Most teenagers do not talk openly with their parents about their serious romantic involvements, according to a new study from Ohio State University. However, girls tend to be more open than boys, and both sexes tend to talk more to their mothers than their fathers about such issues.
- Dr. Christopher Daddis and his colleagues interviewed 222 high school students in ninth and 12th grades, asking them how willing they were to disclose information about three categories relating to their romantic lives.
- The first category was about the identity of their partner, such as information about their dates' parents and school interests.
- The second category was about sexual activities.
- The third category involved the ways that the couple showed affection, such as holding hands, kissing, and dating each other exclusively.
None of the teens talked to their parents about whether or not they were having sex. However, girls in general and ninth graders tended to disclose more information about their romantic partners' identities and other issues compared to boys in general and high school seniors.
"We found that adolescents were more willing to talk to their parents about an issue if they felt that it would render harm to themselves or have some consequences that may affect others," said Dr. Daddis. He said that his study indicates that parents should not feel frustrated about a lack of communication or take it as evidence of an increasing distance or diminishing influence between them and their children.
"What we found is that adolescents are willing to talk to their parents about some issues, but those issues may change as they grow older and feel more autonomous," he said.
The study appeared in the Journal of Adolescence.
Labels: sex, communication, romance
Posted By: Jane St. Clair