Parent-Adolescent Relationships and Adolescent Sexual Behavior: Patterns by Adolescent Gender
Cheryl L. Somers, Sheel Tolia, Claudia Anagurthi

Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine relations between male and female adolescents’ sexual communication with parents, comfort levels in doing so, adolescents’ sexual behaviors, and gender patterns. Participants were 63 boys and 95 girls in the ninth through twelfth grades. Results revealed two very different models for boys and girls. Whereas girls’ sexual behavior was predicted by most of the variables in this study, the model was unsuccessful in predicting boys’ sexual behaviors. Factors related to girls’ sexual development remain clearer than those for boys. Implications for sex education curricula and the role of each parent are significant, and are discussed particularly in light of these findings which suggest that boys’ needs may be different than those of girls. The importance of including fathers and sons in research was also addressed.

Full Text: PDF