One possible explanation for the non-replication of previous findings regarding the greater protective effect of parental communication for daughters compared to sons is that parents might vary the content of their communication for sons and daughters because of gender stereotypes in regards to adolescent substance use risks. Previous studies indicate that parents may misperceive the prevalence of adolescent substance use, particularly under conditions such as low parental monitoring and high parental psychological distress (Fernandez Hermida, Secades Villa, Vallejo Seco, & Errasti Perez, 2003; McGillicuddy, Rychtarik, Morsheimer, & Burke-Storer, 2007). Evidence further suggests that parents are more likely to underestimate the prevalence of risk behaviors among daughters than sons (O’Donnell et al., 2008). Based on the stereotype that sons are more likely to engage in risk behaviors such as substance use, it is plausible that parents would communicate more with their sons about substance use than with their daughters. Communication about substance use might protect sons alone from using cigarettes and marijuana (e.g., de Leeuw, Scholte, Harakeh, van Leeuwe, & Engels, 2008). However, this speculation remains to be tested.
