Abstract:
Parents have the responsibility to teach their adolescent children how to deal with
sexual problems confronting them by educating them on what they need to do to
avoid risky sexual behaviours. This study explored the socio-cultural factors affecting
parents’ role in educating their young children on sex and sexuality. The study
used an exploratory descriptive qualitative design and employed focus group discussions
(FGD) and in-depth interviews to explore the socio-cultural factors that affect
parents’ presentation on sexuality to adolescents. Thirty-four parents made up
of two mothers’ groups, one fathers’ group and a mixed group (mothers and fathers)
took part in the FGDs. In-depth inte rviews were conducted with ten parents who
were not part of the FGDs. The data was transcribed and analysed manually. The
findings of this study indicated that parents blamed cultural taboos for preventing
them from discussing sexuality with adolescents. Parents however supported school
sex education for their children and indicated that it would benefit adolescents
whose parents could not discuss sexual issues with them. Parents proposed that
the school should involve them in school sexual education for them to be acquainted
with what the children are taught in school in order to complement it at home. All
the parents were worried about the negative influence that the media have on adolescents.
In spite of obvious impediments to discussions on sexuality with adolescents,
parents saw the need to discuss sexuality with adolescents because of the
benefits of such education.
