Coercion Theory, Self-Control, and Social Information Processing: Understanding Potential Mediators for How Parents Influence Deviant Behaviors

Abstract

Research has demonstrated that (in)effective parenting influences whether a child/adolescent engages in deviant behaviors; however, research is mixed regarding whether that influence is direct. After a review of theoretical and empirical evidence, parenting factors outlined by several theories appear important in explaining the association between parenting and deviance. More importantly, however, is that the parental influence may not be direct, but rather mediated through a child/adolescent's level of self-control and social information processing skills. As such, evidence suggests that to fully understand the complex association between parenting and deviance, parenting and mediating factors from multiple theories must be explored simultaneously.