Early evaluation of the impact of the '"What Should We Tell the Children" parents' sex and relationships communication programme. Full citation: Pottinger, E., Bayley, J. and Newby, K. (2009). What Should We Tell the Children? - Preliminary evaluation of an evidence-based programme to promote parent-child communication about relationships and sex. Poster presented at the IVth Biennial International Sex and Relationships Education conference, ICC, Birmingham

1. Contact: Elizabeth Pottinger, Applied Research Centre – Health & Lifestyle Interventions, Room WF105, Coventry University, Priory Street,
Coventry, CV1 5FB. Tel + 44 2476 887 176 Email e.pottinger@coventry.ac.uk
What Should We Tell The Children? – Preliminary Evaluation of
an Evidence-Based Programme to Promote Parent-Child
Communication about Relationships and Sex
Elizabeth Pottinger, Julie Bayley & Katie Newby
Open and relaxed parental communication is important for
safer sexual behaviour of young people. However many parents
express concerns about their level of knowledge, skills and
confidence needed to talk to their children about relationships and
sex.
Coventry Teenage Pregnancy Partnership Board commissioned
the development of ‘What should We Tell the Children…about
Relationships and Sex’ (WSWTTC), a theory and evidence-based 6-
week programme to help parents to talk with their children about
these topics.
The intervention was developed using Intervention Mapping,
and in collaboration with experts in adult education, parenting and
sexual health. The programme has been implemented across
Coventry and Warwickshire with a variety of parents and carers
and has been evaluated with 5 groups undertaking the course over
a 9 month period.
To assess the impact of the course on self-reported confidence,
embarrassment, knowledge and behaviour. Feedback will also
help to improve this programme for future parents as well as
informing the development of related projects.
The majority (57.9%) of parents reported feeling much more
confident talking to their children about relationships and sex,
79% reported increased knowledge and 73.7% reported feeling
less embarrassed. Most parents (78.9%) also reported feeling
more able to start conversations with their children and 47.4%
more able to respond to their children’s questions about sex and
relationships.
Self-reported frequency of communication was also higher
after the course, with 68.4% reporting talking more often to their
children about relationships and sex. These results were also
supported by comments parents made:
“This course has given me the confidence to talk to my children
about sex and relationships, and with my eldest son hitting
puberty, about the changes happening to his body. I know to
respect his privacy and to listen to any questions he has and not
to 'react' - then think, but to 'think' and then react.”
The WSWTTC programme is successful in
supporting parents to improve their knowledge,
skills and confidence in talking with their children
about sex and relationships. It also impacts upon
the frequency of home-based communication about
these topics. A larger-scale evaluation of the
WSWTTC programme over a longer period with a
much larger sample is needed to fully examine
effectiveness.
Evaluation questionnaires were completed by 19 (89% females)
course attendees to measure the impact of the course on
confidence, embarrassment, knowledge, ability to start
conversations and ability to respond to questions from their
children about relationships and sex.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Much Less Slightly less No Change Slightly
More
Much More
Percentage
Rating Scale
Parents Rating of Relationship and Sex Communication Change
Post-course
Confidence
Frequency
Knowledge
Start Conversations
Respond to
Questions
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Much Less Slightly less No Change Slightly More Much More
Percentage
Rating Scale
Parents Rating of Relationship and Sex Communication
Change Post-course
Embarrassment
Background
Aims
Method
Findings
Conclusion
Findings continued…