The importance of how parents talk to their kids about sexual trauma

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Parents play a critical role in how young people understand sex and relationships. When it comes to topics of sexual trauma and violence, the way parents talk with their children—or don't—depends on their beliefs, personal experiences, and cultural narratives, according to research from social and behavioral health researcher Rochelle R. Davidson Mhonde of the George Mason University College of Public Health.

Focusing on Black families in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. region, Davidson Mhonde's work examines how those factors influence whether, when, and how parents speak with their children about sexual violence, including rape. Rather than comparing Black families to other groups, the research centers on their experiences, directly reflecting the social and structural realities they navigate.

"Parents are often a child's first source of information about risk and protection—even when parents don't realize it," said Davidson Mhonde, an assistant professor of global and community health. "These conversations hold a powerful position in how children and youth understand and respond to sexual violence, especially when it comes to disclosing traumatic experiences."

How beliefs shape the conversation

One part of Davidson Mhonde's research, published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, focuses on the role of "rape myths." These are beliefs "that tend to deny experiences of sexual trauma or shift blame onto survivors," Davidson Mhonde said. When those beliefs are present, she added, "they often narrow what parents feel able to discuss with their children, particularly when conversations involve sexual trauma, consent, or harm caused by someone the child knows."

In a survey of 270 Black parents and caregivers from across the U.S., several clear patterns emerged:

• Mothers with a personal history of sexual trauma were the most likely to talk to their children about sexual violence. The study included fewer fathers who reported trauma histories, limiting comparisons.
• While overall belief in rape myths was low, parents who agreed with victim-blaming beliefs were significantly less likely to have these conversations.
• Men were more likely than women to endorse rape myths, with fathers showing a higher tendency to accept these beliefs than mothers.
• Younger parents and those with lower income or education levels were somewhat more likely to endorse rape myths, but gender and parents' own trauma histories were stronger predictors of how they communicated about sexual violence.

Communication that protects

Davidson Mhonde's related mixed-methods study, published in the Journal of Child and Family Studies, highlights a different dynamic.

Parents who reported greater concern about their children's safety were more likely to talk with them about sexual trauma, suggesting that a sense of risk often drives these conversations. Experiences with discrimination were also part of that equation, helping explain why some parents feel a stronger need to prepare their children for potential harm.

Given the disproportionate risks Black youth face, some parents use these conversations to try to shield their children from harm—an approach Davidson Mhonde describes as "protective communication."

Approaching the difficult conversations

Rather than framing parents as lacking, Davidson Mhonde's research emphasizes the strengths they already bring to these conversations.

"There is a generational shift, with many parents sharing that their approaches differ from their parents' by talking more with their children in ways that reduce silence and make space for honest, age-appropriate conversations about safety and consent."

For educators, community leaders, and policymakers, the findings point to the need to challenge victim-blaming beliefs that can shut down parent-child communication, and better support families in producing open, supportive conversations about sexual trauma. To be effective, these efforts must be culturally responsive and reflect the realities Black families face, Davidson Mhonde's work suggests.

Publication details

Rochelle R. Davidson Mhonde et al, Black Parents' Rape Myth Acceptance and Communication About Rape: Moderating Effects of Gender, Journal of Interpersonal Violence (2025). DOI: 10.1177/08862605251369514

Rochelle R. Davidson Mhonde, Protective Communication: an Exploratory Mixed Methods Study of Black Parents' Communication about Sexual Health and Trauma in the Context of Structural Racism, Journal of Child and Family Studies (2026). DOI: 10.1007/s10826-025-03239-0

Journal information: Journal of Interpersonal Violence

Provided by George Mason University