Parental Variables And Secondary School Students’ Involvement In Pre-Marital Sex

This study investigates the relationship between parental variables and secondary school students’ involvement in premarital sex in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Adolescence, a period of significant physical, emotional, and cognitive change, is often marked by risk-taking behaviors, including premature engagement in sexual activity. This research specifically examines how parental income, educational attainment, sexual communication, supervision, and family structure influence students’ sexual behaviors. The study employs a correlational research design with a sample of 100 secondary school students, using the “Parental Variables and Secondary School Students’ Involvement in Premarital Sex Questionnaire” to collect data. The results indicate significant relationships between parental sexual communication, income, and educational attainment with students’ involvement in premarital sex, while parental supervision and family structure have weaker but still notable effects. The findings suggest that enhanced parental sexual communication and increased supervision could mitigate risky sexual behaviors in adolescents. The study recommends interventions such as parental education on sexual health communication, comprehensive sex education in schools, and community-based counseling programs to address the factors influencing premarital sex among adolescents. This research fills a critical gap in understanding the impact of parental variables on adolescent sexual behavior in the context of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and offers valuable insights for policy makers, educators, healthcare workers, and families.