of premarital sex in their own words. Only 46% of participants completed this section. Most respondents who completed this section give general responses that were not related to their own personal opinions or experiences, this was probably due to the sensitivity of the topic. The respondent’s statements will be discussed in more detail within findings and discussion chapter.

THE PERCEPTIONS OF PREMARITAL SEX AMONG STUDENTS 41 Correlation Analysis Null Hypothesis - There is no relationship between involvement in moral development activities and perceptions of premarital sex. Table 6 shows means and standard deviation for moral development activities and perception of students on premarital sex. Students always (M=4.6) attend chapels and often attend assembly (M=4.17), vespers (M=4.08), Festival of faith (M=4.08) and church services (M=4.03). They generally agreed that man nor woman should not be engaged in premarital sex (M=3.80) and that woman (M=3.7) and man (M=3.63) should be virgins at marriage and that premarital sex should be absolutely prohibited (M=3.62). Students generally disagreed that premarital sex is acceptable if they are in love (M=2.26), or if they practice safe sex (M=2.48). Correlation coefficients (Pearson r) between moral development activities and perceptions of students on premarital sex are reported on Table 7. Overall, the correlations between these two sets of variables are weak positive or negative depending on the statements about premarital sex. Correlation coefficients between moral development activities and the first four statements on premarital sex range from negligible and non-significant (r=.08 between dorm worship and man should be virgin at marriage) to weak though statistically significant (r=.36 between ten days of prayer and premarital should be prohibited). Perceptions that premarital sex should be prohibited are positively correlated with ten days of prayer (r=.36), festival of faith (r=.34), Sabbath school program (r=.30) and AY programs (r=.30). The perception that women should be virgins at marriage is correlated with church service (r=.33), festival of faith (r=.32), assembly (r=.32), vespers (r=.31) and ten days of prayers (r=.30).