Adolescent Pregnancy

Prevention Program

Parent-Child Communication
May 2016

It is not surprising that positive communication between adolescents and their parents or caregivers has many
benefits. Strong parent-child communication ∗ promotes adolescents’ self-esteem and prevents risky
behaviors, including substance use, delinquency, and sexual risk taking.1,2 Research has shown that by
providing accurate information and creating open lines of communication, parents increase their children’s
adoption of safer behaviors, such as delaying sexual initiation and increasing the use of condoms and other
contraceptives.3,4 Out-of-home youth (e.g., youth in foster care) also need help to establish connections with
caring trusted adults who can provide guidance during adolescence.5 Caregiver-child communication is
particularly important for out-of-home youth because they are especially vulnerable and at greater risk of
having poor adult outcomes, like unemployment and high school incompletion.6
Because many parents and caregivers are the primary sexuality educators for their children, boosting their
confidence and equipping them with the appropriate resources to discuss sexuality can help in those
important conversations. Encouraging adolescents to talk to their parents about sensitive issues is also
important. To help facilitate parent-child communication, consider using some of the ideas below to integrate
parent-child communication strategies, approaches, and resources into your program today.

WHAT WE KNOW
• 87% of adolescents say that it would be easier for them to postpone sexual activity and avoid pregnancy if
they were able to have more open, honest conversations about these topics with their parents.7
• With regards to their decisions about sex, adolescents say that their parents or their own morals, values,
and religious beliefs are greater influences than their friends, popular culture, teachers, and sex educators.7
• The positive effects of parent-child communication on sexual behaviors has been found among multiple
racial/ethnic groups and low-income populations.8,9 However, the effects are greater when adolescents and
parents feel connected to one another and when parents can discuss sexuality in a comfortable manner.
• Adolescents whose parents clearly express their values and beliefs, including those who communicate
strong disapproval of sexual activity or unprotected sex, are more likely to avoid risky sexual behaviors.10,11

∗
Throughout, we use the term “parent-child communication,” but acknowledge that “parents” can include parents, foster parents, grandparents, and
other caregivers.

1
• Timing is important. Communication before sexual initiation is associated with delayed initiation, fewer
sexual partners, and increased use of condoms and other contraceptives.12

TIPS FOR INTEGRATING PARENT-CHILD COMMUNICATION INTO YOUR PROGRAM

Equip Parents to Effectively Communicate with their Children
• Create and promote a library of online resources to help parents grow their knowledge and awareness of
sexuality and risk behaviors.
• Offer workshops and evidence-based programs to parents to help build their skills and comfort level in
talking to their children about sexuality. One sample program that you can use is Plain Talk, accessible here:
http://www.issuelab.org/resource/plain_talk_implementation_guide.
• Add homework assignments for youth to prompt parents to clarify and talk about sexuality and share their
values and expectations with their children.

Partner with Parents and Parent Groups

• Train active parents to empower their peers to communicate about sexuality using a parent-peer education
model, such as the Adult Role Models Program: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-
parenthood-new-york-city/parents/adult-role-models-program-workshops/manual-adult-role-models-
program.
• Recruit parent volunteers to help deliver sessions on adulthood preparation subjects (e.g., educational and
career success).
• Ask parent groups to review your program curriculum and voice their concerns and suggested
improvements.

Create Structured Opportunities for Youth and their Parents to Talk

• Partner with a local organization to launch a service-learning project that includes family participation.
• In your community, promote national observances that encourage parent-child communication about
sexuality (e.g., National Family Sexuality Education Month, Let‘s Talk Month).

SPECIFIC RESOURCES AND EXAMPLES

Evidence-based and Evidence-informed Interventions
Intervention Description Available at
Children’s Aid A long-term youth development program, which includes a http://stopteenpregna
Society Carrera multi-week workshop series to help caregivers increase their ncy.childrensaidsociety
Model sexual literacy, improve communication skills with family .org/
members, and develop a holistic definition of sexuality
Parents Matter! A 5-session program for parents and guardians of children 9 https://npin.cdc.gov/p
to 12 years of age, which includes risk awareness, positive arentsmatter/
parenting, and sexual communication components
Project TALC (Teens A 24-session social learning program designed to provide http://chipts.ucla.edu/
and Adults Learning emotional coping skills to HIV-positive parents and their projects/talc-la/
to Communicate) adolescent children

2
 Intervention Description Available at
Safer Choices A 20-session school-based sexual education program, http://recapp.etr.org/r
including a parent education newsletter, homework ecapp/index.cfm?fusea
activities for parents and students to complete together, ction=pages.ebpDetail
parent orientation, and parent representation on a health &PageID=131
promotion council
Teen Outreach A positive youth development program that includes “family http://teenoutreachpr
Program (TOP) night out” gatherings, parent workshops on adolescent ogram.com/top/
sexuality, as well as child care and dinner incentives for
parent participation

Online Resources
• Office of Adolescent Health (OAH)—Talking with Teens includes conversation tools and fact sheets for
parents (http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/resources-and-publications/info/parents/).
• Innovative Approaches to Increase Parent-Child Communication about Sexuality, from Sexuality
Information and Education Council of the United States (SEICUS), includes examples of parent-child
communication strategies from the field and their impact
(http://www.siecus.org/_data/global/images/innovative_approaches.pdf).
• The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy provides tips and scripts to help
parents talk with their children about relationships, love, sex, and birth control
(https://thenationalcampaign.org/featured-topics/parents).
• The Parents’ Sex Ed Center, from Advocates for Youth, includes research, resource guides, and curricula to
engage parents in sexual education (http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/parents-sex-ed-center-home).
• Parent-Child Connectedness: New Interventions for Teen Pregnancy Prevention, from ETR Associates,
describes ways to enhance parent-child relationships
(http://recapp.etr.org/recapp/documents/research/PCCInterventions.pdf).

REFERENCES
1. DiIorio, C., Kelley, M., & Hockenberry-Eaton, M. (1999). Communication about sexual issues: Mothers,
fathers, and friends. Journal of Adolescent Health, 24(3), 181–189.
2. Parker, J. S., & Benson, M. J. (2004). Parent-adolescent relations and adolescent functioning: Self-
esteem, substance abuse, and delinquency. Adolescence, 39(155), 519.
3. Huebner, A. J., & Howell, L. W. (2003). Examining the relationship between adolescent sexual risk-
taking and perceptions of monitoring, communication, and parenting styles. Journal of Adolescent Health,
33(2), 71–78.
4. Hutchinson, M. K., Jemmott, J. B., Jemmott, L. S., Braverman, P., & Fong, G. T. (2003). The role of
mother–daughter sexual risk communication in reducing sexual risk behaviors among urban adolescent
females: a prospective study. Journal of Adolescent Health, 33(2), 98–107.
5. Ahrens, K. R., DuBois, D. L., Garrison, M., Spencer, R., Richardson, L. P., & Lozano, P. (2011). Qualitative
exploration of relationships with important non-parental adults in the lives of youth in foster care. Children
and Youth Services Review, 33(6), 1012–1023.

3
6. Blome, W. W. (1997). What happens to foster kids: Educational experiences of a random sample of
foster care youth and a matched group of non-foster care youth. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal,
14(1), 41–53.
7. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. (2012) With one voice 2012: America’s adults and
teens sound off about teen pregnancy. Washington, DC
https://thenationalcampaign.org/sites/default/files/resource-primary-download/wov_2012.pdf
8. Miller, B. C., Benson, B., & Galbraith, K. A. (2001). Family relationships and adolescent pregnancy risk: A
research synthesis. Developmental Review, 21(1), 1–38.
9. Romer, D., Stanton, B., Galbraith, J., Feigelman, S., Black, M. M., & Li, X. (1999). Parental influence on
adolescent sexual behavior in high-poverty settings. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 153(10),
1055–1062.
10. Jaccard, J., Dittus, P. J., & Gordon, V. V. (1996). Maternal correlates of adolescent sexual and
contraceptive behavior. Family Planning Perspectives, 28(4), 159–185.
11. Romo, L. F., Lefkowitz, E. S., Sigman, M., & Au, T. K. (2002). A longitudinal study of maternal messages
about dating and sexuality and their influence on Latino adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 31(1),
59–69.
12. Clawson, C. L., & Reese-Weber, M. (2003). The amount and timing of parent-adolescent sexual
communication as predictors of late adolescent sexual risk-taking behaviors. Journal of Sex Research, 40(3),
256–265.

This tip sheet was developed by the RTI Training and Technical Assistance Team, a subcontractor to RTI International
under contract #HHSP233200951WC Task 25 with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration
on Children, Youth and Families, Family and Youth Services Bureau.