The Effects Of Parents And Family Communication On Teenage Sexual Activities

Planned Parenthood aims at getting families to talk about sex and relationships, encouraging parents to speak openly, frequently, and honestly about these issues with their children. Family communication makes a real difference and is a good way for parents and their children to connect in order to help their children wait longer to be sexually active. According to Planned Parenthood, studies have shown that teens want to hear what their parents think about sex and relationships and how to say no if a child ever feels

In her essay “Sex Ed”, Anna Quindelen, a New York Times Columnist, journalist, and novelist, describes why teens should be taught sexual education by family members and loved ones rather than by teachers (Quindelen 183). In the essay, the author states that girls know the anatomy of a female’s reproductive system, and can tell the beginning and end of the ovarian cycles but can still end up pregnant. Knowledge isn’t always the right way to getting a point across. Desensitizing teens to important information can often be the demise of what we are trying to teach. The author also states that teenagers do not have a tendency to think ahead the future repercussions of sex, they are too focused on what is happening in the heat of the moment that they do not think about pregnancy, or are to uneducated about the subject to know to be cautious. By teaching ones own children there are no misconceptions about what the parent wants them to know, versus what someone else wishes for them to know or to be taught. Teenagers also see virginity

The role of educating students about the importance of healthy sexual relationships has fallen hard and fast on public schools. School aged boys and girls are not receiving information from their parents on what decisions they should make in regards to sex. Parents are finding this topic of conversation too taboo to breach and as a result, students are getting what little information they are receiving from school. Less then half of school aged adolescents talk to their parents about sex and abstinence (Smith, 2005).

We have all heard the stories about the rise in teenage pregnancies, girls dropping out of school to care for their newborns, and even those who get pregnant on purpose. This new trend is everywhere. Most parents fail to have the “talk” with their children and are left without the proper education regarding sex until its too late. With the current rates of teenage pregnancy correlated with the current rates of spreading epidemics of STD’s and HIV/AIDS, steps should be taken in an effort to aid the situation. Schools are a main source of information and education for teens, and are in a unique position that can provide adolescents with knowledgeable skills and understanding that promote sexual health. With consistent speculation surrounding

Social reformer and American abolitionist, Frederick Douglass wisely stated, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” This correlates with our discussion this week. Parental communication about sex can be vital in promoting healthy sexuality in children. Morawska, et al., (2015) found that the majority of the parents wished their own parents had talked to them about sexuality more than they did, and there were some topics they felt uncomfortable discussing with their children. Parental communication can affect a couple’s ability to communicate with their children about sex.

Parents, especially from minority groups who did not have the opportunity to pursue and education, often times do not have the proper resources or time to give advise to their children about sexual health. A research study in the form of a survey in six Boston high schools was conducted about what high school students think about teen pregnancy prevention. The sample of students consisted of half female and half male. The study concluded that 32% of students wanted more parental communication about sexual health to prevent unwanted pregnancies. This shows that if parents were more involved in their children’s lives, they would be influences positively to make the right choices when choosing to have sex at a young age (Hacker, 1999). It may seem impossible for some parents to talk to their teens about sex due to their schedules, education, or simply embarrassment, but having a thirty-minute conversation about sex is a lot better than having their children give birth to children.

Talking Parents, Healthy Teens is a program consisting of eight weekly one-hour sessions that is offered in the workplace for parents of adolescent children in Southern California. This program aims to help parents acquire the ability to discuss sexual health topics. Talking Parents, Healthy Teens uses resources such as games, discussions, and role play to teach their children assertiveness and decision-making more effectively. A study by Schuster et.al tested a sample of 569 parents their adolescents randomly assigned to either attend the program or to a no-treatment control group. Participants were assisted at baseline and again one-week, three-month, and nine-month after completing the programs. Participants were to report having discussed

In both cases, Abstinence-only education did not direct them, in any way, to abstain from sex (Valenti). Therefore, given that so many teens will not desist from sex, effective sex education programs have the responsibility to help teens to be aware of the risks and consequences that come along with sexuality, like early pregnancy or STDs (Alford). Such effective programs should employ personalized interviews and follow-ups for each student and parents; as well as committees including doctors, psychologists, pediatricians, and real young people with shocking experience as a teen

Sex education, most commonly known as family life, is any information about sex and sexual relationships taught to maturing young people as a part of a school’s curriculum. Currently, there is a constant political and ideological debate in the United States over the merits of abstinence-only and comprehensive sex education programs in the teaching of our youth. Abstinence only sex education has been the primary sex education taught in the United States. Although different in their approach, the overall goal is to help them build a foundation to be able to make healthy informed decisions as they mature into adults. The objectives of sex education programs are to help adolescents develop a positive view of sexuality, body image and make responsible decisions in relationships (Knowles, 2012). Ultimately, any sex education should be a partnership between parents, guardians and school personnel. However, in recent years, a large amount of information about sexuality is acquired through friends, music, books and the media instead of from their parents. For some individuals,

According to Pastor, when parents describe “sex” to their adolescent children, it is in terms of how babies are made (132). As seen here, even sexual health conversations with parents primarily discuss puberty in terms of reproduction. For TR, puberty was described as the “coming of age.” Rather than explaining all of the hormonal and behavioral changes (e.g. sexual attraction) associated with puberty, her parents primarily emphasized what it meant to have your period and how she could potentially get pregnant. This illustrates how even parents stress the importance of reproduction when engaging in sexual activity. In reality, hormonal fluctuations during puberty and adolescence may actually contribute to one’s desire for engaging in sexual behavior solely for pleasure, which parents fail to

Sexual health is a topic that should be thoroughly explained to all individuals, starting at a young age. Sex education is the teaching about bodily development, sex, sexuality, and relationships. It also provides young individuals about making and communicating informed decisions on sex and their sexual health. It is of great importance that our community stay informed of sexual activity and healthy habits. Despite the prevailing image of sexually free adolescents, sexual attitudes in North America are relatively restrictive. Typically, parents provide little or no information about sex, discourage sex play, and rarely talk about sex in children’s presence (Berk, 2008). After researching the impact of community on sexual health, we can understand

Parents want their children to practice abstinence for their health and for a healthy marriage, but would prefer schools encourage and teach abstinence. Many parents do not feel comfortable talking about sex and remaining abstinent . “Some researchers have found that when parents talk to their adolescents about sexuality, adolescents are more likely to delay intercourse and if they have intercourse, to use contraception and have fewer partners.” (Hutchinson Mk, Jemmott JB 3rd, Jemmott LS, Braverman P, Fong GT, 2003) ; “when parents talk about these topics , they tend to lecture possibly inhibiting open communication. “( Jaccard J, Dittus PJ Gordon VV, 2000 ) Parents who feel more confident in their communication with their children have an open, healthy and receptive conversation.

Teenage sexual activity has sparked an outcry within the nation. With such activity comes a high price. Studies have shown that there has been a significant rise in the number of children with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), emotional and psychological problems, and out-of-wedlock childbearing. Sex has always been discussed publically by the media, television shows, music and occasionally by parents and teachers in educational context. Teens hear them, and as the saying goes, “monkey see, monkey do”, they are tempted to experiment with it. Therefore, it is important for every teenager to be aware of the outcome associated with premature-sex. If students are educated about the impact of

Scott, M. E., Wildsmith, E., Welti, K., Ryan, S., Schelar, E. and Steward-Streng, N. R. (2011), Risky Adolescent Sexual Behaviors and Reproductive Health in Young Adulthood. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 43: 110–118. doi: 10.1363/4311011

The reason parents are fearful of the sex talk is because they cannot or do not want to picture their child having sex, even though it is a possibility, and the child will feel embarrassed to have their parents talk to them about sex. Because of these feelings, the talk repeatedly becomes delayed, and it either does not happen at all or it happens too late after their child has already had sex. “In the latest study on parent-child talks about sex and sexuality, researchers found that more than forty percent of adolescents had had intercourse before talking to their parents about safe sex, birth control or sexually transmitted diseases” (Park).