Question

Family strengths can influence sexual risk-taking behaviors. Which of the following best represents how family strengths impact sexual risk-taking?

Options:

A) Strong family bonds promote open communication and understanding, reducing risky behaviors.
B) Families with strict rules tend to have children who engage in riskier behaviors.
C) Families with weak connections often lead to responsible sexual decision-making.
D) Close-knit families are more likely to encourage risky behaviors among their members.
E) Families with a lack of communication tend to promote safe sexual practices among their members.

Answer 1

Option A, which states that strong family bonds encourage open communication and understanding leading to reduced risky behaviors, best represents how family strengths can impact sexual risk-taking according to functionalist views and current research.

Step-by-step explanation:

The impact of family strengths on sexual risk-taking behaviors is a subject of interest within the field of social studies, particularly when studying family dynamics and their influence on individual behaviors. According to the functionalist perspective, families that maintain strong bonds and proper regulation of sexual activity contribute to overall family stability and marital cohesion. This can be seen in the way that healthy family relationships promote open communication and understanding, and, consequently, typically result in reducing the likelihood of risky behaviors among family members.

Option A) Strong family bonds promote open communication and understanding, reducing risky behaviors, best represents the positive impact of family strengths on sexual risk-taking. This option is aligned with the views of functionalists, such as Talcott Parsons, and with research indicating that parents or other caring adults significantly influence the sexual behavior of teens. On the other hand, options suggesting that strict family rules or weak connections positively impact responsible sexual decision-making, or that close-knit families encourage risky behaviors, do not align with the functionalist perspective or current research findings.