Several studies show that parents who monitor their adolescent children's behaviors can help prevent early sexual debut (Miller, 1998; Hogan & Kitagawa, 1985). A study of African Americans aged 9 to 17 who were living in urban public housing found that high levels of parental monitoring were associated with a lower likelihood of very early sexual debut (age 10 or earlier), as well as reduced of rates of sexual initiation at later ages (Romer et al., 1999). Smith (1997) also examined a sample of urban minority youth and found, among males but not females, the perception of being strongly supervised was associated with a lower likelihood of having an early sexual debut.