PARENTING PROCESSES AND ADOLESCENTS' RISK-TAKING BEHAVIOR

The study of the relationship between adolescents' perception of parenting processes and their sexual risk-taking behavior was conducted on high school students in Nekemte town, Western Ethiopia. Data were collected through a self administered questionnaire from 300 adolescents, consisting of 150 males and 150 females. The study found that 58% of the adolescents were sexually active, with a higher proportion of boys than girls reporting having ever had sex (66.7% versus 49.3%, p=0.002). 2 test revealed that adolescents' perception of different parenting processes have a significant association with their sexual risk-taking behavior. This clearly indicates that a grater sense of adolescents' perception of parenting variables (extent of family connectedness, level of parental monitoring and communication) play a protective role for both male and female adolescents against sexual risk-taking behavior. Therefore, the findings of the study underline on the importance of improving parenting processes (parental monitoring,parent-adolescent closeness and communication) to reduce adolescents' sexual risk- taking behaviors.

Autorentext

He received his B ED degree from Bahir Dar University in Pedagogical Science and Geography composite majors in 2001. He also took his MA degree from Addis Ababa University in Developmental Psychology in 2005. He has been working as a lecturer and researcher in Wollega University, and currently he is a PhD student in Addis Ababa University.

Klappentext

The study of the relationship between adolescents' perception of parenting processes and their sexual risk-taking behavior was conducted on high school students in Nekemte town, Western Ethiopia. Data were collected through a self administered questionnaire from 300 adolescents, consisting of 150 males and 150 females. The study found that 58% of the adolescents were sexually active, with a higher proportion of boys than girls reporting having ever had sex (66.7% versus 49.3%, p=0.002). 2 test revealed that adolescents' perception of different parenting processes have a significant association with their sexual risk-taking behavior. This clearly indicates that a grater sense of adolescents' perception of parenting variables (extent of family connectedness, level of parental monitoring and communication) play a protective role for both male and female adolescents against sexual risk-taking behavior. Therefore, the findings of the study underline on the importance of improving parenting processes (parental monitoring,parent-adolescent closeness and communication) to reduce adolescents' sexual risk- taking behaviors.