Abstract

This study is aimed at determining the influence of family attachment style on premarital sexuality of secondary school students in Rivers State, Nigeria. The survey data collected from a sample of 1000 secondary school two (SS2) were used for the study.  Face and construct validity using factorial design to determine the factor structure of the instrument Cronbach-Alpha consistency coefficients at 0.73; and test-retest reliability determined as 0.87, so the instrument is considered valid and reliable. The one-way analysis of variance was used in testing the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The results obtained showed a significant influence between family attachment style and premarital sexuality. The pattern of significant influence of family attachment styles on premarital sexuality is explored using Fisher’s least significant difference (LSD) post hoc pair wise multiple comparison analysis. It was recommended among others that parents should encourage the development of a secure and enduring attachment relationship with their children.

Key words: Family attachment, premarital sexuality, peripheral sexual activities, coition, Nigeria.