How do adolescents decide what to disclose to their parents?

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to find reasons as to why adolescents choose to talk to their parents about certain topics whilst avoiding others. An interpretative Phenomenological Approach was taken for this study. Participants volunteered to take part in the study, hence a voluntary purposive sample was obtained. Interviews were carried out with five participants. Results that emerged were split into two categories showing reasons for disclosing and reasons for not disclosing. Three reasons for disclosing emerged; these being parental interest and openness, perceived knowledge and understanding, and accountability towards parents. Results showed that adolescents didn’t disclose about topics such as dating and relationships, Partying and drinking, friendships and life decisions for four main reasons. These include the need for independence, topics never spoken about, perceived lack of knowledge and understanding, and an expectation of a negative response.