Dads' involvement reduces risky sex among teens

The study, published in the May/June issue of the journal Child Development, also reveals valuable insights into the role played by fathers once they find out that their teens are sexually active.

The study
For the purpose of the study, 3206 teenagers aged between 13 and 18 were examined for a four year period. The requisite data to gauge how the teenager’s and the family’s behavior changed over time was collected using questionnaires.

Premature start of sexual activity, recurrent sexual contact, having sex with several partners and incompatible use of reliable birth control was termed as risky sexual behavior.

The revelations
The results of the study revealed that teenagers whose dads were keenly involved in their day to day activities reported 7 percent less sexual activity than the average. All in all, mothers were more familiar with what was happening with their kids' lives.

Rebekah Levine Coley of Boston College, lead author of the study, said, “Youth who engaged more regularly in activities with their families and had fathers who were more knowledgeable about their friends and activities thereafter reported lower average levels of sexual risk behaviors in comparison to their peers with less engaged parents."

The study revealed that it was of utmost importance for families to engage in activities together as children were less likely to engage in risky sexual behavior in such a scenario.

Coley explained that by indulging in joint activities, parents can keep a check on what their children are up to. She said, “The time the parents spend with their children engaging in everyday activities can provide very important opportunities for meaningful relationships and communication between parents and children."

Indifferent fathers
Fathers reacted pretty much the same way for both sons and daughters. However, if the fathers showed interest, the girls responded more strongly than the boys. Such an involvement of the fathers also created a congenial and caring home environment for girls.

"These results highlight the benefits of stable biological-parent families, but also suggest that the quality of parenting is important above and beyond the effects of family structure," writes Coley.