A Sex Education Program for Mothers: Effects, Parent Characteristics, and Practice Insights

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to measure outcomes of a group program designed to help mothers become involved in their child's sex education. Innovations included: a quasi-experimental design, use of standardized measures, and measures of mothers' personal characteristics. The design included volunteer participants, a control and experimental group, and pre- and post-measures. Initially, the 9 mothers attending the program had more sexual guilt and discomfort with sexual topics than the 28 controls (not attending); but five months later, the workshop mothers had removed these original differences; they also decreased on restrictive sexual beliefs but still remained higher than controls. The mothers who chose to attend the group were initially less involved in their child's sex education; but at post-testing both groups were similar on sex education efforts. The results indicate a relationship between parents' personal characteristics and the program effects. The discussion notes the limitations of the study, the need for further research, and recommendations for programs aimed at increasing effective parent-child talks about sex.

KEYWORDS:

• Sex education
• parents as sex educators
• parents' personal characteristics
• parent training program
• evaluation
• children and adolescents