The Parent Effect. How Parenting Style Affects Adolescent Behavior and Personality Development. Joanne E. Carlson

Abstract

The rich content found in The Parent Effect provides great insight and guidance, during what can be a difficult time with parents and their adolescent teenagers. Carlson shines a bright light on how parents can observe the association with their parenting style and their adolescent behavior. In the introduction of the book, Carlson lays out Erik Erikson’s theory of the eight stages of development and then explains in detail what is “normal adolescent behavior.” Then she presents the five types of parenting styles that are the focus of her book. A quiz is provided for readers who are parents to explore their parenting style. In my social work experience, Carlson is spot on when she explains how the adolescent is affected by parenting styles; I see it in the behaviors of the adolescents I work with. However, parenting styles are half of the problem of an adolescent’s behavior. The parents’ behavior can and does cause huge problems within an adolescent’s life and may result in adolescents living in foster care, living with friends, going to juvenile facilities, or entering inpatient hospitalization. Overall, parental figures’ irresponsible actions cause additional problems in what is an already troubled situation in the environment of the home for the adolescent.