Parenting, parent–child relationships, and sexual possibility situations among urban African American preadolescents: Preliminary findings and implications for HIV prevention.

Abstract

This article examines associations among parenting, parent-child relationships, and children's exposure to sexual possibility situations. African American families (N = 310) with preadolescent children were interviewed regarding parenting, parent-child relations, and demographic history. Children were interviewed privately about their exposure to sexual possibility situations. Results revealed marginal effects of child gender as well as effects of parent education and parent employment on children's exposure to sexual possibility situations. An interaction effect indicated that parenting support may be a protective factor against exposure to sexual possibility situations among children whose mothers were adolescents at the time of their 1st childbirth.