Understanding parental beliefs and attitudes about children's sexual behavior: Insights from parental style

Parental style theory is used to explore how parents differ with regard to parental roles, attitudes, and perceptions about the consequences of teens engaging in sex. Findings from a survey of 150 parents indicate that parental style influences parents' attitudes and beliefs concerning teen sex. Also, since parents do not have confidence about conveying sex-related information to children, an opportunity may exist for empowering parents on how to discuss these topics with them. Such empowerment may be accomplished by provision of information to parents through health organizations and the government on how to engage in such conversations with children.