Researchers have found that the parenting style used to raise a child often has a strong influence on their behavior. Psychologist Diana Baumrind in the early 1960s did a research on more than 100 children of pre-school age (Spera, 2005). Through parental interviews and naturalistic observation along with other investigation methods, she found four vital parenting dimensions: Disciplinary strategies, styles of communication, maturity and control expectations, and warmth and nurturance. Based on these Parenting dimensions, Baumrind proposed that most parents exhibit one of three distinct parenting styles: authoritative, permissive, and authoritarian. Research into Baumrind’s work by Martin and Maccoby proposed that uninvolved parenting should be added as the fourth style (Spera, 2005). This discussion will be on these four parenting styles and the behavioral outcomes they have been found to cause in children.
According to Baumrind, parents who use the authoritarian parenting style try to control, mould, and evaluate a child’s behavior without considering his/her feelings (as cited in Efobi & Nwokolo, 2014). In this parenting style, children are required to follow stern rules given by their parents and are not given any explanations for why they should follow these rules. Punitive measures are usually taken when children fail to follow these rules. These parents are more demanding than they are responsive to their children. Such parents are very strict and controlling; they do not tolerate any disagreeing opinion or protesting behavior from their children. Both parents and their children have little communication in this style of parenting.
According to Baumrind, adolescents raised in this parenting style tend to become dependent on their parents, rebellious, or even aggressive (as cited in Efobi & Nwokolo, 2014). Research indicates that since these children are punished for their wrongdoing, even without explanations, they may learn to be aggressive leading bullying behavior (Efobi, A., & Nwokolo, 2014). Since authoritarian parents do not allow their children to have control over their own actions as well as learning from their mistakes, these parents unknowingly raise children that do not believe that they are responsible for the things that happen to them. These children may therefore have a greater external locus of control (compared to children of authoritative parents) whereby they may believe that luck, fate, and the behavior of the people around them influences what happens to them (Marsiglia, Walczyk, Buboltz, & Griffith-Ross, 2007).
Parents who use the authoritative parenting style, just like authoritarian parents, give their children rules and guidelines to follow. Nevertheless, more democracy is involved in this parenting style (Efobi, A., & Nwokolo, 2014). These parents have an optimal level of being responsive and demanding of their children. Greenwood explains that these parents set clear and high standard expectations for their children. They also monitor the behavior of their children, and use reasoning based disciplinary measures. Authoritative parents are also usually willing to listen to the queries their children have and provide the reasons for the rules they give them. When their children fail to fulfill expectations, authoritative parents are more ready to forgive and nurture them rather than punish them. Authoritative parents are known to encourage their children to make independent decisions and to learn from their mistakes. These parents are also claimed to treat their children with affection, kindness, and respect.
According to Kopko, adolescents raised by authoritative parents have a greater probability of becoming more autonomous, socially competent, and responsible because their upbringing taught them how to negotiate (as cited in Efobi & Nwokolo, 2014). Research shows that since these children are shown a positive attitude, given independence with limits, and shown respect by their parents, they have a low likelihood getting involved in bullying. Further evidence also shows that children of authoritative parents are more likely to perform better academically (Spera, 2005). According to Marsiglia et al. (2007), emerging adults (18-25 year-olds) brought up by authoritative parents are also more likely to have an internal locus of control (believing that they control what happens to them) and may this be due to the fact that their parents set high standards of maturity for them while being responsive at the same time.
Research by Marsiglia et al. (2007) shows that emerging adults raised by permissive parents have the least locus of control and psychosocial success compared to those raised by authoritative or authoritarian parents. This may be due to the fact that their actions are not controlled like in those two other categories hence they fail to learn that their actions control what happens to them. It may also be due to the fact that almost no demands are made of them by their parents. In cases of bullying, they tend to be the victims most of the time due to their parents being too responsive and showing them little control (Efobi, & Nwokolo, 2014). Research also shows that preschool children of permissive parents have the lowest level of self-control, competence, and self-reliance (Spera, 2005). These children have lower school performance compared to those of authoritarian and authoritative parents (Spera, 2005). They are also likely to have trouble with authority (Hoeve et al., 2008).
Parents that use the uninvolved parenting style have little communication, few demands, and show low responsiveness to their children (Efobi, A., & Nwokolo, 2014). Even though these parents meet the basic needs of their children, they are mostly detached from the lives of their children. Uninvolved parents may even neglect their children’s needs in extreme cases. The children of such parents generally rank lowest in all spheres of life (Marsiglia et al., 2007). They lack self-esteem, self-control, and are not as competent as their peers. Research by Hoeve et al. (2008) showed that neglectful parenting characterized by low warmth and support, insufficient disciplinary methods, and severe punishment may be a predictor of serious criminal activities in an individual. Therefore, children raised by uninvolved parents who tend to punish them have the highest likelihood of committing serious crimes.
In summary, there are four basic parenting styles: authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and uninvolved. All these styles have been linked to the behavior of children hence their study is of great importance to create awareness on the best parenting style current and future parents should adopt. According to this discussion, authoritative parenting is the most suitable for the best behavioral outcome in children while the uninvolved style is the least suitable. Children of authoritative parents are the most competent in all spheres relating to positive human development and are also the least likely to engage in deviant behavior. Therefore, I would recommend this parenting style so as to raise a generation of happy and successful people.
References
Efobi, A., & Nwokolo, C. (2014). Relationship between Parenting Styles and Tendency to Bullying Behaviour among Adolescents. Journal Of Education & Human Development, 3(1), 507-521. Retrieved from http://jehdnet.com/vol-3-no-1-march-2014-abstract-27-jehd
Hoeve, M., Blokland, A., Semon Dubas, J., Loeber, R., Gerris, J. R., & Van der Laan, P. H. (2008). Trajectories of delinquency and parenting styles. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology , 36, 223-235.
Marsiglia, C., Walczyk, J., Buboltz, W., & Griffith-Ross, D. (2007). Impact of Parenting Styles and Locus of Control on Emerging Adults' Psychosocial Success. Journal Of Education And Human Development, 1(1), 32-36.
Spera, C. (2005). A Review of the Relationship Among Parenting Practices, Parenting Styles, and Adolescent School Achievement. Educational Psychology Review, 17(2), 125-142.
