ItemArticle

Beyond the talk: Parentadolescent sexual socialization in a culture that silences discourse about adolescent sexuality

Title
Beyond the talk: Parentadolescent sexual socialization in a culture that silences discourse about adolescent sexuality
Creator
Wesche, Rose; Toman, Madelyn; Allen, Katherine R.; Gupta, Shivangi; Grafsky, Erika L.
Description
Objective: This systematic review examined how parents socialize their adolescents' sexual behaviors and attitudes through indirect communication processes. Background: Sexual socialization between parents and adolescents extends beyond formal conversations about sexuality. Understanding indirect sexual socialization can identify messages that may be helpful or harmful to adolescents living in the United States, a culture where family conversations about sex are often uncomfortable and infrequent. Method: We systematically reviewed 41 articles from 20122022 that addressed how U.S. parents indirectly socialize their adolescents' sexuality. Results: Parents conveyed messages about sexuality through their behaviors (modeling behaviors and enforcing rules), words (and silence) in everyday conversations, and emotional reactions to sexual topics. These processes reflected parents' own sexualization within contexts in which sexual behavior during adolescence is seen as inappropriate, embarrassing, or private. Some adolescents internalized parents' indirect sexual socialization. However, parents and adolescents are also agentic and sometimes resisted problematic socialization processes. Conclusion: Findings suggest that a cultural discourse of silence on adolescent sexuality leaves parents unprepared for everyday interactions that present socializing opportunities. Overcoming this lack of preparation requires conscious effort on the part of parents and adolescents. Implications: Understanding indirect sexual socialization processes allows researchers and practitioners to identify strategies to interrupt problematic intergenerational cycles and to challenge the harmful effects of macrolevel political divisiveness on families and children. 2025 The Author(s). Family Relations published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of National Council on Family Relations.
Source
Family Relations;Volume;74;Issue;5;pp.3077-3103
Date
01-01-2025
Publisher
John Wiley and Sons Inc
Subject
adolescent sexuality; parentadolescent socialization; sexual communication; sexual socialization
Coverage
Wesche R., Department of Human Development and Family Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States; Toman M., Department of Human Development and Family Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States; Allen K.R., Department of Human Development and Family Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States; Gupta S., Department of Psychology, Christ University, Bengaluru, India; Grafsky E.L., Department of Human Development and Family Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
Rights
All Open Access; Hybrid Gold Open Access
Relation
ISSN: 1976664;
Format
online
Language
English
Type
Article

Citation

Wesche, Rose; Toman, Madelyn; Allen, Katherine R.; Gupta, Shivangi; Grafsky, Erika L., “Beyond the talk: Parentadolescent sexual socialization in a culture that silences discourse about adolescent sexuality,” CHRIST (Deemed To Be University) Institutional Repository, accessed June 21, 2026, https://archives.christuniversity.in/items/show/22971.

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