Sociology Faculty Publications

Parenting and Adolescents' Sexual Initiation

Document Type

Article

Abstract

This study draws on social control and social learning theories to examine the role of dating-specific attitudes and practices as predictors of adolescents' sexual initiation. We include attention to the adolescent's reaction to control attempts as a further means of assessing family dynamics (i.e., frequency of dating disagreements). The study uses longitudinal data from 697 adolescents who were not sexually active at the first interview as well as separate interviews with parents. In models that include all parenting variables, parental caring, parents' preferences that the child should delay sex, and the frequency of dating disagreements are significant predictors of initiation of teen sexual activity.

Publisher's Statement

Availability via databases maintained by the United States National Library of Medicine.

Publication Date

11-1-2009

Publication Title

Journal of Marriage and the Family

Start Page No.

969

End Page No.

982

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