US study links authoritarian parenting to antisocial beliefs in teenagers
Adolescents raised by strict parents showed increased antisocial thinking and rises in anxiety and depression, according to a report by Times of India.
A US study has found that teenagers raised by authoritarian parents, who demand unquestioning obedience, tend to hold more antisocial beliefs. The research, published in the Journal of Research on Adolescence, also noted small increases in anxiety and depression among some individuals.
According to the Times of India, researchers Wusirige, Bo Jian, and Gabriel J. Merrin followed 491 US adolescents with an average age of 15.28 years. The data collection took place across four waves between November 2021 and the summer of 2023.
The study examined how parenting styles involving strict control, punishment, and hostility related to mental health and antisocial thinking. Researchers found that adolescents experiencing higher levels of authoritarian parenting often developed persistent antisocial attitudes, such as beliefs that justify breaking rules or bullying others.
While the link between strict parenting and mental health was not uniform across the entire group, researchers observed an increase in anxiety and depressive symptoms in individual teenagers over time. This trend became apparent approximately 18 months after the initial assessment.
The researchers cautioned that authoritarian parenting should not be viewed as the sole cause of antisocial behaviour. However, the study established a significant association between these parenting practices and the development of antisocial attitudes in young people.
