Abstract
This study of 984 children and their parents examined the correlates of adolescent psychosocial adjustment. Based on previous research, it was expected that parental involvement and limit-setting would predict conduct disorder scores and that variables associated with the parent-child relationship, particularly parent-child synchrony, would be more closely related to emotional adjustment and social relationship measures. Contrary to expectations, parenting practices were unrelated to adolescent conduct disorder, but family harmony and adult-child synchrony predicted all measures of adolescent adjustment. It is concluded that positive parenting is not something adults do to children, but a quality of the parent-child relationship characterized by family harmony and parental empathy. Implications for social work practice with adolescents and their families are identified.
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Barber, J.G., Bolitho, F. & Bertrand, L. Parent-Child Synchrony and Adolescent Adjustment. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal 18, 51–64 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026673203176
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026673203176