Changes in values related to sexuality among Maltese University students

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation was to identify Maltese University students' attitudes towards sexuality. This will help to verify recent sociological studies that show that there has been a significant change in the Maltese mentality, a society that is moving towards individualism. This study analyses the Maltese University students' sexual behaviour in relation to the change in values caused by various aspects of modem reality, such as the increase in secularization, the increase in sexually transmitted diseases, influence of the mass media including the television and the internet and the increase in sex education. This was achieved by researching University student's values with a personally administered questionnaire, analyzed according to their faculty and gender. Throughout the research, some respondents seemed to be in continuous conflict with their own values. In fact, a struggle seems to be taking place in students' minds in accepting the traditional religious perspectives, which for the majority of the respondents are Roman Catholic. Traditional values, which heavily contrast modem perspectives that emphasis the reduction of sexual risks, unwanted pregnancies, and freedom of choice. As a result, although most of the Maltese University students are Roman Catholic, there is a contrast between the ideal and the actual practice. Respondents are likely to prefer modem secular lifestyles than restrictive teachings of the Church; this behaviour is exposed in respondents increase in sexual activities.