Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine from a developmental assets approach similarity and differences in single parents and adolescents’ perceptions of parenting competencies.
Problem Statement
Today parents face many challenges which sometimes surpass their ability to respond accordingly. Lately, there has been awareness that children majorly from most backgrounds in a technological society are exposed to significant dangers and risks. People are generally hesitant to acknowledge that every family has limitations that more or less may require much support externally in order to succeed in the current environment. Arguably, a knowledgeable outlook is aware that even low income families could also be resilient and material comfort does not always keep children away from trouble. It is evident that household income and family structure are factors which are less influential in adolescent development than access to community support and parent behavior (Guilamo 67).
Scope
Arguably, academic tutoring is one factor that at-risk adolescents can obtain necessary attributes that could improve their academic functioning. Research has shown that majority of the adolescents exposed to various risk factors simultaneously tend to experience behavioral or learning problems. Among the risk factors are: self-esteem, education, living in poverty, low levels of family support, large family size and low levels of maternal intelligence. Researchers show that before and after school tutoring programs greatly improve students’ academic success by assisting students by teaching and helping students with actual class assignments in various strategies where they can generalize to other academic problems (Harris 159). Research also suggests that low attendance may attenuate the effects of all after-school programming on the outcomes of participants. For instance in The United States, African American adolescents seemingly perform poorly as compared to others in both academic and behavioral aspects of their educational understanding. They are found to have a poor self - evaluation in regards to their academic abilities. In addition to that, they also lack motivation to achieve and perform since they believe that their instructors and teachers do not care and expect little from them. They are repeatedly denied access to good education and are moreover excluded from school and often placed in special education classes (West 28).
Theoretical framework
There are theories that give detailed information and aspects of adolescents and their lives within the families. The Ecological theory implies that people ought to view the diverse settings among young people’s lives as discrete education environments that provide different development opportunity structures (Harris 216). Organized youth activities including community-based programs and extracurricular school activities are general settings that provide good conditions for adolescents to energetically engage in psychological growth. Controlled longitudinal studies seemingly show that adolescents’ participation in organized activities is majorly associated with positive outcomes on developmental indicators such as adult civic participation, school completion and adult employment. Results of after-school programming indicate that the intervention of after-school is effective in decreasing negative behavior while increasing academic achievement. Some researchers have connected high dropout rates and increased violence with African American male adolescents. They are seen to lead the nation in arrests, conviction, homicide and high rates of incarceration and poverty is a major factor consistently associated with this gap. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the highest representation of households at extreme poverty levels is that of adolescents attending urban schools. This is because these American male adults’ academic achievement is by and large influenced by the social environment (Harris 211).
After School Program
After school programs help in increasing the availability and quality of normal school programs. They improve the ability of staff and volunteers to offer developmental experiences, education and high quality care for youth particularly adolescents. They offer support such as training materials which include resource guides to help adolescents realize their full potential. The cost to start an after school program for high school adolescents from single parents would include funds to facilitate planning. Planning would entail finding and recruiting teens who will participate in the proposed projects. It would also involve training of teachers and instructors who will guide the youth in the program. In addition to that, there are a number of facilities that would be needed to engage the youths in activities like sports. Close to that, this program would offer special programs to youths like vocational training, hiking and travelling. This is the cost that would be incurred to start an after school program for adolescents (Wentzel 25).
Adolescents and Single Parent Families
Single parent families may be in more need of social support which is mainly offered by kin. Family support may be lacking especially if the school setting denies them their heritage and cultural expression. Adolescents from single-parent families on most variables associated with education are worse than those from intact families. Those from single-parent families have arguably weaker relationships with their parents compared to those from intact families. Lack of family cohesiveness or joint activities and high levels of family conflict have seemingly been implicated in educational achievement and lower levels of adjustments from remarried and divorced families (Teachman 98). Sociologists have noted that the disadvantages experienced by adolescents from single parent families can entirely be attributed to their low levels of SES and past experiences. Reduced resources that may follow the departure of one parent especially the father may greatly affect the chances of the children realizing their full potential and deny them social and educational opportunities. These hindrances could restrict their vacation plans, especially those that are related to further studies like post-secondary education. Close to that, struggles to meet basic financial needs and lack of social support have a very negative impact on education involvement and also with parenting. Other studies have shown that single-parent families have different perspectives and view of adolescents. Some adjust and compensate and become more involved with their adolescent children’s education. These studies have shown that parents who maintain appropriate levels of control and behavioral connection, the connection between adolescent and divorce problem behavior is moreover significantly reduced. Adolescents, particularly from single-parent families are more likely to more or less depend on friends for care and companionship than those from intact families (Trusty 56). Adolescents with controlling parents appear to perform poorly in academics because they are over-involved with peers. On the same note, these adolescents associations with goal oriented friends could have better outcomes because having a sense of belonging is related to higher career and educational aspirations (University 76).
Growing up as an adolescent for me was no different from others. I was raised by both my mother and father who were very supportive. I encountered many challenges socially, psychologically and academically. Many times I crossed by parents’ lines and often these situations led to confrontations, disagreements and mutual a disconnection. More often, I associated with academically oriented peers who were very influential with positive matters. We had vocational and educational aspirations which posed great attributes to our lives. This helped me associate better with my parents as I was in a good position to make the right decisions. I was lucky enough to have both parent and material support from my parents and this was pretty much supportive in my teen life (Wallerstein 350).
Single parents with adolescents in high school face many challenged. Adolescence is a critical stage in every individual’s life as it is the determinant of their next level in life. Though faced with varying challenges, it is important for these parents to identify their children’s preferences and try as much as possible to avoid crossing their lines (Wallerstein 412). Subsequently, there is a significant difference between male and female education aspirations, it is therefore important to identify every child’s aspirations and help them work towards realizing their set goals. These adolescents also have a duty of respecting and honoring their parents or guardians whether from single parent of straight families. Parenting means different things to different people; it is therefore coherent to have a mutual understanding between the parent and the child. Adolescence is a cycle and a stage in life that is unique in its own way where parents and the adolescents should correlate to create a mutual understanding of one another.
Works Cited
Guilamo-Ramos, Vincent, Patricia Dittus, and James Jaccard. Parental Monitoring of Adolescents. New York: Columbia University Press, 2010. Print.
Harris, Mary B, and Cynthia Franklin. Taking Charge: A School-Based Life Skills Program for Adolescent Mothers. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. Internet resource.
Harris, Yvette R, James A. Graham, and Gloria J. O. Carpenter. Children of Incarcerated Parents: Theoretical, Developmental, and Clinical Issues. New York, N.Y: Springer Pub. Co, 2010. Print.
Teachman JD, Paasch K (1998) The family and educational aspirationsJ Marriage Fam 60:704– 714
Trusty J (1998) Family influences on educational expectations of late adolescents. J Educ Res 91(5):260–270
Wallerstein J (1991) The long-term effects of divorce on children: A review. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 3:349 360
Wallerstein J, Kelly J (1980) Surviving the breakup: How children and parents cope with divorce. Basic Books, New York
Wentzel KR (1998) Parents’ aspirations for children’s educational attainments:
Relations to parental beliefs and social address variables.Merrill-Palmer Q 44(1):20–37
West EM, Sweeting P, Richards M (2000) Teenage family life, life chances, life styles and health: A comparison of two contemporary cohorts. Int J Law, Policy, Fam 14(1):1–30
