Parenting styles, parental monitoring, and adolescent sexual behavior

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine whether parenting styles and parental monitoring as perceived by secondary school adolescents related to adolescent sexual behaviour. The interaction effect between these two parenting approaches and adolescent sexual behavior was also examined. A Causal comparative research design was employed in which stratified and cluster random sampling techniques were used to select 300 participants of senior five, from secondary schools in Kampala district, of both sexes, aged 15-21 years. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from participants about parenting styles and monitoring. Parenting styles was determined by the Parenting Styles Scale (PSS) while parental monitoring was determined by the Parental Monitoring Scale (PMS), and adolescent sexual behavior was determined by the Adolescent Sexual Behavior Scale (ASBS). Hypotheses were tested using one-way ANOVA, Spearman rank order correlation coefficient, and two-way ANOVA. The findings showed a significant difference between perceived parenting styles and adolescent sexual behaviour, (F = 29; p = .000), thus accepting hypothesis one. The study further revealed a strong negative relationship between perceived parental monitoring and adolescent sexual behaviour, ( rho = -.764; p = .000), so hypothesis two was also accepted. The findings further revealed a significant interaction effect between perceived parenting styles, perceived parental monitoring and adolescent sexual behaviour (F = 9.8; p = .000). It was recommended that interventions be put in place by all the stakeholders to sensitize the adolescents more about dangers and risks of engaging in sex. Interventions for parents were also recommended to sensitize and teach them on how to discourage this behaviour, including skills to monitor their children without being intrusive, and involving them in decision making in the home. In addition to recommending authoritative parenting style and frequent parental monitoring, the study also pointed out the importance of the interaction of these two parenting approaches if parents are to control the sexual related activities of their children whether at home or at school or any other place.