Role of parenting styles in internalizing, externalizing, and adjustment problems in children

Abstract

Introduction. Different studies have reported the relationship of parenting styles with adjustment problems in children. However, it has not been specified which aspects of parenting styles play a central role in the manifestation of such psychological problems. Objective. To increase the knowledge about the role of which parental educational styles are associated with internalizing, externalizing, and adjustment problems in Colombian children. Method. Through structural equations, the fit of the proposed model was verified. Participants were 422 parents and children aged between 8 and 12 years, enrolled in public schools in Bogota, Colombia. The Parental Educational Styles Questionnaire, the Child Behavior Checklist, and the Parent Format and Self-assessment Multifactorial Adjustment test were applied. Results. Family dynamics and parental practices have effects on internalizing, externalizing, and general maladjustment problems. Parental roles and practices show indirect effects on general maladjustment through externalizing problems. Discussion and conclusion. The models tested show that conflicts at home, parental overload, impulsivity, permissive, ambiguous/non-consistent styles, and dysfunctional reaction to disobedience play a role in the manifestation of internalizing, externalizing, and adjustment problems in children.

Profiles of Maladjustment and Interpersonal Risk Factors in Adolescents

“…Many adolescents consume substances because they feel more adapted to the group, and if the group uses, the risk factor increases which may be associated with a greater perception of access to drugs (Alfonso et al, 2009;Pérez-Fuentes et al, 2015;Rueda Aguilar, 2020;Méndez et al, 2021). High values were also reached in family factors, such as the family risk of drug use; low family education on drugs; and therefore, a lack of norms concerning drug use, a permissive educational style, a lack of protective activities in the family, and family relationships (Pérez-Fuentes et al, 2015;Calero-Plaza et al, 2020;Moreno et al, 2020;Momeñe et al, 2021). In addition, the maladjusted group obtained higher scores in a higher level of global vulnerability to drug use (Alfonso et al, 2009;.…”

“…This may indicate that the at-risk group was at risk of a possible imbalance and that the perception of the student being able to access drugs if they wanted was high (Alfonso et al, 2009). In the same way, the family can pose a risk for consumption due to risky or conflictive situations, drug use in the family environment, or low family education about the risks of drugs (Pérez-Fuentes et al, 2015;Kuntsche and Kuntsche, 2016;Calero-Plaza et al, 2020;Moreno et al, 2020). Therefore, these results are indicators that this requires action so that the moderate values do not suppose a situation of greater risk and that the student can have maladjusted behaviors and therefore put their health at risk (Cerezo et al, 2013;Molero et al, 2020).…”

“…There are multiple predictive factors of family maladjustment, including situations of family conflict (hostility, climate of conflict), a negative family climate (stress, negativity, rejection), overprotection and a lack of adequate communication, family relationship quality, and overburdening of families (Pérez de Albéniz-Garrote et al, 2018;Rueda Aguilar, 2020). Moreover, impulsivity, a lack of control (Espinosa and León, 2017), permissive, authoritarian, ambiguous, or inconsistent parenting styles that employ in-process responses to situations of disobedience, a lack of intrafamily communication (Bonnaire and Phan, 2017;Moreno et al, 2020), environments with few rules, and insufficient monitoring by an adult figure (Calero-Plaza et al, 2020) favor adolescent maladjustment in the family context. These factors cause young people who do not know how to manifest problems to react to violence or criminal behavior (Ruiz-Hernández et al, 2019) such as substance use (Rial et al, 2019).…”

Parenting Styles, Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Child/Adolescent

“…examined 45 parents and their children, and found that among support, satisfaction with parenting, commitment, communication, discipline, and autonomy, commitment was the only parental attitude related to anxiety symptomatology. Moreno-Méndez et al (2020) have examined democratic, ambiguous, authoritarian and permissive parenting styles among 422 Colombian parents and their children and found the permissive style to be associated with anxiety and depression.…”

“…Since this initial categorization of parenting styles, other models have emerged. Examples from recent research include the concepts of rejection (Mȃirean & Diaconu-Gherasim, 2020), and democratic and ambiguous parenting styles (Moreno-Méndez et al, 2020).…”