Parenting Styles

Parenting style refers to the behaviors and relationship that parents display in a relatively constant manner as they interact with their offspring throughout their development. Although a parent’s behavior can fluctuate according to the situation, researchers have identified and measured some consistencies that characterize a particular parent and differentiate one parent from another. These consistencies can be termed the parenting style. Studies have related these to developmental outcomes of children and adolescents such as delinquency, self-esteem, substance abuse, and academic achievement.

In the 1960s, Diana Baumrind conceptualized parenting style according to two dimensions: the amount of control exerted and responsiveness to the child. Three types of parenting style were identified using these dimensions: authoritarian (high control and low responsiveness), authoritative (high control and high responsiveness), and ...