Parental Support Makes the Difference in Teen Behavior
July 15, 2005(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- When it comes to raising teenagers, three new studies suggest parental support makes all the difference in the world.
In the first study, researchers followed about 700 African-American teens for five years. The teens were questioned regularly about drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes and marijuana. Results showed kids with strong parents who stayed involved in their lives and instilled negative images of the typical smoker or drinker were significantly less likely to take up the habits themselves.
The second study was conducted among nearly 1,600 mostly low-income sixth and eighth graders in one urban school district. Researchers measured the influence parental support and social understanding (defined as the ability to think about social interactions in a non-hostile manner) had on the likelihood kids who had witnessed violent acts would engage in violent behavior themselves. Researchers found strong parenting led to less violent behavior in boys, while high levels of social understanding resulted in fewer acts of violence in girls.
The third study examined the ways in which parents stay connected with their teens. Researchers interviewed the parents of nearly 180 kids from two-parent families to find out which of six different strategies were most likely to help keep kids on the right track. Results showed parents who developed open relationships with their teens, where the kids felt comfortable sharing information unasked, achieved the best results. Parents were also more likely to succeed if they were able to identify subtle cues to their kids' behavior.
SOURCE: Child Development, 2005;76
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