Research: Parenting styles result in different outcomes for kids
Tuesday February 3, 2009

Research: Parenting styles result in different outcomes for kids

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Recent US research published in the Journal of Divorce and Remarriage has summarised the effects of differing parenting styles on outcomes for children:

    • Across all parenting styles, children of authoritative parents have the best emotional adjustment. They have lower amounts of aggression and depression and higher self-esteem.

 

    • Children who had at least one authoritative parent, did significantly better than children with any other parenting style combinations except when both parents were authoritative.

 

    • Children of absent/disengaged parents had significantly more depression and aggression and lower self-esteem than all the other groups.

 

    • Children with permissive parents rated themselves as more depressed than those children who had at least one authoritative parent.

 

    • Children whose parents were both absent exhibited the highest levels of aggression.
      Only 17% of the children rated both of their parents as being authoritative. However, 40% rated their mothers as authoritative and their fathers as permissive.

 

  • In cases of divorce, the parent with whom the child lived with the most was more likely to be authoritative.

 

A summary of the research can be found here.

Stephen Page, Harrington Family Lawyers, Brisbane spage@harringtonfamilylawyers.com 61(7) 3221 9544

Request an Appointment
Fill in the form below to find out if you have a claim.
Request an Appointment - Stephen Page
Things to Read, Watch & Listen
Parenting Plan vs Consent Orders: Which Is Right?

Parenting plans vs consent orders explained

When parents separate, one of the most important questions is how arrangements for children will be recorded. Will the agreement be kept flexible through a parenting plan, or formalised in legally binding consent orders? There is no single answer that suits every family. The right option depends on the level of trust between parents, the… Read More »Parenting plans vs consent orders explained

Sperm Donor Family Limit Queensland: The Real Rule

Sperm donor family limit in Queensland explained

Queensland’s new sperm donor family limit was intended to create clarity, consistency and better access to donor sperm. Instead, guidance issued to IVF clinics has produced a result that appears to halve donor access for many lesbian couples. The legislation provides for a 10-family limit. Yet where two women are in a couple and seek… Read More »Sperm donor family limit in Queensland explained

NSW Fertility Inquiry: Surrogacy Evidence Under Fire

NSW fertility inquiry: surrogacy evidence under scrutiny

The New South Wales Legislative Council fertility inquiry is examining difficult and practical questions about access to assisted reproductive treatment. Distance matters. Cost matters. Regulation matters. For many people trying to create a family, these are not abstract policy concerns. They can determine whether treatment is available at all. Among the issues before the inquiry… Read More »NSW fertility inquiry: surrogacy evidence under scrutiny

Family Law Section Law Council of Australia Award
Member of Queensland law society
Family law Practitioners Association
International Academy of Family Lawyers - IAFL
Mediator Standards Board