BC Council for Families

In 2003, 40% of 14 to 19 year olds were sexually active, according to Statistics Canada. But the longer that teens delay sexual activity, the more they decrease the risks that come with sex; such as STDs, unintended pregnancy and emotional concerns. Parents and counselors can encourage teens to delay sex and make better decisions for themselves, by understanding how and why teens become sexual.

Exploring this issue, the study Rated PG: How Parental Influence Impacts Teen Sexual Activity looks at childhood home environments and their influence on future teen sexuality. Family structure and parental drinking and smoking were shown to be considerable influences. Recommendations from the study all centre around parental influence, and encourage parents to:

• Model a healthy lifestyle and positive choices.
• Create a healthy, stable home characterized by warmth, open communication and clear expectations.
• Provide sufficient supervision, expressed expectations and limits to help teens transition towards becoming healthy, autonomous adults.

Parents play a large role in helping teens articulate and integrate values in everyday decision making. If parents are conscious of the power of their role modelling, kids are more likely to make wise choices about sex and other issues, with healthier and happier outcomes. The study uses figures from Statistics Canada and was released by the Institute of Marriage and Family in October 2009.