This study extends the research of Rodgers (1999) on the relationship between parenting processes and adolescent sexual risk-taking. Parenting behaviors considering were parental monitoring, parent-adolescent communication, and parenting styles. Sexual risk-taking was determined by assessing number of lifetime sexual partners as well as use of condoms during last sexual intercourse. A sample (n=286) of 9th-12th grade males and females who reporting having had sexual intercourse were separated into two groups-those engaging in low sexual risk-taking or high sexual risk-taking.

Logistic regression analysis revealed gender differences in the relationship between parents' behaviors and adolescent sexual risk-taking. For females, parenting monitoring of the adolescent's after-school whereabouts was related to a decrease in the odds that a daughter would take sexual risks. For males, parental monitoring of whom the adolescent male goes out with was related to a decrease in the odds of a son taking sexual risks. Several significant interaction effects were also found.