The effects of parenting styles on the teenager's self-esteem

Abstract

This dissertation sets out to examine the relationship between the parenting styles employed by the parents and the teenager's self-esteem. This was investigated in a school-based sample of teenager girls between the ages of 13, 14 and 15, together with their parents. A correlational design was adopted to investigate this relationship. Eighty adolescents completed a Self-esteem Scale Questionnaire (SES) whilst a Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ) was completed by the adolescents' parents. From a total sample of 80 parents, only 20% were fathers' and the rest 80% were mothers. Based on parents' report of parenting styles, three types of families were identified: Authoritarian, Authoritative and Permissive. The results further showed that there is a positive relationship between authoritative parenting style and self-esteem and also between permissive parenting style and self-esteem. In contrast, the relationship between authoritarian parenting style and self-esteem is a negative one. The results provide a basis for understanding the extent to which parenting styles may influence the adolescents' self-esteem.