Being open with your mouth shut: the meaning of ‘openness’ in family communication about sexuality

Abstract

An Australian study of parent–adolescent communication about sexuality revealed complex meanings inherent in the understanding of ‘openness’. These included willingness to answer questions while not keeping a spotlight on the topic; having an open‐minded attitude; balancing openness with privacy; and being responsive to characteristics of the child. Various constraints applied to the application of open communication in this sensitive area. Given the range of meanings encompassed by ‘openness’, the authors recommend that social scientists limit their application of this term in the study of communication in families, and that sex educators take care to be more specific in recommending openness in communication about sexuality.

Acknowledgements

We thank the participating families for giving so generously of their time and for speaking frankly about difficult topics. The skill of the interviewers is demonstrated in the quality and detail of the interviews: we thank Teresa Senserrick (who also set up the interviews), Amanda Allan (who also contributed to the design of the interview schedule and trained the interviewers), Lisa Beale, James Hands, Primrose Letcher, and Angela Rodaughan. The research was carried out at the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. The project was funded by grants to Rosenthal and Feldman from the Australian Research Council and to Rosenthal from the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation.