Parent -Adolescent RelationshipsBy: Courtney Dornier

Research question:How do parent-adolescent relationships

affect adolescent development?

Parenting styles

Family structure

Gender of parent and adolescent

Communication

What can affect the relationship?

Parenting Styles: Mirror what is communicated toward the child by the

parent(s)

Authoritative, Authoritarian, and Permissive

Has a huge effect on emotion regulation; such skills on emotion regulation are acquired through parent-child interactions and relationships Emotion regulation-the process of initiating, avoiding, inhibiting,

maintaining, or modulating the occurrence, form, intensity, or duration of internal feeling states, emotion-related physiological, attentional processes, motivational states, and/or behavioral concomitants of emotion in the service of accomplishing affect-related biological or social adaptation or achieving individual goals

Authoritative parenting: High levels of control and high

levels of warmth

Adolescents who have authoritative parents will more than likely have better self-regulation and more control over their emotions

Authoritarian parenting: High levels of control

and low levels of warmth

These parents are considered demanding and unresponsive

Demand consequences without explanation- “Because I said so, that’s why!” Children of authoritarian parents may have lower

self-esteems or may engage in aggressive behavior

Permissive parenting: High levels of warmth

and low levels of control

Adolescents of permissive parents often lack verbal and behavioral control

Adolescent often controls the parent

the parent may try to punish the adolescent & he/she is not taken seriously

Parenting styles summed up:

Gender of parent and adolescent:

Studies propose that parents do adopt different parenting styles Fathers typically choose authoritarian Mothers typically choose authoritative

The way a child perceives a parent’s choice of parenting also differs among boys and girls Boys view fathers as: authoritarian Boys view mothers as: authoritative/permissive Girls view fathers as: authoritative Girls view mothers as: authoritative/authoritarian

Family Structure: Ordinal position, sibling spacing, sibling

gender, family size Research findings suggest:

Poorer parent-adolescent relationships are more common for middle children when compared to first-borns

Sibling spacing has more of a negative effect on boys rather than girls

Father-closeness is is found to be lower for girls in families of four or more children

Higher level of parental intrusiveness for only children when compared to first-borns

Communication: Includes:

sensitivity and responsiveness toward child Attunement/being engaged Creates attachment-secure or insecure

Affects child’s social and cognitive development Attachment leads to the relationships he/she will have

with peers later on, and how he/she will see him/herself Balance:

Individual competence should be encouraged while still maintaining a tie to keep from engaging in deviant behavior

Over time, parents and adolescents must re-evaluate their relationship

Communication continued… Why should parents and adolescents re-evaluate their

relationships? Eventually they will need to reach middle-ground where there is

still control but granting the adolescent freedom at the same time This will encourage individuality within the adolescent Slowly granting those freedoms will likely keep the adolescent from

engaging in deviant behavior

Conclusion What areas of adolescent development are affected by

these parent-adolescent relationships? Emotion regulation Sense of self Individuality Behavior

Parenting styles and communication have more of an effect on parent-adolescent relationships than gender and family structure, although gender does play a part in parenting styles chosen

Recipe for positive relationships and development:

Authoritative parenting style- there is equal balance of warmth and discipline

Respond appropriately to the adolescent’s needs and show much sensitivity; be engaged as much as possible; develop a secure attachment, where the child feels a sense of worth and can feel love by and for others

Maintain a healthy balance between controlling the adolescent and letting him/her have freedom to decide what’s best for them

Further research: Find out more about why fathers are most likely to

choose authoritarian and mothers choose authoritative

Limitations for family structure do more research using different variables to see if there is a direct cause and effect between family structure and parent-adolescent relationships

Think beyond parenting styles, family structure, gender and communication. What else?

References