Parent?Child Relationships : Community Factors ? Adolescent ...

May 29th | Adolescent Behavioral Problems

Parent?child communication is another dimension or process in family relationships, and its association with adolescent pregnancy risk has been investigated in more than 30 studies . Results across these studies are so variable and discrepant that no simple, direct effect is discernible. There is little or no agreement between what parents and teens perceive to have been communicated between them , and there is no consistency in findings about whether parents? or teens? reports of their communication are related to adolescent pregnancy risk. In most studies that have tested these relationships by parent and child gender, mothers? communication is more likely to be associated with adolescent pregnancy risk variables than father?s communication, and there is a stronger effect for daughters than for sons. Several important conceptual and methodological issues complicate our understanding of the association between parent?child communication and adolescent pregnancy risk . One is the temporal ordering of variables; there is a theoretical basis for prior parent?child sexual communication to predict more responsible adolescent sexual behavior, especially if parents disapprove of their child?s having sex and there is a close parent?child relationship. On the other hand, if teen sexual behaviors are known to, or suspected by parents, they might begin or intensify their communication with teens about sex and contraception. Adolescent Pregnancy 573 Further, associations between parent/teen communication and adolescent sexual behavior are moderated by parents? values. Researchers have demonstrated that parents? sexual values, in combination with parent?child communication, have an important effect on adolescents? intercourse experience. Mediating mechanisms have been identified that could help explain how parent/ child relationships influence adolescents? sexual behavior. For example, in one study the effects of parental warmth and involvement in the seventh grade were shown to affect teen pregnancy status in 12th grade through intervening mechanisms such as deviant peer affiliations, substance use, delinquency, and academic competence. Results of other studies indicate that parent?child closeness is related to mediating mechanisms such as teens? attitudes about having intercourse, teens? depression, impulse control, academic and prosocial activities, and teens? use of substances and association with sexually active peers, all of which are related to adolescent sexual behavior and pregnancy. In particular, several investigators have suggested that a lack of closeness in the parent?teen relationship increases the negative influence of peers on adolescent sexual activity. On the positive side, parent?child closeness and involvement can reduce teen sexual behavior by enhancing educational achievement, providing youth with opportunities to develop prosocial skills, and helping teens acquire a sense of competence and worth .

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Tags: Parent?Child, relationships

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