The Effect of Communication Characteristics on Family Members' Perceptions of Parents as Sex Educators

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Abstract
We studied parents' and teenagers' evaluations of parents as sex educators; the convergence between mothers', fathers', and teens' evaluations; and communication factors that influenced these evaluations. Surveys, administered to 209 10th graders, 156 mothers, and 91 fathers, assessed global evaluation of parents as sex educators, diverse dimensions of general and sexual communications, and frequency of sex-related communications in 4 domains. We found that teens evaluated mothers more positively than they evaluated fathers, daughters evaluated mothers more positively than did sons, and parents evaluated themselves more positively than did their children. There was significant mother-teen correspondence but not father-teen correspondence in evaluations. In separate regression analyses, frequency of sex-related communications and the quality of general and sex-related communications each predicted evaluations of mothers. In a combined regression analysis, the quality of general and sex-related communications influenced teens' evaluations of their mothers and mothers' evaluation of themselves. Frequency of sex-related communications also influenced mothers' evaluations of themselves as sex educators but not teens' evaluations. Different communication factors predicted teens' and fathers' evaluations of fathers as sex educators. Findings suggest that to improve the effectiveness of parents as sex educators, we should help them improve their general communication skills