A Study on the role of Perceived Parenting Styles in shaping Adolescent’s Resilience

Abstract

Adolescence is a time of major stress. How to differentiate between right and wrong, and which people to turn to for help are important questions they need answers to, from time- to-time. An ideal parent-child relationship is the one which not only can provide a reliable space for a child to return to, but also equip them to navigate through the life’s challenges adaptively, in other words show resiliency. Resilience is defined as an effective way of dealing with stress and pressure.. The study aimed to investigate the role of perceived parenting styles in shaping adolescent resilience. A sample of 100 school students was administered on the Perceived Parenting Style scale (PPSS) and the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). Major findings showed a significant positive correlation between perceived authoritative parenting and resilience. Adolescents who perceived their parents to be involved and supportive, while demanding a sense of social conformity performed higher in resiliency. On the other hand, perceived authoritarian and permissive parenting styles had no significant contribution in adolescent resilience. No gender differences were found in perceived parenting styles and resilience. Every individual perceives their life situations differently. Hence, parents need to align with the temperament of their child and accordingly create a balance between responsive care-giving and control-demandingness. Both boys and girls when met with right guidance, encouragement, and opportunities to grow, demonstrate an equal potential for success, showing an equal resiliency.