Abstract
The purpose of the study ¿Confías en mi? (Do You Trust Me?) was to identify three characteristics—expertise, trustworthiness, and accessibility—of Latino parent–adolescent communication. We examined how these characteristics may influence communication about romantic relationships and sexual risk reduction strategies (i.e., abstinence, contraception). A total of 21 parent–adolescent dyads ( N = 42) completed a brief demographics survey and a set of scales to obtain quantitative measures related to parental characteristics that may influence the adolescent’s perception of parental advice. An in-depth, semi-structured interview was then conducted with each parent, followed by the adolescent. Findings demonstrate that parents talk to their children, but overall conversations are not specific or comprehensive enough to support adolescents’ informed decision making about sexual health or building positive romantic relationships. Community organizations such as churches, schools, and medical settings can support families by providing brief seminars that not only provide technical information about sexual health but also allow parents to practice how to initiate communication about sex and how to gauge their child’s receptivity to discuss the topic further. Recommendations include encouraging parents to actively engage their adolescent in shared communication over time, respond to questions openly and accurately, and demonstrate concern in the teen’s life happenings.
Highlights
Parental communication becomes important as adolescents begin to make choices related to dating and exploration of sexuality
SAGE Open for those who indicated having “strict parents” (Adolph, Ramos, Linton, & Grimes, 1995; Erickson, 1999; Gilliam, 2007; Romo et al, 2001). Among those who did communicate with their family, Gilliam noted that incorrect information from parents—such as a mother telling her daughter about unfounded adverse effects of birth control pills—may increase susceptibility to pregnancy
The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics of Latino parent–adolescent communication—expertise, trustworthiness, and accessibility—that may influence communication about romantic relationships and about reducing risks associated with sexual behaviors
Summary
Parental communication becomes important as adolescents begin to make choices related to dating and exploration of sexuality. SAGE Open for those who indicated having “strict parents” (Adolph, Ramos, Linton, & Grimes, 1995; Erickson, 1999; Gilliam, 2007; Romo et al, 2001) Among those who did communicate with their family, Gilliam noted that incorrect information from parents—such as a mother telling her daughter about unfounded adverse effects of birth control pills—may increase susceptibility to pregnancy. Accessibility relates to whether the parent is available and willing to talk with the adolescent if the child is interested Together, these three characteristics enable the degree to which specific topics are addressed, the frequency of the conversation, and the extent to which the adolescent accepts the content of the conversation (Guilamo-Ramos, Jaccard, Dittus, & Bouris, 2006). This article presents findings from one of the scales, and excerpts from interviews are used to support categories set by the scales
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