An extension of the findings of Moore, Peterson, and Furstenberg (1986) regarding family sexual communication and adolescent sexual behavior
Fisher, T.D.
Journal of marriage and the family 51(3): 637-639
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-2445 DOI: 10.2307/352163Document Number: 362733
On the basis of findings by Moore, Peterson, and Furstenberg (1981), the variables of gender and parental sexual attitudes (liberal or conservative) were used to categorize 349 college students and their parents into four groups. The relationship between family communication about sexuality and adolescent sexual behavior, attitudes, knowledge, and contraceptive use was examined. In the analysis of data from the students' reports, only the sexual behavior of females with liberal parents was correlated with parent-child communication about sex, but the sexual knowledge and contraceptive use of males with liberal parents was positively related to sexual communication with parents. Data from the parents' reports indicated that greater sexual communication was related to a higher likelihood that females with both liberal and conservative parents had engaged in sexual intercourse. It was determined that the relationship between the variables under study differs as a function of gender and parental sexual attitudes as well as the source of the information.