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Speech Communication
To Whom Teens Tell Secrets
Contrary to popular belief that sees blended or single-parent families as somehow inferior, a study in LAS shows that in at least one area—the secrets their teens share—there is little difference.
The study of intrafamily secrets by speech communication professor John P. Caughlin showed that the secrets teens and young adults share are remarkably similar, regardless of their family background. His study of 650 students from three family types found no differences in the number of secrets shared, the topics of the secrets, or the perceived function of the secret.
All teens and young adults were more likely to tell their secrets to their siblings rather than to their parents. Also, the more satisfied they were with their family, the fewer secrets they perceived their family to have.
Caughlin adds that stepparents shouldn't necessarily worry when their stepteens don't share their secrets with them. Teens living with their original parents often don't share secrets either.
Summer 2001