ABSTRACT of Thesis by
Kristie M. Buhagiar

In this dissertation, I intended to identify what attitudes towards sexuality are inherent in Maltese adolescents attending their final year in secondary education. Recent sociological studies have shown that there have been significant changes in Maltese mentality, a society that is moving towards individualism. Administering a questionnaire was useful in that it allowed me to understand how young people are responding to changes in contemporary society and to what extent these changes may be affecting their Christian attitudes to sexuality in the context of religious education. Although, results testify a strong adherence to moral principles, local research (Abela 1998) suggests that there is an incongruence between the ideal and the actual practice and that respondents are likely to prefer modern secular lifestyles than restrictive teachings of the Church. The greater influence of secularisation in the social life of Maltese youths may be having a distorting effect on the true value of sexuality.

Supervisor: Rev. George Deguara B.A, Lic.D, Lic Sc. Ed (Rome)
B.Ed (Hons)
May 2003

Keywords: Values, Adolescents, Sexuality, Attitudes, Religious Education