Maternal Perspectives Toward Parent-Child Communication on Healthy Relationships, Sex, and Dating Violence

IPV is a major public health concern that impacts multiple aspects of the victim’s physical and mental health. Children who live in households where violence is present are at an increased risk of experiencing violence in their dating relationships. Research has revealed, however, that resilience is common and possible. Researchers have found that positive and strong mother-child relationships and communication can foster resilience, and thus, break the cycle of violence. Our study aimed to better understand maternal perspectives on how they communicate with their adolescents and how they approach the topics of healthy dating, sex, and dating violence. Mothers of adolescent children (aged 10 to 18 years) were recruited in UPMC clinic waiting rooms to complete a nine-page survey. Mothers reported that they believed respect and communicating are key to healthy dating relationships. They also advised other parents to talk openly and be honest when discussing healthy dating and sex. Mothers revealed that they talked to their children less about dating violence and had less advice to give to other parents about approaching conversations on this topic. These findings indicate that more work needs to be done to promote maternal awareness and self-efficacy in talking about dating violence. Future interventional studies should focus on teaching mothers about dating violence, how violence within the household impacts a child’s development, and provide guidance to mothers on how to improve their communication with their teens