Determining the feasibility of an online, media mediation program for parents to improve parent-child sexual health communication

Scull, T. M., Malik, C. V., & Keefe, E. M. (2020). Determining the feasibility of an online, media mediation program for parents to improve parent-child sexual health communication. The Journal of Media Literacy Education, 12(1), 13-25. doi:10.23860/JMLE-2020-12-1-2

Abstract

Objectives: Evaluate the feasibility of Media Aware Parent, a web-based program to equip parents to communicate with their adolescent children about media and sexual health.

Methods: 56 parents of 7th and 8th graders in the United States were randomly assigned to complete a prototype of Media Aware Parent or receive online resources about adolescent sexual health.

Results: After using the program, participants in the intervention group discussed more new sexual health topics with their child and also had stronger beliefs in the importance of parent-adolescent communication (PAC) about sexual health when compared to the control group.

Conclusions: A parent resource with an MLE focus may be a promising approach to promote PAC about sexual health, although parents may also need to be provided with the skills to initiate conversations in order to increase frequency of communication.