Parents are more likely to punish their teenager’s risky sexual activity when there are younger kids in the family, driven by a desire to set a strict example for these siblings, says new game theory research from the University of Maryland, Duke University and The Johns Hopkins University.The research team used economic game theory to predict levels of parental discipline. Parental concern for “reputation” with the younger children as a disciplinarian would be a powerful motivator, they predicted.

Their study, published in the April edition of the Journal of Economics, concluded that the exercise of parental control is effective in modifying the risky adolescent behavior. This is especially true in the case of the older children, who expect stronger penalties because their parents are making an example of them. [continue reading…]