Issues in studying pubertal events are examined, including whether puberty is best characterized as a social construction or a physical event, whether early adolescence is a transitional or distinct life period, life events associated with puberty, boundaries of early adolescence, and possible models for studying pubertal change. (Author/BW)

The psychological experience of ejaculation was examined for 188 Nigerian adolescent boys to determine emotional reactions, feelings of preparedness, sources of preexperience information, and the extent of peer discussion after the experience. The experience was not perceived negatively, and boys usually told their friends. Most suppliers of…

Questionnaire and interview findings from 36 white middle-class adolescent boys found that the first ejaculation was psychologically meaningful but socially invisible. Those who felt more prepared expressed more positive feelings and coped better. Psychosocial and developmental difficulties in sexual education for young males are discussed. (SLD)