Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 30, 2026
07:56
Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure
Published on: September 19, 2019
Do historical changes in parent-child relationships explain increases in youth conduct problems?
Stephan Collishaw1, Frances Gardner, Barbara Maughan
1Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Section, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetic and Genomics, Department of Psychological Medicine and Neurology, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Heath, 4th Floor, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK. collishaws@cardiff.ac.uk
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
|July 27, 2011
Summary
Parenting quality and parent-child relationships did not decline between 1986 and 2006, despite rising youth conduct problems. This suggests changes in family dynamics are not the primary driver of increased antisocial behavior in adolescents.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Sociology
- Criminology
Background:
- Historical trends suggest a link between changing family demographics and rising youth antisocial behavior.
- Speculation exists that declining parenting quality and parent-child relationships mediate this link.
- No prior studies have directly assessed changes in parenting or parent-child relationships over time.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate changes in parenting quality and parent-child relationships among adolescents.
- To determine if observed changes correlate with trends in youth antisocial behavior.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of two national samples of English adolescents (aged 16-17) from 1986 and 2006.
- Utilized identical questionnaire assessments for youth-reported parenting and parent-reported conduct problems.
- Analyzed changes in parental monitoring, expectations, quality time, parental interest, and youth conduct problems.
Main Results:
- Youth-reported parental monitoring, expectations, and quality time increased from 1986 to 2006.
- Parental interest ratings remained stable; parenting differences between affluent and disadvantaged families narrowed.
- Parent-reported youth conduct problems showed a modest increase, unrelated to observed changes in parent-child relationships.
Conclusions:
- Evidence does not support a decline in parenting quality for the general adolescent population or disadvantaged subgroups.
- The rise in youth conduct problems appears largely independent of observed changes in parent-child relationships.
- Findings challenge the hypothesis that deteriorating parenting is a primary cause of increased adolescent antisocial behavior.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Conduct Disorder
Conduct disorder is a complex mental health diagnosis characterized by a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior that violates societal norms, the rights of others, or age-appropriate rules. The diagnostic criteria for conduct disorder require the presence of at least three problematic behaviors within the past 12 months, with at least one occurring in the past six months. These behaviors are grouped into four categories: aggression toward people and animals; destruction of property;...
01:23Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Adolescence is a pivotal period of identity formation, during which individuals begin to answer questions central to their sense of self, such as "Who am I?" and "Who do I hope to become?" Both parents and peers play critical roles in guiding adolescents through this complex developmental phase.
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth. This guiding role...
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth. This guiding role...
01:30Socioemotional Experience and Gender Development
Social-emotional experiences and cultural influences play significant roles in shaping gender development. During middle childhood, from ages 6 to 11, peer groups become dominant in reinforcing gender norms. Children in this age group often align with same-gender peer groups, which actively encourage behaviors that conform to traditional gender roles. For instance, boys may be discouraged from engaging in activities perceived as feminine, reinforcing culturally dictated norms about masculinity...
01:27Parenting Styles
Diana Baumrind's four parenting styles — authoritarian, authoritative, neglectful, and permissive — each influence children's socio-emotional development differently.
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative Parenting
This...
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative Parenting
This...
02:04Bullying
A modern form of aggression is bullying. As you learn in your study of child development, socializing and playing with other children is beneficial for children’s psychological development. However, as you may have experienced as a child, not all play behavior has positive outcomes. Some children are aggressive and want to play roughly. Other children are selfish and do not want to share toys. One form of negative social interactions among children that has become a national concern is bullying.
03:00Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...