Effectiveness of Parental Assertive Communication Training on Family Communication to Prevent Adolescents Risky Sexual Behavior
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31941/pmjk.v16i01.7804Abstract
Sexual Risk behavior among adolescents remains a public health concern in Indonesia. Parent–adolescent communication about sexuality is limited by cultural taboos, reducing the effectiveness of family-based prevention. Assertive communication training may help parents communicate more openly, empathetically, and respectfully with their adolescents. Objective: This study examined the effect of assertive communication training on parents’ knowledge, attitudes, and communication skills, as well as its influence on family communication quality and the prevention of risky sexual behavior among adolescents. Methods: A quasi-experimental study using a pretest–posttest control group design was conducted among 124 parents of vocational high school students in Bandung, Indonesia. Participants were assigned to intervention (n = 62) and control (n = 62) groups. The intervention group received four sessions of assertive communication training. Data were analyzed using paired and independent t-tests with a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: The intervention significantly improved parents’ knowledge, attitudes, and assertive communication skills (p < 0.001). Family communication quality improved, while adolescents in the intervention group showed lower tendencies toward risky sexual behavior than those in the control group. Conclusion: Assertive communication training is a family-based strategy to strengthen parental communication competence, improve family communication, and support adolescent reproductive health
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