The Effect of Quality of Family Interaction and Intergenerational Transmission of Values on Sexual Permissiveness

Abstract

Quality of family interaction as a moderator of the relation between mothers and their adolescent children's sexual permissiveness was examined. Mothers were expected to be able to influence their children's sexual standards, but this effect was expected to be stronger when the family interaction was characterized by mutual understanding and respect. This hypothesis was tested by means of multiple-group structural equation modeling, with a sample of 323 adolescent-mother pairs that were representative of the Brighton and Hove (UK) area. The adolescents were 14 to 18 years old. The results supported our hypothesis that intergenerational transmission of values benefits from good mother-child relations. In addition, we found that socioeconomic status was less strongly related to adolescent permissiveness and age was more strongly related in high quality of interaction groups than in low quality of family interaction groups. Implications of the study are discussed.