Parenting literature reviews
Parentingandthedifferent
waysitcanaffectchildren’s
lives:researchevidencePolicy-makersandcommentatorsoftenblame‘bad parenting’forchildren’sandyoungpeople’stroublesome behaviour.Whatcanresearchtellusabouttheinfluenceof parenting,especiallytheparent-childrelationshipsinmillions of‘ordinary’families? Thispaper:
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Summarisesfindingsfromsevenreviewsofexistingresearchthatwere commissionedbytheJosephRowntreeFoundationtoinformitsown ParentingResearchandDevelopmentprogramme.
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Considersparentingfromtheperspectivesofmothers,fathersand
childrenthemselves,aswellasthoseofblackandminorityethnic parentsandfamilieslivinginpovertywithrestrictedaccesstosupport services
Editor:DavidUtting August2007 www.jrf.org.uk Keypoints
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Differencesinchildtemperament,amongotherfactors,demonstratethatflexible, adaptableparentingismorelikelytobeeffectivethana‘onesizefitsall’approach.
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Thequalityofparent-childrelationshipsshowsconsiderablestabilityovertime. Somedimensionsofparentingareimportantinchildren’slivesirrespectiveofage, especiallywhetherrelationshipsarewarmandsupportiveormarkedbyconflict.
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Warm,authoritativeandresponsiveparentingisusuallycrucialinbuilding resilience.Parentswhodevelopopen,participativecommunication,problem- centredcoping,confidenceandflexibilitytendtomanagestresswellandhelp theirfamiliestodothesame.
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Youngchildren’srelationshipswiththeirmotherstypicallyaffecttheirdevelopment morethanfather-childrelationships.Butteenagers’relationshipswiththeirfathers appearespeciallyimportanttotheirdevelopmentandachievementinschool.
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Children’sperspectivesshowthatwhatyoungpeople‘think’isnotnecessarily whatparents‘thinktheythink’.Parentstendtounderestimatetheirowninfluence, butarealsopronetotakeinsufficientaccountofchildren’sfeelingsattimesof emotionalstress.
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Thereisnoclear-cut,causallinkbetweenpovertyandparenting.However,poverty cancontributetoparentalstress,depressionandirritabilityleadingtodisrupted parentingandtopoorerlong-termoutcomesforchildren.
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Policy,practiceandresearchonparentinghavemadesimplisticassumptions aboutparentinginblackandminorityethniccommunities.Stereotyped misunderstandingsabout‘tradition’and‘culture’havecontributedtofailuresto protectchildrenfromabuse.
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Parentsmostinneedoffamilysupportservicesareoftentheleastlikelytoaccess them.Evidencesuggeststhatengagementcanbeimprovedby:accessiblevenues andtimesforservicedelivery;trustingrelationshipsbetweenstaffandusers;a ‘visiblemix’ofstaffbyage,genderandethnicity;involvingparentsindecision- making;andovercomingprejudicesconcerningdisabledparents,parentswith learningdifficultiesandparentswithpoormentalhealth. Introduction
Aspartoftheplanningprocessforitsresearchanddevelopmentprogrammeon parenting,theJosephRowntreeFoundationcommissionedaseriesofbackground papers,includingsevenoverviewsofexistingresearchliterature.Politicalinterestin parentinghastendedtofocusonlinksbetween‘problem’behaviourbychildrenand youngpeopleanddysfunctionalfamilies.Partlyforthatreason,theJRFprogramme hasbeenchieflyconcernedwithparentingin‘ordinary’families,seekingabetter understandingofdiversityinparentinganditsimplicationsforfamilypoliciesandsupport services.Thisisreflectedinthetopicscoveredbythereviews:
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Parentingandoutcomesforchildren
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Parentingandresilience
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Fathersandfatherhood
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Parentingandethnicity
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Children’sviewsofparenting
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Parentingandpoverty
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Barrierstoinclusion
Parentingandoutcomesforchildren ThomasG.O’Connor(UniversityofRochester)andStephenScott (InstituteofPsychiatry)
Thewaysthatparentsshapetheirchildren’sdevelopmenthavebeenalong-standing sourceoftheorisingbyscientists,philosophersandparentsthemselves.Lookingata widerangeofoutcomestudies,thereviewconcludesthatthequalityofparent-child relationshipsissignificantlyassociatedwith:
■ Learningskillsandeducationalachievement.Children’sreadingabilityisassociated
withthereadingenvironmentaroundthemandthereisevidencethatparental involvementwithschoolisassociatedwithachievement.
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Socialcompetence(mostcommonlystudiedwithinpeerrelationships).Parental
warmth,lackofconflict,andcontrolandmonitoringappeartoplayanimportant roleindevelopingchildren’ssocialskills.
■ Children’sownviewsofthemselves.Includingtheirsenseofself-worth.
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Aggressive‘externalising’behaviouranddelinquency.Themoreextremethe
circumstancesforparents,theworsetheoutcomesforchildrenandlikelihoodof psychologicaldisturbance.
■ Depression,anxietyandother‘internalising’problems.Includingcomplaintswhere physicalsymptomsarerelatedtoemotionalstressandsocialwithdrawal.
■ High-riskhealthbehaviours.Suchassmoking,illicitdruguse,alcoholuse,sexually riskybehaviourand,insomestudies,obesity.
Inaddition:
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Inmostcircumstances,thereisconsiderablestabilityinthequalityoffamily relationshipsovertime,especiallywhenthereisasecurebondofattachment betweenchildrenandtheirparents.
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Thequalityofparent-childrelationshipsappearstoremaininfluentialintoadulthood forsocialandbehaviouraloutcomes(althoughtherehavebeenrelativelyfewlong- termstudies).
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Somedimensionsofparent-childrelationshipsappearimportantinchildren’slives irrespectiveofage,notablywhethertheyarewarmandsupportiveormarkedby conflictandhostility.
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Otherdimensionsarethoughttoalterinstructureandfunctionduringchildren’s development.Oneofthemostimportantmaybemonitoringandcontrol.
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Someassociationsbetweenthequalityoffamilyrelationshipsandchildren’swell- beingappeartodifferacrosssub-populationsandcultures–includingthosein relationtophysicaldiscipline.
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Geneticfactorsareanimportantinfluenceonindividualdifferencesinparent- childrelationships.Thelinksbetweenthequalityofparent-childrelationshipsand children’spsychologicaladjustmentaremediated,inpart,bygeneticinfluences.
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Differencesinchildtemperament,amongotherfactors,demonstratethata‘one stylefitsall’approachtoparentingisnotoptimal.
Thereviewfindsthatparentingprogrammeshaveincreasinglycometobeseenas amatterofpublichealth.Improvingthequalityofparent-childrelationshipscanbe expectedtohavepositiveeffectsonindividualchildren,familiesandsocietyasawhole. However,thewiderangeofoutcomesthatarelinkedwiththequalityofparent-child relationshipsneedstobereflectedinthewaythatparentinginterventionsareassessed.
Parentingandresilience MalcolmHill,AnneStafford,PeterSeamanandNicolaRoss (UniversityofGlasgow)andBrigidDaniel(UniversityofDundee)
Thisreviewconsidersparents’contributionstochildren’s–andtotheirown–resilience. ‘Resilience’occurswhengoodoutcomescomeaboutforindividualsorfamiliesinthe faceofadversity,orwhereproblemswouldnormallybeexpected.Resilience-based practiceinvolveslookingforstrengthsandopportunitiestobuildon,ratherthanfor problemsanddeficitstoremedyortreat. Resiliencecanbedisplayedinseveraldomains–emotional,social,educationaland behavioural.Itisimportant,intermsofpolicyandpractice,toconsidernotonlyhow parentalresiliencecanimprovechildren’swell-being,butalsowhatassistsparentstobe robustinthefaceofadversity.Availableresearchsuggeststhat:
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Parents,oralternativecaregivers,playapivotalroleinpromotingtheknowledge, skillsandenvironmentthatcanhelpchildrencopewithadversity.
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Parentsplayavitalpartinmediatingindividualandcommunityfactors,directlyor indirectly.Theycanbufferchildrenfromsomeoftheworsteffectsofadversityin thesurroundingenvironment.
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Warm,authoritativeandresponsiveparentingisusuallycrucialinbuilding resilience.Parentswhodevelopopen,participativecommunication,problem- centredcoping,confidenceandflexibilitytendtomanagestresswellandhelptheir familiestodothesame.
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Whenparentsareimplicatedinchildren’sproblems(e.g.familyviolenceand neglect)itcanbedoublydifficultforchildrentoberesilient.Nevertheless, personalqualitiesandthesupportoftrustedpeersoradultswhofitwiththeir needs,wishesandexpectationscanmakeadifference.
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Someofthemoststrikingevidenceaboutresiliencecomesfromfosteringand adoption.Childrenwithpoorhealthanddevelopmentcommonlymakerapid stridesoncetheyhavegainedadoptiveparents.
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Researchpointsto‘problem-focused’copingbyparentsbeingmoresuccessful thanavoidantorpassiveresponses.Thishasbeenfoundtohelpparentsrespond positivelywhentheyhaveachildwithaseveredisabilityorhealthproblem.
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Schoolscanplayacentralroleinpromotingresilienceinrelationtobothpoverty andfamilydifficulties.Thiscanrelatetofactorssuchasacademicstimulus, supportbyteachers,learningopportunitiesandaccesstofriendsandpeers.
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Communityfactorscanalsopromoteresilience.Childrenarelikelytofinditeasier toaccesssupportoutsidethehomewhentheyliveincohesiveneighbourhoods withformalfacilitiesthatencourageparticipationandachievement.
Fathersandfatherhood:connectingthestrandsofdiversity CharlieLewis(UniversityofLancaster)andMichaelE.Lamb(UniversityofCambridge)
Thisreviewlooksatsomedimensionsoffatheringthatneedtobeconsideredwhen understandingtherolesplayedbymenincontemporaryfamilies.Barrierstoabetter understandingoffatheringandfatherhoodincludeanarrowconcentrationonmen’sroles as‘providers’andinattentiontolessvisibleaspectsofparenting.Fathershavebeen characterisedtooreadilyaseither‘superdads’or‘deadbeatdads’. Mencanvariouslyfulfilltherolesofbiological(reproduction),economic(financialprovision), social(caregiving)andlegal(responsibleinlaw)fathers.Otherimportantdimensionsof fatheringincludeculturalandhistoricalcircumstances,thesocialpolicycontext,individual motivationandthequalityofrelationshipswithmothers.Betterunderstandingisrequired ofthechanginglinksbetweenallthesedifferentrolesandtheirinterplayovertime. Fatheringissuesthathavereceivedparticularattentioninrecentresearchinclude:
■ Childcareandfathering:Whiletheextentoffathers’childcarecommitmentshas
grownrapidlysincethe1960s,fathersindual-earnerhouseholdsstilldoless withtheirchildrenthanmothers.Greaterinvolvementbymendoesnotappear tobeassociatedwithincreasedharmonybetweenpartners.Depressedmarital satisfactionmay,however,reflectgeneralfamilystress.
■ Paternalinvolvement:Thewarmthofmen’srelationshipswiththeirchildrenappears
greaterwhentheyhavegoodrelationshipswiththemothers,whenthehomeis ‘well-organised’,andwhenthefamilyengagesinregular,sharedactivities.One studyfoundchildren’sdevelopmentalprogresswasdelayedwhentheirmothers returnedtoworkbeforetheywere18monthsold,butnotwhenfatherswerehighly involvedinchildcare.
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Paternalemployment:FathersinBritaintendtoworkmuchlongerhoursthan
theirEUcounterparts.Contemporarycouplescontinuetofacethedilemmathat theycanonlyenhancetheirfamilyfinancesthroughworkatthecostofreduced involvementinchildcare.
■ Father’sinfluenceonchilddevelopment:Researchwithyoungerchildrensuggests
thatmother-childrelationshipstypicallyaffectchildren’sdevelopmentmorethan father-childrelationships.Butstudiesofsubsequentattainmentsuggestthat fathers’‘inputs’areconsistentlylinkedtomeasuresofchildren’sdevelopment oncetheyentersecondaryschool,unlikethoseofmothers.Therearealso consistentassociationsbetweenfather-teenagerrelationshipsandayoung person’sadjustmenttoadultlife.
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Cohabitationandfathering:Cohabitatingrelationshipscanrangefrommutual
commitmenttoasharedassumptionthattherelationshipwillnotlast.Studies suggestthatevenwhenlesssteadyrelationshipsdissolve,thereisoftena commitmenttomaintainfather-childrelationships,unlesstherehasbeenahistory ofviolence.
■ Ethnicminorityfathering:Therehasbeenconsiderablespeculationaboutfathering
amongminorityethnicgroupsintheUK,butcareisneededtointerpretdatain context.IntheUS,commentatorshavemadesweepingstatementsaboutnon- residentAfricanAmericanfatherswhichmorecarefulresearchhassubsequently showedtobeunfounded.
■ Fathersinspecialcircumstances:Studieshavepaidparticularattentionto
vulnerablegroupsforwhomtargetedsocialpolicyinterventionsmaybe appropriate,including:
- – Teenagefathers:ArecentUKstudyfound60percentofyoungfathersin Bristolremainedhighlyinvolvedwiththeirchildren.
- – Professionalservicesforfamilies:Preschoolservicesforfamiliesseldom provideservicesforfathers.Maleworkersatdaynurseriesandplaygroups compriseatinyproportionofstaff.
Parentingandethnicity
AnnPhoenix(ThomasCoramResearchUnit,InstituteofEducation,UniversityofLondon)
andFatimaHusain(CentreforEconomicandSocialInclusion)Policy-makers,practitionersandacademicshavelongviewed‘race’asanimportant factoraffectingtheparentingchildrenreceive.However,differencesof‘race’have beentreatedsimplisticallyandtherehasbeenatendencytomakeassumptionsabout parentinginminorityethnicgroupsonthebasisofafewstudiesconsistingoflittle,or inadequate,data.ThereviewhighlightsBritishstudieswhereavailableandamuchlarger bodyofAmericanresearch.
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Somestudiescompareminorityandmajorityethnicgroupswithanimplicit assumptionthatthemajorityethnicgroupconstitutesthe‘norm’againstwhich otherfamiliesare(oftenunfavourably)compared.
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Simplisticassumptionsaboutparentingaresometimessharedbymembersof minorityaswellasmajorityethnicgroups.Forexample,oneUKstudyfoundthat Asian,blackandwhiteparentsoftenconsideredthattheyhadfewpracticesor valuesincommon.ManyAsianandblackparentsbelievedthatwhiteparents lackedcommitmenttoparenting,andthatwhitechildrenwereundisciplinedand lackingrespectfortheirparents.
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Manystudiesofparentingstyleandchildoutcomeshaveconcludedthata combinationofparentalresponsivenessandbehaviouralcontrolknownas ‘authoritative’parentingispreferabletoamore‘authoritarian’style.However,these findingshavebeencalledintoquestioninrecentyearsinrelationtoethnicity,and alsosocialclassandgender.
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Supposed‘traditional’traitsinthefamilypracticesofminoritiesmaybetheresult ofadaptationtoparticularcircumstances.Relativelyhighlevelsofemployment amongblackBritishmothers,forexample,notonlyrelatetohistoricalandcultural factorsbutalsostructuralandeconomicfactors.
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Researchersandpractitionersdisagreeabouttheplaceof‘race’inparents’use ofphysicaldisciplineanditsimpactonchildren’sdevelopment.Butassumptions aboutphysicaldisciplineinblackandminorityethniccommunitiescanhave unfortunateconsequences.InthecaseofVictoriaClimbié,anunderstandingthatit was‘culturallyappropriate’topunishchildrenseverelycontributedtothefailureto recognisechildabuse.
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Apreoccupationinresearchwiththeeffectsof‘fatherabsence’onchildren–with particularreferencetoAfricanAmericanandAfricanCaribbeanfathers–has resultedinlittleattentionbeinggiventofatherhoodamongethnicgroupsin general.
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Thenotionthatfathersaresimply‘absent’fromtheirchildren’slivesiftheyarenon- residentcannolongerbeassumed.OnestudyofBritishblackfamiliesidentifieda rangeofwaysthatnon-residentfatherscontributedtotheirchildren'slives,sothat somewerenotconsidered‘absent’.
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Religionremainsanunderstudiedcomponentoffamilylife.Religiosityhasbeen associatedwithprotectivefactorsthatstrengthenfamilies,butlittleinformationis currentlyavailableonthebeneficialorharmfulrolesthatreligionplaysinthehome.
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Researchdemonstratesthatracialdiscriminationandabuseimpactoneveryday practicesofparenting,notleastbecauseparentstrytoprotecttheirchildrenfrom racism.Detailedresearchknowledgeofthewaysinwhichracismaffectschildren andparentingisstilllimited.
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Parentinginmixedheritagefamilieshasreceivedlimitedattentiondespiteevidence thattheirchildrenofmixedparentagemayfacenegative‘racialisation’byrelatives onbothsidesoftheirfamily.Itisincreasinglyclearthatchildrenfromdifferent mixedbackgroundsfaredifferently.
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Relyingonsimpledistinctionsbetween‘black’,‘white’and‘Asian’familiesisno longeradequateinresearchanalyseswhenseekinggoodunderstandingsofsocial trends.Itisalsonecessarytorecognisetheeffectsof‘race’,ethnicity,classand genderandthewaystheyintersectwitheachother.
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Akeychallengeforfutureresearchintoethnicandmixed-heritageparentingwillbe toplacetheirmeaningsincontextfordifferentfamiliesintermsofsocio-economic statusandsocialexclusion.
Children’sviewsandexperiencesofparenting NicolaMadge(BrunelUniversity)andNatashaWillmott(NationalChildren’sBureau)
Thefocusofthisreviewisresearchwithchildrenratherthanresearchaboutchildren. Basedonanexaminationoftheliterature,consultationswithexpertsinthefield,and twofocusgroupswithyoungpeople,itexploreschildren’saccountsofparentingwhere ‘addedvalue’isgainedfromincludingtheirviews.
Thereviewconcludesthat:
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Gainingchildren’sperspectivesgreatlyincreasesunderstandingoftheparenting process.Whatyoungpeople‘think’isnotnecessarilywhatadults‘thinkthey think’.Parentstendtounderestimatetheirowninfluencecomparedwithfriends andpeers;butchildren’saccountsalsosuggestthatparentsoftenfailto understandwhattheyaregoingthroughattimesofseriousemotionaldisturbance.
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Childrenarefrequentlyperceptiveaboutthebehaviours,attitudesandfeelingsof theirparentsandcarers.Theycommonlyacknowledgethatthey,aswellastheir parents,haveanimpactontheirupbringing.
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Parentsandfamiliesareofcentralsignificanceinmostchildren’slives.Some surveyssuggestyoungerchildrenreportmorepositiverelationshipswiththeir parentsthanolderchildren.However,onerecentstudyofolderteenagers foundmostfelttheirrelationshipswithparentshadbecomemoreequaland companionable.
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Childrentendnothaverigidideasaboutparentsorfamilies,althoughtheyoften perceivemothersandfathersasfulfillingratherdifferentroles.Insomesurveys childrenhavebeenmorelikelytoseemothersasdealingwithchildcareandhome maintenance,andfathersasfinancialproviders.
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MostteenagersintheUKappeartoholdpositiveviewsoffamilylife.However,girls aremorepositivethanboys.Teenagersofeithersextendtofeelclosesttotheir mothers.Youngpeoplegenerallydislikefeelingover-protected.
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Childrenvaluegoodrelationships,loveandsupport,anddislikeconflictwithin thefamily.Closesupportivelinkswithparents,otherfamilymembers(e.g. grandparents),andtrustworthyfriendswereamongthefactorstheyidentifyas makingiteasiertocopewithparentalseparation.
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Youngpeoplewhoseparents’relationshipsbreakdownwantmoreinformationon whatishappening,andgreaterconsultationonissueslikewheretheywillliveand whatcontacttheywillhavewiththeirnon-residentparent.Alackofinformation addstoanxietiesandcanaffectrelationshipswithparents.
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SurveyssuggestthatonlyoneintenEnglishchildrenandyoungpeopleregard theirupbringingas‘verystrict’,althoughboysatprimaryschoolaretwiceaslikely asgirlstosaythis.Youngpeoplereportthatmostparentaldisciplineisbasedon reasoning,explanationandnon-physicalpunishments.
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Childrentendtorespecttheauthorityofparentfigures,andtheir‘right’todiscipline andpunishthem–eveniftheyalsoadoptstrategiesfornegotiatingdecisions.
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Childrenhaveviewsonmostthingsandliketohaveasayinlonger-termdecisions aswellasday-to-daymatters.‘Beingconsulted’isgenerallymoreimportantto themthanhavingthings‘theirownway’ortakingthefinaldecision.
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Experiencesofparentingaffectattitudesandlong-termbehaviour,including expectationsofparenthoodandlaterparenting.Inonestudy,adultswhohad receivedlittleornophysicalpunishmentaschildrenreportedbringinguptheir childreninthesameway.Thosewhohadreceivedfrequentpunishment,although intheorymoretolerant,appearedtoadministermorepunishmentsinpractice.
Therelationshipbetweenparentingandpoverty IlanKatz(UniversityofNewSouthWales)JudyCorlyon,VincentLaPlacaandSarah Hunter(PolicyResearchBureau)
Understandingislimitedregardingwhether,andhowfar,‘good’parentingmediatesthe effectsofpovertyonchildren.Thisreviewconsiderstheextenttowhichpovertyitself affectsparenting,orwhetherothercharacteristicsofparentslivinginpoverty,suchas theirmentalhealth,personalities,education,andfamilystructures,arelikelytoaffect theirparentingandtheireconomiccircumstances. Theoverallconclusionisthatthereisnoclear-cut,causallinkbetweenpovertyand parenting.Rather,itislikelythatdifferentindividualsrespondindifferentwaystofinancial hardship.Factorssuchasfamilystructure,neighbourhoodandsocialsupportinteract withparents’temperaments,beliefs,andtheirownexperiencesofparenting. Themaininfluenceofpovertyonparentingseemstobethatitcausessomeparents tobemorestressed,depressedorirritable,andthisinturndisruptstheirparenting practicesandstyles.Itisthedisruptedparenting,ratherthanpovertyitself,which appearstobethemajorfactoraffectingoutcomesforchildren.Forexample:
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Problemshavebeenshowntoincreasewhenlow-incomefamiliessufferstress suchasabsenceofasupportivepartner,depressionordruguse,andtoimprove whenfamiliesenjoysocialsupportfromfamilyfriendsorneighbours.
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Parentswhoarestressedarelesslikelytobeabletoprovideoptimalhome circumstancesandmorelikelytousecoerciveandharshmethodsofdiscipline. Evenso,sometheoristsmaintainthatstressislessimportantthana‘culture ofpoverty’amongparents,reinforcedbyloweducationalexpectations,lackof commitmenttothelabourforceandharshparentingpractices Thechainofeventssuggestedbyresearchshouldnotbeseenasdeterministic.At eachstep,therearepossibilitiesforresilienceandforpositiveoutcomes(seeabove). Manyparentslivinginpovertymanagetodealeffectivelywithadversityandparentsare oftenpreparedtosacrificetheirownneedstomeetthoseoftheirchildren.Conversely, theavailableevidencedoesnotsupportassumptionsthattacklingmaterialdeprivation throughwelfaretowork,benefitincreasesorotherprogrammeswillinevitablyleadto improvedparentingcapacity. Studiessuggest,inanycase,thatmostparentslivinginrelativepoverty(likethoseliving inrelativeaffluence)possessadequateparentingcapacity.Thosewhoseeconomic deprivationiscombinedwithalackofparentingcapacitymaybeinthatsituationfor differentreasons.Forexample:
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Somemaylackparentingcapacitybecauseofpersonalcharacteristicsortheirown background.Thesefactorsalsomakethemlesssuccessfulinthelabourmarket, makingitmorelikelytheywillbefinanciallydisadvantaged.
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Othersmaybeabletoparentadequatelyincircumstancesofrelativeaffluence but,onfallingintopovertyanddeprivation,experiencementalhealthdifficultiesor otherproblemsthataffecttheirparenting.
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Othersstillmayparentadequatelyaccordingtothenormsoftheirneighbourhood orculturalgroup,butbejudgedas‘inadequate’onthebasisofassumptionsmade bymainstream(middle-class)society.
Itfollowsthatparentslivinginpovertyshouldnotbetreatedasadistinctgroupsimply becausetheyaremateriallylessaffluent. Thereismuchstilltobelearnedaboutthedynamicsofliftingfamiliesoutofpoverty andtheconsequencesforfamilies.Onenotablegapintheliteratureisalackofgender differentiation:thevastmajorityoftheparticipantsinparentingstudieshavebeen mothers.Despiteaclearlinkbetweenpoverty,parentalstressandnegativeoutcomes forchildren,therearealsounresolvedquestionsaboutthedirectionofcausality.The evidencethatliftingfamiliesoutofpovertyimprovesoutcomesforchildrenisnot particularlystrong.Butevenwherethereisevidenceofimprovedoutcomesitisnotclear howfarthisisafactorofimprovedparentingcapacityorbetteraccesstoresources suchashousingorchildcare–or,morelikely,acombinationofallofthem.
Barrierstoinclusionandsuccessfulengagementofparentsin
mainstreamservices IlanKatz(UniversityofNewSouthWales),VincentLaPlacaandSarahHunter(Policy ResearchBureau)Engagementandinclusionareparticularlyimportantforpreventiveservicessuchas thosedeliveredthroughschools,familycentresandchildren’scentres.Unlike‘crisis’ serviceswherethereisadegreeofcompulsion,preventiveservicesusuallyrelyon parentsactivelyseekinghelp.Yetparentsmostinneedofservicesareoftentheleast likelytoaccessthem. Thisreviewexamineswhatisknownaboutthebarriersthatparentsfaceinengaging withmainstreamsupportservices,andconsiderswaysthatservices–includinghealth, education,socialservices,youthjusticeandleisure–havesuccessfullyovercomethem. Therearecontinuinggapsinunderstandingwhatpersuadesparentstoparticipate andtheavailableevidenceisnotextensive.Butanumberofusefulmessagescanbe identified:
■ Commonreasonsforlimitedengagementbyparentsinclude:
- – alackofknowledgeoflocalservicesandhowtheycouldhelp
- – unsuitableorinconvenientlocations
- – difficultiesreachingservices(includingtransport,timepressuresand accessibilityofvenues)
- – costs(feesareaself-evidentdisincentive)
- – suspicionandstigma(includingperceptionsoftheorganisationproviding theserviceandfearofbeinglabelleda‘badparent’–orevena‘child abuser’)
- – fearsoverprivacyandconfidentiality(includingconcernsaboutsharingtheir problemswithotherparentsingroups)
- – unco-ordinatedservices
- – theoverallcultureofsomeservices(includinga‘riskaverse’focuson protocols,targets,financialconstraintsandfearsofadversemediaattention)
- – resistancetoservicesarisingfromparticularneeds(suchasmentalillness, substancemisuseorcriminalrecords).
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Groupsofparentsthatarelesslikelytoaccesssupportservicesthanothers include:
- – Fathers – Disabledparents
- – Parentsofteenagers
- – Blackandminorityethnic(BME)families
- – Asylum-seekingparents
- – Homelessorperipateticfamilies – Ruralfamilies.
Theissueofaccessfordisabledparentshasreceivedgreaterrecognitionasaresult ofthe1995DisabilityDiscriminationAct.Evenso,thenumberofdisabledparents accessingsupportgroupsislow. Familiesfromblackandminorityethniccommunitiesfaceanumberofbarriersaccessing services.Forexample,astudyofHome-Startfamilysupportservicesfoundaccess wasaparticularproblemforAsianwomenwhowereisolatedbyfactorsthatincluded problematicfamilyrelationshipsandapoorgraspofEnglish.Ithasbeenarguedthat someparentingprogrammesapplywhitemiddle-classvaluesthatdonotautomatically recogniseculturaldifferences.
Thereisalsoevidencethatmainstreampreventiveservicesfailtoengagefathers.Many menappeartoperceivethatavailableservicesarenotrelevanttothem–aconclusion thatmaybejustifiedgivenevidencethatmostparentingservicesareframedaround mothers.
Parentslivinginpovertywiththegreatestneedsarecommonlytheparentsleastlikely
toaccesssupport–whetherformalorinformal.Theyaremorelikelytobestressedand depressed,andthismayhinderthemfromaccessingservices. Researchinto‘goodpractice’suggeststhatpolicy-makersandpractitionerscanaimto improveservicedeliveryandengagementwithparentsthrough:
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choosingaccessiblevenuesanduser-friendlytimesforservicedelivery
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trustingrelationshipsbetweenfront-linestaffandserviceusers
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aninteractivestyle,involvingparentsindecision-making
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a‘visiblemix’ofservicedeliverystaff,includingage,genderandethnicdiversity
(moreimportantthanachievingaprecisematchbetweenthecharacteristicsof serviceusersandstaff)
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overcomingprejudice,especiallyinrelationtodisabilityandpoormentalhealth (assumptionsthatmentalillnessandlearningdifficultiesareriskfactorsforchild abuseandneglecthavecreatedadisincentiveforparentstoengagewithservices)
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useoftrainedstaffinparentingsupportservices
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promotionofinformalsocialnetworksamongserviceusersaswellasformal supportthroughservices
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providinginformationforparentswhichislocally,contextuallyandculturally specificandtargetedtowardsdifferentcommunities.
Fullversionsofallthereportssummarisedhereareavailableforfreedownloadfrom
WrittenbyDavidUtting ©JosephRowntreeFoundation2007 PublishedbytheJosephRowntreeFoundation,TheHomestead,40WaterEnd, YorkYO306WP.
Otherformatsavailable.Pleasecontactusforfurtherinformation on01904615905,oremailinfo@jrf.org.uk
August2007 Ref:2132