Behavior: Parental Line

In this era of sexual emancipation are parents as uptight as of yore in discussing sex with their kids? Yes, indeed. That at least was the word last week from a Kinsey-type study called Family Life and Sexual Learning, prepared by the Project on Human Sexual Development. The researchers spent three years probing the attitudes of 1,400 mostly young Cleveland parents and concluded that they are as reticent in talking about sex as their parents were. The report’s highlights:

>Some 85% to 95% of parents say they have never mentioned any aspect of erotic behavior or its consequences to their offspring.

>Parents who do talk about sex with their children think that one chat is enough.

> Parents worry about masturbation, especially fathers because they fear that it will lead their sons to homosexuality.

> Blacks have almost exactly the same views on sex education as whites, except that they are more likely to bring the subject up with their youngsters.

> Both mothers and fathers are about twice as likely to approve premarital sex for sons as for daughters.

Conclude the researchers: “In word and action, the Cleveland parents generally seem to be repeating a pattern set before them by their parents that includes little, if any, verbal communication about sexuality.” Emancipation or not, it’s apparently the same old birds and bees.