Mothers Who Do and Do Not Intend to Discuss Sexual Health With Their Young Adolescents

• Author: Heather A. Sears,E. Sandra Byers
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2012.00740.x
• Published date: 01 December 2012
• Date: 01 December 2012

E. SANDRA BYERS AND HEATHER A. SEARS University of New Brunswick

Mothers Who Do and Do Not Intend to Discuss

Sexual Health With Their Young Adolescents

This study distinguished two groups of moth-

ers who have not communicated with their

young adolescents about sexual health based on

their intentions of having these discussions. We

also compared these 2 groups to mothers who

have had such communications. Overall, 29% of

mothers had engaged in sexual discussions with

their adolescent in some detail (active group),

22% intended to do so in the next 6 months

(intender group), and 49% did not intend to do

so in the next 6 months (nonintender group).

Higher scores on variables consistent with the

integrative model of behavioral prediction (par-

ent knowledge, comfort, attitudes, perceptions of

social norms, and self-efficacy for sexual com-

munication) differentiated the 3 groups: The

active group had the highest scores, the non-

intender group had the lowest scores, and the

scores of the intender group fell in between.

Group membership varied by sexual topic. Sug-

gestions for enhancing parent-adolescent sexual

communication are discussed.

As with other areas of development, parents

play an important role in their children’s sex-

ual socialization (Fox & Inazu, 1980; Lefkowitz

& Stoppa, 2006; L’Engle & Jackson, 2008). In

particular, many parents believe that they have

a responsibility to talk to their children about

sexuality as a way of communicating attitudes

Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick,

P.O. Box 4400, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3, Canada

(byers@unb.ca).

Key Words: integrative model of behavioral prediction,

intentions, mothers, parent-adolescent relationship, sexual

communication, sexual health education.

and family values, preventing negative sexual

outcomes, and preparing them for adulthood

(Feldman & Rosenthal, 2000; Lagus, Bernat,

Bearinger, Resnick, & Eisenberg, 2011; Wilson,

Dalberth, Koo, & Gard, 2010). Talking about

sexuality is, however, a complicated issue for

parents (Byers, Sears, & Weaver, 2008). This

may be especially true during early adolescence,

when parents are confronted with their child’s

pubertal development, emerging sexuality, and

increasing involvement in romantic relationships

(Laursen & Collins, 2009; Steinberg & Silk,

2002). Perhaps as a result, many parents do

not communicate with their young adolescents

about sexuality (Jerman & Constantine, 2010;

Weaver, Byers, Sears, Cohen, & Randall, 2002).

Those who do are more likely to be mothers

than fathers and tend to report that they have had

only general or global discussions with their chil-

dren (Jaccard, Dittus, & Gordon, 1998; Jerman

& Constantine, 2010; Jordan, Price, & Fitzger-

ald, 2000). The limited sexual communication

is unfortunate because, generally, more exten-

sive sexual communication between mothers and

their adolescent is associated with a number of

positive outcomes for the adolescent, including

increased sexual knowledge (Fox & Inazu, 1980;

Somers & Paulson, 2000), greater condom use

self-efficacy (Fox & Inazu, 1980; Hutchinson

& Cooney, 1998), and later initiation of sexual

intercourse (DiIorio, Kelley, & Hockenberry-

Eaton, 1999). The purpose of this study was to

enhance our understanding of parents in Canada

who have and have not communicated with their

young adolescents in detail about sexual health

by examining not only their past behavior but

also their intentions of having these discussions.

Only mothers’ data were analyzed, however,

because too few fathers chose to participate.

Family Relations 61 (December 2012): 851 – 863 851

DOI:10.1111/j.1741-3729.2012.00740.x