Intrafamilial sexual socialization patterns and outcomes

The purpose of this study was to describe and account for patterns of parental involvement and non-involvement in the socialization and social control of their teenaged children's sexual values and behaviors. A second objective was to explore the effect and pattern of parental involvement on the teen's sexual attitudes and behavior. The research was funded by the Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs of the Department of Health and Human Services and data were collected in 1983. The study covers many topics relating to family relationships and human sexuality including family communication, sexual attitudes, dating behavior, parental supervision and monitoring of teenagers, and physical affection among family members.

Intensive structured interviews of two to four hours in length were conducted for each mother, father, and a focal teenaged child in the study. Families participated in a structured interaction task and individuals completed several self-administered instruments which included parent time lines (with dates of work, school, marriage, and children), questionnaires on parent/child relationships, teen's attitudes about birth control, teen attitudes about sex roles, parent attitudes abo sex roles, parent assessments of their marriage and partner.

The Murray Center has acquired computer-accessible data which include data from the self-administered instruments and interviews, as well as audiotapes, text files, and typed transcripts of interviews. Copi of measures and interview protocols are also available.