A survey of parental involvement in sexual communication and instruction of children showed significant associations with socio-cultural factors. Data were collected through questionnaire interviews as part of an evaluation of a school-based sex education course. Fifty-eight parents were questioned in their homes regarding the kind and degree of communication with their children about sexuality, efforts to influence their children's sexual behavior, and attitudes toward the sex education course. Significant differences were found with respect to sociodemographic factors, ethnicity, religiosity, and qualities of the parent-child relationship. Most importantly, the gender of both parent and child influenced the nature of parent-child interaction regarding sexuality. The findings have implications for evaluation of parental response to sex education programs.

Joseph T. Brennan

Papers

Teaching Sexuality: A Model for Parental Involvement.