Mother-Daughter Interpersonal Communication and Sexual Behaviour of Secondary School Teenage Girls in Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract In order to address the problem of teens’ early sexual debut, frequency of teen pregnancy, inconsistency and lack of condom use, prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases, and the increase of teens’ being infected with HIV/AIDS, more attention should be focused on the effect of mother-daughter natural ties on communication. This study examines the effect of the quality of mother-daughter communication on sex matters. It investigates the joint effect of the mother-daughter communication and parenting style on sexual behaviour of teenage girls. The study was anchored on Bowen Family Systems Theory, Attachment theory and The Rommetveit and Blakar communication model and it employed the survey research method. Two hundred copies of a questionnaire were purposively administered to selected mothers and daughters in five public secondary schools in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. Three instruments: Adolescent Sexual Activities Index (ASAI), Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale (PCS) and Parenting Style Scale (PSC) were used. Results showed a positive joint effect of mothers-daughters communication and mothers’ parenting style on teens’ sexual behavior. Among others, the study recommended the need for increased parental involvement in communication and monitoring of adolescent sexual behavior. Key Words: Mother-Daughter, Interpersonal Communication, Sexual Behaviour, Teenager, Parenting Style JCMR Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 12, No. 1, April 2020, pp. 72-81 © Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria. About the authors * Adesola Olufunmi Bello is of the Department of Mass Communication, Olabisi Onabanjo University Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Nigeria. ** Abimbola Adekemi Oluyemi is of the Department of Mass Communication, Crawford University,Atan-Agbara Road, Faith City, Ogun State, Nigeria. *** Anthony Ifidon Olopha is of the Department of Mass Communication, Crawford University, Atan-Agbara Road, Faith City, Ogun State, Nigeria. Full Article Words: 6,660 Pages: 10 To access full article, click on download. Article Citation Bello, A.O., Oluyemi, A.A. & Olopha, A.I. (2020). Mother-daughter interpersonal communication and sexual behaviour of secondary school teenage girls in Ogun State, Nigeria. Journal of Communication and Media Research, 12 (1): 72 – 81.