A review of parenting and adolescent sexual behavior: The moderating role of gender

Abstract

In spite of the established link between parenting and adolescent sexual risk behavior, less is known about the role of adolescent gender as a potential moderator of this association. This literature review integrates findings from 24 studies to examine gender as a moderator of the link between parenting and youth sexual risk behavior. Despite the wide variability in methodology across the reviewed studies, findings suggest that monitoring may be more protective against sexual risk behavior for boys than girls, whereas parental warmth and emotional connection may be an especially salient factor for girls. The results of this review support further research on gender as an important factor in better understanding the role of parenting in the development of adolescent sexual behavior. Furthermore, the findings highlight the potential role of gender-specific, tailored family-focused prevention programs targeting sexual behavior.

Maternal Drinking and Risky Sexual Behavior in Offspring

“…However, sons appear to be more vulnerable to a wider variety of negative outcomes than do daughters (Furstenberg, 2003, 2007; Grogger, 1997; Pogarsky et al, 2006). Additionally, gender may moderate the effects of parenting and other risk and protective factors (e.g., Kincaid, Jones, Sterrett, & McKee, 2012). …”

HIV/AIDS Knowledge, Self-Efficacy for Limiting Sexual Risk Behavior and Parental Monitoring

“…Cunningham, Mars, and Burns (2012) in their study of urban African-American adolescents found that older adolescent females reported higher levels of parental monitoring than did their adolescent male counterparts. In a review of the literature, Kincaid et al (2012) demonstrated that parental monitoring may be more of a buffer against sexual risk behavior for boys than girls, whereas parental warmth and emotional connection may be a protective factor for girls. These findings suggest that gender is an important variable in the study of risk behaviors and family behaviors, such as parental monitoring.…”

“…Lenciauskiene and Zaborskis (2008) in their study of European adolescents reported that adolescents who had low levels of parental monitoring had higher prevalence of early sexual behavior than those who had high levels of parental monitoring. Based on a literature review, Kincaid, Jones, Sterrett, and McKee (2012) concluded that parental monitoring may be more protective against sexual risk behaviors for boys than girls.…”

The Relationship Between Sexual Activity and Depressive Symptoms in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youth: Effects of Gender and Family Support

“…For LGB adolescents, parents play a critical part in shaping the degree to which they come to accept their emerging sexual identities (e.g., see Kincaid et al, 2012). Parental acceptance and rejection have been shown to be strong predictors of various health outcomes amongLGB youth (Bos, Sandfort,De Bruyn,& Hakvoort, 2008;Hershberger & D'Augelli, 1995;Rosario et al, 2014;Ryan, Huebner, Diaz, & Sanchez, 2009;Ryan, Russell, Huebner, Diaz, & Sanchez, 2010).…”

“…The''sexual health''and''sex is maladaptive''perspectives are often pitted against one another (e.g., see Kincaid, Jones, Sterrett, & McKee, 2012). Although scholars have encouraged integration of both perspectives (Tolman & McClelland, 2011;Zimmer-Gembeck & Helfand, 2008), the majority of empirical studies typically focus on only one of these perspectives.…”