Citation
Mollborn, Stephanie & Everett, Bethany (2008). The correlates and consequences of incongruence in parents' and teens' reports of teens' sexual activity. 2008 Add Health Users Conference. Bethesda, MD: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carolina Population Center.Abstract
Our study examines predictors and consequences of disagreement between parents’ and teens’ reports of teens’ sexual experience. We test rival hypotheses. Hypothesis 1A: Accurate parental knowledge of teens’ sexual activity reduces sexual risk behaviors because it allows parents to provide information and support appropriate to the adolescent’s situation. Hypothesis 1B: Parental expectations of sexual inexperience, whether accurate or not, reduce sexual risk behaviors because teenagers will be motivated to meet these expectations by abstaining from risky sexual behaviors. Similarly, parental overestimation of teens’ sexual experience may increase risks of negative outcomes. We employ multivariate analyses accounting for complex survey design and use In-Home interviews from Wave I and II. Incongruence is measured by comparing teens’ and parents’ reports of vaginal intercourse. We analyze subsequent sexual behaviors between Waves, including vaginal intercourse, condom use, contraception, sex while drinking, sex while on drugs, sex outside a relationship, STI diagnosis, and, for girls, pregnancy. Many controls are included. Results show that parents’ attitudes about teenage sex, communication about sex and contraception, and teens’ characteristics all influence accurate knowledge. Condom use, contraception, and sex while drinking were not associated with parental overestimation or underestimation of teens’ sexual experience. Vaginal intercourse, sex while using drugs, sex outside a relationship, STI diagnosis, and pregnancy were predicted by one or both types of incongruence. Parental overestimation increases risk across several outcomes, while underestimation decreases risk. Our findings suggest that parental expectations have important effects on adolescents’ behaviors and sometimes outweigh the potential benefits of accurate knowledge.URL
https://addhealth.cpc.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/docs/news/users-conference/2008%20Add%20Health%20Users%20Conference%20Abstracts.pdfReference Type
Conference proceedingBook Title
2008 Add Health Users ConferenceAuthor(s)
Mollborn, StephanieEverett, Bethany