Teens Say Parents Most Influence Their Sexual Decisions; New Polling Data and 'Tips for Parents' Released

9/29/2003

From: Bill Albert of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 202-478-8510

News Advisory:

Parents continue to underestimate the influence they have over their children's decisions about sex, according to new survey data released by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. While the majority of teens say parents most influence their sexual decisions, parents believe that teens' friends are most influential.

The survey also reveals that most teens (88 percent) say that it would be easier for them to postpone sexual activity and avoid teen pregnancy if they were able to have more open, honest conversations about these topics with their parents, yet nearly one in four (23 percent) of teens say they have never discussed sex, contraception, or pregnancy with their parents. Six out of ten teens (59 percent) surveyed also said that their parents are their role models for healthy, responsible relationships. And one in five young adolescents (aged 12-14) report they have been at a party in the past six months with boys and girls where there were no adults in the house.

Results from the survey of adolescents aged 12-19 and a new publication -- Parent Power: What Parents Need to Know and Do to Help Prevent Teen Pregnancy -- will be released at a Capitol Hill forum taking place on September 30, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., in room 562 of the Dirksen Senate Building. The event will feature a panel discussion about the critical role that parents play in helping their children make good decisions about sex, love, and relationships.

Event panelists represent a wide variety of perspectives, including research, the entertainment media, parents, policymakers, business, and teens themselves. Among those scheduled to participate:

-- Wendy Ardagna, director, government and community relations, Save-A-Lot, a division of Supervalu,

-- Tom Ascheim, general manager, Noggin/The N, (owned by Nickelodeon and part of the Viacom company)

-- Robert Blum, M.D., Ph.D., professor and director, Center for Adolescent Health and Development, University of Minnesota,

-- Ken Canfield, Ph.D., founder and president, the National Center for Fathering,

-- Sheila Johnson, CEO, Salamander Farm,

-- Judy Lichtman, president, National Partnership for Women and Families, and

-- Caitlin Shetter, a member of the National Campaign's Youth Leadership Team.

Members of Congress participating in the event include:

-- Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.)

-- Senator Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), and

-- Rep. Nancy Johnson (R-Conn.)

Designed specifically for parents, Parent Power: What Parents Need to Know and Do to Prevent Teen Pregnancy is an easy-to-use guide that brings together all the latest research on the influence of parents and provides clear and specific advice based on that research.

For more information: To view the full results of the survey or to read Parent Power, please visit http://www.teenpregnancy.org/resources/reading/parentpower. The National Campaign wishes to acknowledge the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies for their support of the Parent Power publication.

About the National Campaign. Founded in 1996, the National Campaign is a private, nonprofit organization that seeks to improve the well-being of children and families by reducing teen pregnancy. The organization's goal is to reduce the teen pregnancy rate by one-third between 1996 and 2005.