CORRELATES OF PARENT-CHILD COMMUNICATION ABOUT SPECIFIC SEXUAL TOPICS- A STUDY OF RURAL PARENTS WITH SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN

Using data from 600 parents of children aged 5 to 18, and a context-or iented, developmental socialization conceptual framework, the interrel ationships between parents' perceptions of themselves, their child, an d their family relationships and the amount of parent-child discussion of 16 sexuality topics were explored. Canonical correlation analysis was used to demonstrate how circumstances and contexts influence the c omplexity of parent-child conversations for mother-daughter, mother-so n, father-son, and father-daughter dyads. Results lend support to the conceptual framework used, as well as to previous studies of this topi c area. The implications of these findings for parent-child relationsh ips and for future research on parent-child communication about sexual ity are discussed.