Harsh Parenting during Adolescence Research Paper

Harsh Parenting during Adolescence - Research Paper Example More often than not these social constraints are enforced and reinforced by parents. (Choudhury, Blakemore and Charman) A variety of reasons are prescribed for parental control including (but not limited to) the rebellious attitude of teenagers, the parent’s desire to make the individual more conforming to their ideals and ideologies and the need to make the individual more compliant to social norms and values. These objectives are met by parents in a variety of ways. The relationship between teenagers and parents is generally a rocky one. In order to exert their influence, parents may resort to physical and emotional coercion. (Kelley) Such parental behaviour is seen to affect adolescent growth and their adult behaviour negatively. Most adolescents with coercive parents are known to develop aggressive symptoms later in life. This aggression may be emotional or physical and may continue throughout an adult’s life unabated. (Pedersen) Though the effects of parental contr ol on adolescent behaviour are well documented but the immediate outcomes have been historically overlooked. Parents exerting themselves on children encourage the growth of individuals who are seeking chances to overthrow the established regime of parental control. The results are often disastrous such as school shootouts such as the Columbine massacre. Moreover, teenagers may resort to joining gangs or resort to drug use in order to exert their independence. It remains notable here that all forms of parental control result in deviant social behaviour. Therefore it can be hypothesised that excessive parental control during adolescence can lead to an increase in deviant behaviour in society. This text attempts to analyse such a relationship through secondary research. Literature Review Numerous studies have been conducted in order to clarify the connection between parental exertion and resulting adolescent behaviour. Various perspectives and aspects have been covered through these st udies. This text was prepared by reviewing a few instrumental studies and their results which are discussed below. The distinction between physiological control and behavioural control for human beings has long been established firmly. (Baumrind) Baumrind’s study was conducted over a fourteen weeks period where he observed three different groups of children. The behaviour of each group was markedly different. One group was composed of energetic and friendly children while another group was composed of conflicted children who were irritable. The last group was composed of impulsive and aggressive children. The parents of these children were interviewed to discern the distinct patterns of parenting. There is an overwhelming tendency to combine these two aspects of human control and to study their effects together. Such an approach is hardly considered feasible as it tends to coalesce related aspects so that they are not distinctly recognisable anymore. For example the psycholog ical effects of beatings on a child who is being cajoled psychologically as well cannot be distinctly related. The typological approach developed by Baumrind is highly helpful in this regard as it delineates categorical distinctions to psychologically and behaviourally controlling parents. For example, authoritative parents are represented as being warm and accepting. Such parents tend to establish strict behavioural guidelines but promote psychological