Differences of paternal and maternal parenting on attitude towards premarital sex among some selected youths in an academic setting

Abstract

Given that parental practices play significant role in the initiation of premarital sex among adolescents and youths, the present study examined the association between parenting styles and attitude towards premarital sex among 235 undergraduates (age range = 16-30) of a public university in Nigeria. Two structured psychological tests which include Buri’s Parenting Authority Questionnaire (PAQ) and Attitude towards Premarital Sex Questionnaire (ATPSQ) were adopted for data collection. Data were analyzed using linear regression. Result showed that for every one unit in paternal authoritative style, there was .31 decrease in premarital sexual attitudes (p = .047). Also, for every one unit in maternal permissiveness, there was .35 increase in premarital sexual attitudes (p = .015). The male gender was associated with positive disposition towards engaging in premarital sex [β = .16, p = .016]. After con trolling for g ender, the influence of paternal authoritativeness on premarital sexual attitudes became non-significant [β = .22, p = .20] whereas maternal permissiveness was [β = -.14, p = .03]. Collectively, findings suggest differences of paternal and maternal rearing patterns on attitudes towards premarital sex.

Keywords: Parental practices, Paternal, Maternal, Premarital sexual attitudes, Gender