Empowering parents: using short movie to help parents understand teenage sexuality
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12928/jpm.v9i2.11972Keywords:
Audiovisual education materials, Parent-child communication, Teenage sexuality, Short movieAbstract
Adolescent sexual behavior is often a complex problem that requires a comprehensive approach in addressing the various factors that influence it. The complexity of adolescent sexual behavior is often faced with various health risks, such as early pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. The purpose of this study is to provide parents with a comprehensive understanding of effective communication strategies to adolescents regarding sexuality issues through educational media in the form of short films. The method used in this study includes three main stages, namely: (1) movie screening and discussion with parents, (2) distribution of the movie to teachers as agents of information dissemination, and (3) publication of the movie on the YouTube platform to reach a wider audience. In this research, a 15-minute movie titled “Beyond the Hormones” was developed by showing a mother's journey in understanding adolescent sexuality through interviews with experts, teenagers, and other parents. The research output in the form of this film also presents an in-depth view of the risk factors that influence adolescent sexual behavior. The results show that an audio-visual approach to educating and improving parents' understanding of adolescent sexuality is an effective strategy compared to written materials.
References
S. Silva, J. Romão, C. B. Ferreira, P. Figueiredo, E. Ramião, and R. Barroso, “Sources and Types of Sexual Information Used by Adolescents: A Systematic Literature Review,” Healthcare, vol. 12, no. 22, p. 2291, Nov. 2024, doi: 10.3390/healthcare12222291.
D. B. Kirby, “The impact of abstinence and comprehensive sex and STD/HIV education programs on adolescent sexual behavior,” Sex. Res. Soc. Policy, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 18–27, Sep. 2008, doi: 10.1525/srsp.2008.5.3.18.
M. Rotermann and A. McKay, “Where do 15- to -17-year-olds in Canada get their sexual health information?,” Heal. Reports, vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 3–13, Jan. 2024. [Online]. Available at: https://www.proquest.com/docview/2918667886?pq-origsite=gscholar&fromopenview=true&sourcetype.
A. Baheiraei, E. Khoori, A. R. Foroushani, F. Ahmadi, and M. L. Ybarra, “What sources do adolescents turn to for information about their health concerns?,” ijamh, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 61–68, Feb. 2014, doi: 10.1515/ijamh-2012-0112.
P. J. Dittus et al., “Parental Monitoring and Risk Behaviors and Experiences Among High School Students — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2021,” MMWR Suppl., vol. 72, no. 1, pp. 37–44, Apr. 2023, doi: 10.15585/mmwr.su7201a5.
J. Pringle et al., “The physiology of adolescent sexual behaviour: A systematic review,” Cogent Soc. Sci., vol. 3, no. 1, p. 1368858, Jan. 2017, doi: 10.1080/23311886.2017.1368858.
A. B. Bozzini, A. Bauer, J. Maruyama, R. Simões, and A. Matijasevich, “Factors associated with risk behaviors in adolescence: a systematic review,” Brazilian J. Psychiatry, vol. 43, no. 2, pp. 210–221, Apr. 2021, doi: 10.1590/1516-4446-2019-0835.
“Dare to Get Tested, Dare to Protect Yourself, Ministry of Health Targets Elimination of HIV and STIs by 2030,” Kemenkes, 2025. [Online]. Available at: https://kemkes.go.id/id/berani-tes-berani-lindungi-diri-kemenkes-targetkan-eliminasi-hiv-dan-ims-tahun-2030.
Likith R S, “Exploring Factors Influencing Parent-Adolescent Communication on Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH)—A Qualitative Study from Bengaluru, India,” J. Psychosexual Heal., vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 235–241, Jul. 2024, doi: 10.1177/26318318241265822.
K. U. Noer, A. Kusmawati, and Nurfadhilah, “Do not ask, do not tell: The dark path of sexual and reproductive health education in Indonesia,” Multidiscip. Sci. J., vol. 7, no. 6, p. 2025311, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.31893/multiscience.2025311.
R. Vincent and K. Krishnakumar, “School-Based Interventions for Promoting Sexual and Reproductive Health of Adolescents in India: A Review,” J. Psychosexual Heal., vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 102–110, Apr. 2022, doi: 10.1177/26318318221089621.
H. S. Munyai, L. Makhado, D. U. Ramathuba, and R. T. Lebese, “Challenges regarding sexual health communication with secondary school learners in Limpopo Province: Parents views,” Curationis, vol. 46, no. 1, p. 9, Apr. 2023, doi: 10.4102/curationis.v46i1.2321.
A. Morawska, A. Walsh, M. Grabski, and R. Fletcher, “Parental confidence and preferences for communicating with their child about sexuality,” Sex Educ., vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 235–248, May 2015, doi: 10.1080/14681811.2014.996213.
M. Malacane and J. J. Beckmeyer, “A Review of Parent-Based Barriers to Parent–Adolescent Communication about Sex and Sexuality: Implications for Sex and Family Educators,” Am. J. Sex. Educ., vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 27–40, Jan. 2016, doi: 10.1080/15546128.2016.1146187.
W. Diarsvitri and I. D. Utomo, “Medical perspective of reproductive health education in Indonesian schoolbooks,” Front. Public Heal., vol. 10, p. 943429, Nov. 2022, doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.943429.
G. Lahope and R. Fathurrahman, “Current State, Challenges, and Opportunities of the School-Based Sexual and Reproductive Health Education in Indonesia: A Systematic Literature Review,” Prev. Indones. J. Public Heal., vol. 9, no. 1, p. 81, Jul. 2024, doi: 10.17977/um044v9i12024p81-94.
I. Utomo, P. McDonald, and T. Hull, “What are they learning? Lessons about reproductive health in Indonesian primary and secondary school textbooks,” in 1st APA Conference, 2010, pp. 1–26, [Online]. Available at: http://adsri.anu.edu.au/sites/default/files/research/gender-in-schools/What are we learning in school.pdf.
B. W. Maina, B. A. Ushie, and C. W. Kabiru, “Parent-child sexual and reproductive health communication among very young adolescents in Korogocho informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya,” Reprod. Health, vol. 17, no. 1, p. 79, Dec. 2020, doi: 10.1186/s12978-020-00938-3.
M. Melese, D. Esubalew, T. M. Siyoum, Y. B. Worku, J. Azanaw, and B. A. Mengistie, “Parent–adolescent communication on sexual and reproductive health issues and associated factors among secondary public-school students in Gondar town, northwest Ethiopia: an institution based cross-sectional study,” Front. Public Heal., vol. 12, p. 1342027, Aug. 2024, doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1342027.
E. Muthengi, A. Ferede, and A. Erulkar, “Parent-Child Communication and Reproductive Health Behaviors: A Survey of Adolescent Girls in Rural Tanzania,” African Popul. Stud., vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 1887–1900, Mar. 2015, doi: 10.11564/29-2-772.
E. D. A. Brusse, M. L. Fransen, and E. G. Smit, “Framing in Entertainment-Education: Effects on Processes of Narrative Persuasion,” Health Commun., vol. 32, no. 12, pp. 1501–1509, Dec. 2017, doi: 10.1080/10410236.2016.1234536.
H. Pratiwi, Sujarwo, A. Syamsudin, and A. Wijayanti, “‘When parents see the value, they engage’: overcoming resistance to early childhood sexuality education through flipped classroom teaching and the use of animated videos in Indonesia,” Sex Educ., pp. 1–17, Jun. 2025, doi: 10.1080/14681811.2025.2519173.
“Social Cognitive Theory Of Mass Communication,” in Media Effects, Routledge, 2009, pp. 110–140, doi: 10.4324/9780203877111-12.
L. J. Hinyard and M. W. Kreuter, “Using Narrative Communication as a Tool for Health Behavior Change: A Conceptual, Theoretical, and Empirical Overview,” Heal. Educ. Behav., vol. 34, no. 5, pp. 777–792, Oct. 2007, doi: 10.1177/1090198106291963.
Y. A. Andiana and Slameto, “The Effectiveness of Parents Roles in Children’s Sex Education,” J. Sci. Res. Educ. Technol., vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 1133–1144, Sep. 2024, doi: 10.58526/jsret.v3i3.477.
J. Walker and J. Milton, “Teachers’ and parents’ roles in the sexuality education of primary school children: a comparison of experiences in Leeds, UK and in Sydney, Australia,” Sex Educ., vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 415–428, Nov. 2006, doi: 10.1080/14681810600982267.
P. Handayani, W. S. S. Pandia, A. A. Putri, L. Wati, V. V. P, and A. Rizky, “Sexual Education for Parents and Teachers of Teenagers with Special Needs,” MITRA J. Pemberdaya. Masy., vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 58–72, May 2019, doi: 10.25170/mitra.v3i1.501.
L. Widman, S. Choukas-Bradley, S. W. Helms, and M. J. Prinstein, “Adolescent Susceptibility to Peer Influence in Sexual Situations,” J. Adolesc. Heal., vol. 58, no. 3, pp. 323–329, Mar. 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.10.253.
H. Lantos, J. Manlove, E. Wildsmith, B. Faccio, L. Guzman, and K. A. Moore, “Parent-Teen Communication about Sexual and Reproductive Health: Cohort Differences by Race/Ethnicity and Nativity,” Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, vol. 16, no. 5, p. 833, Mar. 2019, doi: 10.3390/ijerph16050833.
S. D. Pokharel and R. Adhikari, “Teachers’ Awareness Toward Students’ Psychosocial Wellbeing,” Dhaulagiri J. Sociol. Anthropol., vol. 14, pp. 22–27, Dec. 2020, doi: 10.3126/dsaj.v14i0.29454.
A. A. Zaman, Euis Sunarti, and Diah Krisnatuti, “Adolescents’ Sexuality: The Role of Parent and Microsystem Education of Sexuality,” Indig. J. Ilm. Psikol., vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 150–169, Jul. 2024, doi: 10.23917/indigenous.v9i2.4350.
D. Hartaty and E. Martha, “Studying Mothers’ Knowledge and Perceptions of Adolescent Reproductive Health,” Women, Midwives and Midwifery, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 8–16, Feb. 2024, doi: 10.36749/wmm.4.1.8-16.2024.
E. S. Lefkowitz and T. M. Stoppa, “Positive sexual communication and socialization in the parent-adolescent context,” New Dir. Child Adolesc. Dev., vol. 2006, no. 112, pp. 39–55, 2006, doi: 10.1002/cd.161.
B. Mukanga, S. B. Dlamini, and M. Taylor, “Cultural appropriateness of a comprehensive sexuality education programme. Implications for programme adaptation and implementation in Zambia,” Sex Educ., vol. 25, no. 5, pp. 631–646, Sep. 2025, doi: 10.1080/14681811.2024.2367761.
D. D. B. Situmorang, “Implementation of Sex Education in Indonesia: A ‘Sine Qua Non’ in Taboo,” Bul. Psikol., vol. 32, no. 1, p. 101, Jun. 2024, doi: 10.22146/buletinpsikologi.95836.
C. H. Basch, G. C. Hillyer, Z. C. Meleo-Erwin, C. Jaime, J. Mohlman, and C. E. Basch, “Preventive Behaviors Conveyed on YouTube to Mitigate Transmission of COVID-19: Cross-Sectional Study,” JMIR Public Heal. Surveill., vol. 6, no. 2, p. e18807, Apr. 2020, doi: 10.2196/18807.
F. Moral-Toranzo, J. Canto-Ortiz, and L. Gómez-Jacinto, “Anonymity effects in computer-mediated communication in the case of minority influence,” Comput. Human Behav., vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 1660–1674, May 2007, doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2005.09.002.
D. Aparisi, B. Delgado, R. M. Bo, and M. C. Martínez-Monteagudo, “Relationship between Cyberbullying, Motivation and Learning Strategies, Academic Performance, and the Ability to Adapt to University,” Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, vol. 18, no. 20, p. 10646, Oct. 2021, doi: 10.3390/ijerph182010646.
J. L. Morris and H. Rushwan, “Adolescent sexual and reproductive health: The global challenges,” Int. J. Gynecol. Obstet., vol. 131, no. S1, pp. S40–S42, Oct. 2015, doi: 10.1016/j.ijgo.2015.02.006.
L. Gerchow, Y. Lanier, A.-L. Fayard, and A. Squires, “A comprehensive view of adolescent sexual health and family planning from the perspective of Black and Hispanic adolescent mothers in New York city,” SSM - Qual. Res. Heal., vol. 6, p. 100460, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.ssmqr.2024.100460.
S. Mollborn, B. W. Domingue, and J. D. Boardman, “Understanding multiple levels of norms about teen pregnancy and their relationships to teens’ sexual behaviors,” Adv. Life Course Res., vol. 20, pp. 1–15, Jun. 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.alcr.2013.12.004.
“Talking with Your Teens About Sex: Going Beyond ‘the Talk,’” National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. [Online]. Available at: https://www.waterburyct.org/filestorage/103431/108867/109770/109971/109973/talking_teens.pdf.
R. DiClemente, R. Crosby, and L. Salazar, “Family Influences on Adolescents Sexual Health: Synthesis of the Research and Implications for Clinical Practice,” Curr. Pediatr. Rev., vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 369–373, Nov. 2006, doi: 10.2174/157339606778699671.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Rani Prita Prabawangi, Megasari N. Fatanti , Tyas Siti Halizza
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with Jurnal Pemberdayaan: Publikasi Hasil Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
