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The Role of Perceived Parental Knowledge on Emerging Adults’ Risk Behaviors

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to gain a clearer understanding of the relation between parents’ knowledge of their emerging-adult children and emerging adults’ risk behaviors. Participants included 200 undergraduate students between the ages of 18 and 25 (121 women, 78 men; M age = 19.59, SD = 1.62) and both of their parents. Results revealed that knowledge of the emerging-adult child’s activities varied as a function of parent- and child-reports, and that child outcomes associated with parental knowledge were generally positive, including less drinking, drug use, and risky sexual behavior (although this varied as a function of reporter). The links between maternal knowledge and lower drug and alcohol use were particularly strong in the presence of maternal closeness. Implications for understanding the parent–child relationship during the transition to adulthood were discussed.

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Acknowledgements

The authors express appreciation to the instructors and students at all Project READY data collection sites for their assistance. We also are grateful for the grant support of the Family Studies Center at Brigham Young University, as well as the junior faculty sabbatical grant given to the fourth author by Loyola College in Maryland.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Brigham Young University, 2097 JFSB, School of Family Life, Provo, UT, 84602, USA

    Laura M. Padilla-Walker

  2. Brigham Young University, 2091 JFSB, School of Family Life, Provo, UT, 84602, USA

    Larry J. Nelson

  3. McDaniel College, Westminster, MD, USA

    Stephanie D. Madsen

  4. Loyola College in Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Carolyn McNamara Barry

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  1. Laura M. Padilla-Walker
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  2. Larry J. Nelson
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  4. Carolyn McNamara Barry
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Correspondence to Laura M. Padilla-Walker.

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Padilla-Walker, L.M., Nelson, L.J., Madsen, S.D. et al. The Role of Perceived Parental Knowledge on Emerging Adults’ Risk Behaviors. J Youth Adolescence 37, 847–859 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-007-9268-1

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