Parenting as a Predictor of Child Development: The Association between Parenting Styles in Childhood and Adolescent Internalising and Externalising Problems

Abstract

Parenting factors are important to early experiences in childhood. Empirical evidence suggests parenting style can have a significant impact to child development, however there is little known evidence that specific parenting styles have a long-lasting effect on adolescent mental health problems. Many studies have focused on child outcomes, with few considering later adolescent internalising and externalising emotional and behavioural outcomes. The aim of this thesis is to examine the strength of the association between two parenting styles (angry parenting and parental warmth) when children were aged 4/5 and its effect on adolescent internalising and externalising problems when children were aged 16/17. Participants were mothers and children (n = 4983) who participated in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) (2004-2018). A complete case sample of 806 participants were recruited, each of whom participated in all relevant measures. These were children who had completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) at age 16/17 and parents who had completed the Angry Parenting Scale and Parental Warmth Scale at age 4/5 and the SDQ at age 16/17. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to assess the strength of the association between parenting styles and adolescent internalising and externalising problems amongst other variables. The results of the study found no statistically significant results to support parenting style at age 4/5 was associated with adolescent internalising and externalising problems at age 16/17. Future studies should conduct post-hoc analysis testing to determine at what age parenting style effects child internalising and externalising development.