Problem Statement
Effective parenting is an important way of developing the people, especially during the teenage or adolescent stage. This is the time when a young person is more exposed to various risks. The society is a big place, which gives various risk factors that directly affect and influence the development of a child. Violence, drugs, and other undesirable actions can be adapted by the child if there is no effective parenting on the situation. The study of human socialization of adolescents is an important topic to know if or not parents are doing the right thing for their child, especially during the years that they are exposed to the community’s risk factors. Also, the study will give way towards the understanding of different techniques that parents can use to ensure their child’s better future. Or else, the adolescent stage may could harm the child’s behavior by being antisocial that leads to misbehavior. According to Bor, McGee, and Fagan (2004), the identification of risk factors that could affect the child to become rebellious will highlight the need for attention to prevent misbehavior. This will also give an idea about the creation of parenting techniques. So, it is important that parenting strategies must include the recognition of the important risk factors during the adolescent stage of the child.
This study will discuss the socialization of adolescents and to realize the reasons behind the occurrence of risk behaviors of adolescent stage. (a) Is there a way to know which parenting techniques parents should apply to the child? (b) Is there a connection between parenting practices and adolescent risk behaviors? (c) How do parenting practices affect risk behaviors? (d) Is there a connection between parenting practices and the change of a personality of adolescent? These factors will analyze the relationship between the influences of parenting techniques towards the development of the child’s behavior in relation to the identified risk factors.
Literature Review
Identifying the Applicable Parenting Techniques
In order for parents to know the applicable technique, there must be a good communication between the parent and the child. This can be done through improved parent-child relationships. A good relationship must be established through various ways. Parents must let the teens see their parents’ fun side. They should also develop their common interests and allowing them to have some space for themselves (noaa.gov). Also, the parents’ way to develop common interest with their teens will help them understand the right parenting technique. That is because; parents will be able to recognize the things that can be used as motivators to guide their child away from the risk factors.
Knowing the correct parenting techniques is challenging based on their way of handling stressful situations. Kopko (2007) said that the adolescent stage is when the teenagers undergo different developmental changes, like emotional, biological, social, and intellectual changes as they enter the early adult stage. That is why; it is important that aside from knowing the applicable parenting techniques, it is also important that parents must know how these changes are taking place. In that way, parents will identify which parenting style is good based on their child’s behavioral and cognitive development.
There are different patterns that parents can choose in terms of taking care of their teens based on two known parenting behaviors –warmth and control (Kopko, 2007). Control means how parents manage their teen’s behavior, while parenting warmth means how parents accept their child’s behavior. This is also in contrast with rejection and being unresponsive. Parents may determine the appropriate parenting technique according to the level and type of behavior their child. There are also differences in adolescents’ developments that show the different learning environment from where they were being exposed to (Darling & Steinberg, 1993). Therefore, parents can use these environments to identify which parenting will be good for their child. For example, a parent that has a child who is exposed to bad behaviors of the community may use an authoritative style of parenting. This does not mean that teens will be punished right away whenever they did something wrong. Authoritative parenting is actually described as warm, but firm (Kopko, 2007). Using this technique will somehow prevent the child from developing bad behaviors because of his or her exposure to negative environment. The literature explains that choosing the right parenting style will lead to better results of the teen’s attitude.
Relationship between Parenting Practices and Adolescent Risk Behavior
There are different reasons that pertain to the direct relationship of parenting practices with adolescents’ risk behavior. One of the risk behaviors may be connected to the adolescent’s health. According to the research, this period is important when it comes to the development of healthy lifestyles and behaviors (Newman et al., 2008). Other research shows the bond of parents and teens is influenced by parenting style. This is connected to making sure that an adolescent will not be a bad person. If the parenting style will not be effective, there is a higher chance that the teens might learn the activities that might harm their health. These behaviors include actions that influence unintentional violence and injuries, use of tobacco, alcohol and drug use, irresponsible sexual behaviors, unhealthy diet, and even the physical activities of the adolescents. On the other hand, effective parenting practices will help in controlling the teen’s attitude towards committing the identified risk behaviors. It will also help in having healthier lifestyle and development.
There is a wide aspect of good relationship between the parent and child that influence the adolescent health outcomes, including the development of the risky behaviors. This study serves as proof that there is a relationship between the parenting practices and adolescent risk behaviors. It was said that authoritative style of parenting gives control over the teen’s potentially risky behavior. On the other hand, it was reported that adolescents whose parents had authoritative style of parenting were less likely to commit or develop various undesirable behaviors like using drugs, alcohol, and tobacco (Newman et al., 2008). When it comes to unintentional and intentional injuries, it was reported that these behaviors include inflicting harm to self or others, which were also influenced by the style of parenting practices. Relatively, self-inflicted harm that sometimes leads to death due to suicide is developed through parenting patterns, such as control, affection, acceptance, and discipline. So, such patterns directly influence the teens’ behavior, which shows the relativity between the parenting practice and the development of risk behaviors of the adolescents.
Also, the adolescents’ risk behavior may increase if the parenting strategy is only focused on providing discipline to their children. So, if one factor is being taken care of, other risk factors might develop in the coming years. For example, the relationship between a parenting practice that focus on preventing the child’s potential, unintentional injury may compromise the aspect of child’s unhealthy and irresponsible sexual behaviors. That is why; it is important that the parenting strategies must consider all the risk behaviors. Besides, the practice must be a balanced parenting to address the potential risk behaviors in the earliest possible time.
Proof shows that the environment of the family makes the basic ecology, from which the adolescent’s behavior is encouraged, learned, and even intimidated (Hoskins, 2014). During the period of adolescence, the friends’ influence is another important thing that parents must consider. In spite of the existence of the various influences coming from their friends, the study shows that parenting practices could be responsible for creating more variance when it comes to externalizing the behaviors as to compare with other single factor (Hoskins, 2014). Therefore, in terms of the link between the parenting practice and development of risk behaviors, it is important to consider the external factors that influence the parents’ way in providing both care and discipline to their children.
How parenting practices influence risk behaviors
The effects of parenting strategies and its influence to the adolescents’ risk behaviors is one of the most important issues among many countries. In fact, Western countries give more importance on this topic more than other family matters, as this directly affects the attitude of the child to become a better citizen of the community. It is not just an issue of how parenting practices must be effective, but the issue looks at a larger aspect pertaining to child development. This is in relation to the creation of safer community for the benefit of the whole society.
According to de Looze et al. (2012), the parenting practice and risks behaviors of the adolescents are divided into two types. The first one is the study that pertains to the general childcare practices that focuses on parental control and support. The second type is a study that focuses on the specific parenting practices that target specific behaviors (de Looze et al., 2012). For example, behaviors are the ones that were previously mentioned by other literature like alcohol consumption, drugs, and smoking. In terms of general practices of the parents; the parental control and support are considered the main contributors of better mental health outcomes of the adolescents. It only shows that using the appropriate level of control and support is the ideal way of taking care of the children.
If the parenting practice goes beyond the ideal level, there is a chance that the child would take it negatively and will lead to bad reactions and attitudes. These are the important influential factors that make the adolescent realize that the parenting practice is no longer tolerable and becomes more of being authoritative instead of providing care and support.
In terms of particular parenting practices, de Looze (2012) said that the studies are concentrated on specific behavioral problems. The goal is to avoid adolescents’ alcohol use, from which the parents apply concrete rules in order to prevent this behavior. Also, this goes to apply on the other specific behaviors like smoking and drug use. According to the result of the study, it shows that parental control through application of rules are normally associated with negative outcomes and behaviors, such as cannabis use, drinking, smoking, and even early sexual acts. But, concrete rules along with the application of moral support and good relationships lead to better outcomes. The rules combined with support will also avoid the possibility of smoking and using the same strategy reduces the possibility of teens being involved in early alcohol consumption.
Hence, the literature would like to show that the parenting practice has direct impacts to the behavioral outcomes of the adolescents. Parenting that focuses only on the aspect of being authoritative may lead to undesirable behaviors and increase the risk behaviors of the adolescents. On the other hand, a balanced parenting, which includes both control and support, is more likely to give better outcomes, and lessen the risk behaviors of adolescents across all family settings.
Adolescence is also the time when exciting and active stage for most of the young people. Thus, the risk behaviors are also affected by the environment where these young people spend most of their time. This only shows that the risk behaviors of the adolescents are related to the developments that they go through. This is why positive parenting is an essential action when it comes to positively influencing the risk behaviors of the adolescents. Current study shows that protective, significant, and enduring influence of the positive parenting strategies affect the development of adolescents (DeVore & Ginsburg, 2005). Particularly, an open communication between the parent and the child as well as the parental monitoring and supervision avoid the adolescents from risky behaviors. More often, the influence of parenting practice to risk behaviors of adolescents are in relation to parents being more authoritative. There were different arguments regarding the possible outcomes of authoritative parenting towards the achieving better behaviors of their teens. Previous literature stated that too much authority may compromise the goal of the parenting practice, such as leading to annoying behaviors that may affect the health of the teens. On the other hand this literature states otherwise. It was stated that “Authoritative parenting generally leads to the best outcomes for teens” (DeVore & Ginsburg, 2005). The bottom line is, whether or not the parenting practice uses authoritative technique, there is a close connection between the parenting strategy and its influence on the adolescent’s risk behavior.
Connection of Parenting Practices and Personality Development
Besides the influence of parenting practice to adolescents’ risk behavior, such practice also has a connection to the development of adolescents’ personality. The personality traits of the parents play important roles in terms of their parenting behavior. The personality traits that are involved in parenting techniques include authoritarian, authoritative, uninvolved, and indulgent (Huver et al., 2010). Generally, different styles of parenting have been known to be associated to the adolescents’ personality development. So, the actual authoritative parenting was found to be beneficial on the lifestyles of these young population members. If the parenting styles affect the development of adolescents, the factors affecting the parenting styles do not affect the child development itself. In fact, it was indicated in the literature that parenting practice is understood by various sources of influence like individual characteristic of the teens, related sources of support and stress, and the personality of the parents (Huver et al., 2010).
The developmental effects of parenting styles could be a general topic that covers other problems that are connected to overall personality development. Specifically, parenting style also impact the personality through academic achievement of the child. Besharat, Azizi, and Poursharifi (2011) said that many researches showed parenting is a powerful thing when it comes to the child’s development. It is also related to adolescent outcomes, which include academic-related outcomes. However, a poor development of the adolescent is also connected to parenting practice, which can also lead to undesirable attitudes (Terry, 2004).
Suitable Example of Parents
Parents must set themselves as examples if they want to achieve better results using their chosen parenting strategy. Setting an example also helps in creating good bond between the parent and the child, which is significant to forming a better relationships. Mooney, Oliver, and Smith (2009) said that there are different outcomes between children from non-intact and intact families. A close family bond will increase the chance of unification of the child and the rest of the family members. Therefore, the acceptable assessment of example from parents will also help in the choosing the right parenting practice and will also help in achieving better behavior and personality.
Discussion
According to the gathered evidence that shows different scenarios and various parenting styles, there are major factors that affect parenting, which do not have direct impacts to the child’s development. These factors are the initial stages of parenting style identification. It is followed by the actual application of the parenting strategy, and then the effects of such strategy towards the child’s development. The factors affecting the parenting style do not affect the child’s development, but they influence how parenting techniques will be done and used to specific situation.
The educational effect of this finding stand for various challenges to education, such as choosing the right way to enhance the parents’ behavior and attitude that influence their parenting practice. There must be a good strategy that will increase the knowledge of parents regarding how the factors that negatively influence their parenting practice must be addressed. This action will help in the creation of identification of parenting style parents that can be used to their teens. Or else, the parenting strategy could lead to ineffective provision of support and control. The educational limitation is how the influencing factors that affect parenting practices can be eliminated. The influential factors can be a very big issue, as it includes external and internal influential factors like the culture of parenting within the community and the culture of parenting within the family.
In these cases, teachers must also learn the behavioral and emotional side of the parents in order to help them in knowing what parenting style will fit for them. Additionally, the teacher must also give consideration to things that influence the adolescents’ behavior, such as peers, community, and the environment inside the school. They also must know how these challenging factors affect the parents in choosing the correct parenting styles. Also, it is important that teachers and schools must understand every situation of the adolescent’s family. Every family situation is different and not all external environments are the same. That is why; one adolescent can be more at risk than the other. It is better for educators to understand deeper the risk behaviors that the child is exposed into, so as to identify the best possible parenting strategy that they can advise to the parents.
Based on the literature, personality plays important roles in becoming a better person, hence, for the adolescents, personality is also important with how their psychological development takes place. If the parenting styles and practices influence the development of the adolescents, then the individual factor that affects parenting could be an indirect relevance when it comes to the issues that are related to the development of teens. This reality is one of the things that must be learned and understood deeper by both parents and educators.
Moreover, knowing which parenting techniques will apply to the child is an important action to make sure that the child will not be influenced by the many unwanted influences within the society. There are many ways on how to determine the applicability of every parenting strategy, depending on the situation of the child. But, in all cases, every chosen strategy must be used in a positive way in order to increase the efficiency of such technique.
Conclusion
Different parenting styles could lead to different effects in terms of child development. It is important that parents understand the factors that affect their child’s attitudes as well as the involved risks that could negatively affect their child. In addition, parents must understand which parenting technique will be applicable to their child in order to ensure better adolescent outcomes. Positive parenting technique is a better approach, regardless of the chosen parenting strategy. That is because; the positive way of parenting ensures that there is a good communication between the parent and the child, thus, both parental control and support are also being applied by the parent. Parenting practice is directly related to adolescent risk behavior development as well as the personality development. Therefore, parenting practice must be of balanced in nature, wherein being authoritative, supportive, and caring are all applied equally to ensure the effectiveness of the chosen parenting technique.
References
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