Developing a practical parenting workshop : a case study in family sexual communication .

Abstract

This dissertation discusses the development and assessment of a parent intervention and training program. Out of concern for the sexual health of adolescents in the United States, both parents and researchers have called for programs assisting parents in the sexual education of their children. Encouraging sexual communication and increasing the number of families who feel confident engaging in this type of communication are essential in promoting sexually healthy behaviors and reducing the number of young people engaged in risky behaviors. There is a clear need for parenting programs that focus on this topic. The project discussed in this dissertation was developed with this need in mind. A parenting program called Beyond Birds and Bees was developed to help parents communicate about sex with their children in a way that is consistent with their family values and with research on parent-child sexual communication. This program was then assessed by the program developer and participants. The goal of developing this program was to utilize existing research and put forth a practical application of what researchers already know - children who talk with their parents about sex are more likely to make sexually healthy decisions. Programs like this are important in advancing our understanding of the practical dimension of facilitating family sexual communication. It is hoped that this program encourages other researchers to think about ways to apply the research in applied communication.