ABSTRACT
The
concept of self-esteem is an area of psychology that has gained considerable
attention, but for many years has also caused much confusion, as exactly what
it encompasses and how it develops, has been unclear. Low
self-esteem can be
a major risk-factor in
mental and emotional
health problems such as
suicide, alcohol and
drug abuse, and violence.Studies have shown that one of the most
important factors affecting adolescents’ self-esteem is their parents’ style
but with varied results. Therefore, this study was designed to assess the
influence of the different parenting styles in adolescents’ self-esteem.
The
study was a cross-sectional study which used quantitative approach for data
collection. The study population comprised of adolescents in selected secondary
schools within Abeokuta north local government, Abeokuta, Ogun State.Multi-stage
random sampling technique was adopted in selecting samples from the population.
In the first stage, 4 private secondary schools and 4 public secondary schools
were selected by simple random sampling. This was followed by a stratified
random selection of students from classes based on the requested number of
instruments the schools were willing to accept. A total of 200 adolescents were
gotten across the selected private schools and 213 adolescents were gotten
across the selected public schools. A self-administered questionnaire was
developed using constructs from the Belsky’s model of the determinant of
parenting.
Respondents
were male (45.8%) and female (54.2%) whose age ranged from 12-19 years,
majority (96.1%) were of the Yoruba tribewhile there were (0.7%) and (3.2%) respondents of Igbo and
Hausa respectively.Findings revealed that respondents exhibited a high level of
self-esteem (17.56 ± 0.19). Parental involvement in respondents’ daily
activities was assessed to be high which can be said to influence respondents’
self-esteem. It was also determined that of all the parenting styles adopted by
respondents’ parents, the authoritative (β = 0.585; P < 0.05) and authoritarian (β = 0.270; P < 0.05) had positive association with involvement, indicating
these parenting styles encompasses increased parental involvement.
This
study concludedthat parenting styles have influence on adolescents’
self-esteem, further practice of strict, demanding style of parenting
(authoritative) has an increased influence on adolescents’ self-esteem and
parents talking about issues with their adolescents in a supportive manner
instead of imposing punishment (authoritarian) also have a positive association
with increased self-esteem. These are the two parenting styles adopted by
Nigerian parents as influenced by culture of instilling discipline in the
younger adolescents and this has proven to be instrumental in developing a high
self-esteem among the selected Nigerian adolescents. This study recommends that
religious organizations’ should be involved in the training and retraining of
parents in improving their children’s self-esteem.
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
There
is no one way to parenting. Differences in parenting styles can happen within
individual societies as well as between different cultures (Sanders, 2003). For
instance, the way parents in the United Kingdom or the United Sates choose to
raise their children may differ dramatically from the way parents in Nigeria or
Ghana choose to raise their children. Parenting style is a global climate in
which a family functions and in which childrearing takes place (Sanders, 2003).
Four distinct parenting styles have been distinguished, namely the
authoritative, authoritarian, indulgent, and uninvolved styles, based on the
two underlying dimensions of parental support (often referred to as parental responsiveness)
and strict control (often referred to as parental demandingness) (Rose, Otten,
Hein de Vries & Rutger, 2010).
Parental
support refers to parental affectionate qualities and is associated with
characteristics like warmth, acceptance, and involvement(Rose, Otten, Hein de
Vries & Rutger, 2010). Strict control reflects parental control over their
children’s behaviors and as such includes parental knowledge of these
activities as well as active monitoring attempts. Authoritative parents offer their
children a democratic climate of both high support and strict control.
Authoritarian parents provide strict control without being supportive, and are
therefore perceived as demanding and power-assertive. Children experiencing
support in the absence of strict control are being reared by indulgent parents,
who are allowing and permissive. These parents apply few rules to constrain
their children. Finally, parents with an uninvolved parenting style are neither
supportive nor controlling, and are relatively more indifferent and uninvolved
(or even neglectful) with respect to their children (Rose, Otten, Hein de Vries
& Rutger, 2010).
Studies
have shown that one of the most important factors affecting children’s
self-esteem and behavior is their parents’ style (Tanhaye-Rashavanlou &
Hejazi, 2012). For example, adolescents of parents with an authoritative
parenting style have higher than self-esteem (Moghaddam, Validad, Rakhshani and
Assareh, 2017), however, research conducted on the effects of parenting styles
on self-esteem in adolescents has shown variable results. For instance, a study
by Moghaddam, Validad, Rakhshani and Assareh, indicated that an authoritative
parenting style has an impact on self-esteem, whereas research by Dabiri,
Delavar, Sarami & Falsafi-Nejad, pointed out that parenting styles do not
have a significant impact on children’s self-esteem.
The
concept of self-esteem is an area of psychology that has gained considerable
attention, but for many years has also caused much confusion, as exactly what
it encompasses and how it develops, has been unclear.Self-esteem could be high
or low, either
level can be emotionally and
socially harmful for
the individual. Adolescents with low self -esteem are often depressed
and paranoid. They are more likely to experience social anxiety and low levels
of social confidence Portia (2010). Adolescents who have high self-esteem values
themselves and think of themselves as worthy partners, capable problem
solvers and are more likely to be happy. They feel that they have positive
characteristics and skills they can offer to other people and they also feel
they are worthy of being loved and accepted by others including family and
friends. An optimum level of self-esteem lies within the continuum i.e.,
between low and high
self-esteem. Individuals
operating within this range are thought to be more socially
dominant within relationships. This
social dominancy simply means
that adolescents on
middle level on the
self-esteem scale is
comprised of varied personality characteristics, some of
which can be more positive than others McLeod (2012).
Adolescence
is a period in human growth and development that occurs after childhood and
before adulthood. The World Health Organization (WHO) placed the age range from
10 to 19 years. It is a time of critical transition for individuals, as they
deal with the physical, cognitive and social changes that occur during this
developmental period. All of these changes can be stressful and individuals can
feel less valuable than others, making them at risk of a lower self-esteem.
Self-esteem is modified from childhood through the adolescent’s life by social
experiences that occur both outside and within the family. Parental support is
crucial in adolescence and parents could promote self-esteem in their children
and reduce psychological distress by offering their support throughout this
developmental phase (Boudreault-Bouchard, Dion, Hains, Vandermeerschen, Laberge
& Perron, 2013).
It
has been shown that adolescents and adults who have high self-esteem are at
better health, have better capacity to cope and have lower incidence of
depressive symptoms (Kaplan, Robbins, & Martin, 2003). Trzesniewski,
Donnellan, Moffitt, Robins and Poulton (2006) found out that those adolescents
that had low self-esteem had negative influence on their physical and emotional
health. Low self-esteem during adolescence has been shown to predict poor
health, criminal behavior and limited economic prospects during adulthood. Low
self-esteem in adolescence also predicts negative outcomes in their adulthood.
Mcgee and Williams (2000) also identified that low self-esteem can affect
adolescent social life, lead to eating disorders, depression and suicidal
thoughts.
Gaylord-Harden,
Ragsdale, Mandara, Richards and Petersen (2007)identified that self-esteem is
an important intermediary between social support and emotional adjustment both
in early and late adolescence. They proposed that support from family and peers
would serve as a protective factor on depression and anxiety, which would
promote better self-esteem and perception of their ethnic group.
This
study will explore possible reasons for high or low self-esteem concentrating on
the development of self-esteem, by examining the potential influence of the
parenting styles or type of child rearing approach. To categorize the parenting
style, Baumrind's styles of parenting are used. These are: Authoritarian,
Authoritative and Permissive, which are defined as follows:
1. Authoritative
parenting style, which combines unconditional regard, acceptance of the child's
behaviour within certain limits, with relatively firm control.
2. Authoritarian
parenting style, which involves the parent using unbending rules to shape the
child's behaviour and imposing their will on the child without any give and take. The parent believes they are always right.
3. Permissive
parenting style in which parents show warmth and allow the child a great amount
of autonomy while exercising little control over them. They allow their
children to shape their own behavior instead of being active in this process.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Parenting
style offers a vital indicator of parenting functioning that predicts a child’s
well-being across a wide spectrum of environment. There is no way in which
parents can avoid having a determining effect upon their children’s personality,
character, and competence. The functions of parenting greatly influence how
adolescents develop. One important task of parenting is the socialization of
adolescents. This task requires parental expectations and guidance that change
with the development of the adolescent to encourage positive adolescent
outcomes. The socially competent adolescent can be described as possessing
independence, social responsibility, vigor, and achievement orientation, which
is the drive to seek intellectual challenges and solve problems efficiently and
with persistence. The role of parenting cannot be overlooked when assessing the
development of self-esteem in adolescents (Cramer, 2012).
Psychologists
consider adolescence as a period of self search and identity formation. It is equally
viewed as a period of conflict with parentsas they attempt to define who they
are. From the literature reviewed,
proper parenting practice
and parent-adolescent relationships
at home would lead
to better sense
of self which
translates into good personal
and social adjustment which in turn give rise to a high
self-esteem, while poor parenting
and parent-adolescent relationship
leads to social
incompetence and as a result lead to a low self-esteem Anyanwu (2010).
Studies
have shown that low self-esteem pose
a great challenge
in both the developed
and developing world.
For instance, in Nigeria
there are about
two suicide attempts every
month traceable to
depression from low self-esteem, suicidal
tendencies in Nigerian teens (2014). Also, in the United States, teen
suicide is the third-leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 24,
surpassed only by homicide and accidents according to the United States Center
for Disease Control and Prevention (Josephat & Herbert, 2015).
Low
self-esteem has been significantly related to depression as seen in a study
carried out by Julia and Ulrich (2013); Does low self-esteem predict depression
and anxiety? A Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies. The result indicated that
the relation between low self-esteem and anxiety is more symmetric, with small,
but significant, prospective effects in both directions. Low self-esteem
creates a negative impact in the lives of adolescents. It
makes the adolescent
views himself as inadequate,
unworthy, unlovable, and/or incompetent.
Once a low self-esteem is
formed, this negative view of self permeates every
thought, producing defective
assumptions and continued self-defeating behavior. Low
self-esteem can be
a major risk-factor in
mental and emotional
health problems such as
suicide, alcohol and
drug abuse, and violence(Julia & Ulrich, 2013). Therefore, this
study was to explore the influence parenting style could have on adolescent
self-esteem.
1.3 Objective of the Study
The
main objective of this study was to assess the influence of parenting styles on
adolescents’ self-esteem in Abeokuta North Local Government Area, Ogun State.
The specific objectives were to:
- identify the levels of
adolescents’ self-esteem;
- evaluate the extent to which
perceived personalities of the adolescents is associated with their
self-esteem;
- determine the perceived
parenting style’s influence on adolescents’ self-esteem and
- assess the levels of parental involvement’s relationship with
perceived parenting style adopted by adolescents’ parents.
1.4 Research Questions
- What are the levels of
adolescents’ self-esteem
- To what extent is perceived
personalities of the adolescents associated with their self-esteem.
- What is the perceived
parenting style’s influence on adolescents’ self-esteem.
- What are the levels of parental involvement’s relationship with perceived parenting style adopted by adolescents’ parents.
1.5 Justification for the Study
Children
are vital in making a positive future. Parents assist to mold their child’s
self-confidence, respect, and worth which are the qualities one must possess in
order to make an impact on the world. This study’s concentration is on the
relationship between the four main parenting styles, authoritative,
authoritarian, neglectful and permissive (AANP) and self-esteem during
adolescence. Past research in the field of parenting styles and self-esteem
generally points to a strong connection between childhood and early adulthood.
A study conducted by Yang & Liang in 2008, suggests that nurturing and
supportive parenting styles could improve children’s self-esteem. A study conducted
in Nigeria by Hosogi, Okada, Fuji, Noguchi & Watanabe (2012), which focused
on children, revealed that the environment where children are raised adds
intensely to the development of their self-esteem. This implies that everything
from school and family dynamics to socioeconomic status and parenting styles
affect children seriously. This statement specifies additional research needs
to be done on the relationship between parenting styles and self-esteem.
Furthermore,
outcomes from diverse research showed that many studies have been conducted but
most of the studies are not conceptually and logically grounded in theories to
identify some significant factors associated with parenting and self-esteem.
Hence, this study aims to provide better understanding of those parental
personalities associated with the quality of parenting and the characteristics
of the adolescents and how they are interrelated, therefore, this study is
designed in such a way that it is driven by Belsky’s model of the determinants
of parenting which was developed based on studies of child maltreatment to
enable the factors associated with parenting and self-esteem to be identified.
This
study helps to identify the perceived parental involvement and parental
personalities associated with quality of parenting and the characteristics of
the adolescent in influencing their self-esteem, with the result targeted at
expanding the area of research on parenting styles and self-esteem, also to add
to the prospect that children will be raised, by helping parents to better
understand the effects that different parenting styles have on their child’s
self-esteem in Abeokuta North Local Government, Ogun State.
Findings
from this study is also hoped to add to the body of knowledge available on
these problems and it could form the template for intervention strategies in
helping reduce this social dissatisfaction and managing parenting styles and
self-esteem in a developing world like Nigeria.
1.6 Hypotheses
H1:
There is a significant difference in the level of respondents’ self-esteem
across their demographic characteristic.
H2: There is a significant association
between respondents’ parent’s involvement with
the parenting styles adopted.
H3:There
is a significant association between adolescents’ parent’s parenting styles and
their self-esteem.
H4:There
is a significant association between adolescents’ personality and their
self-esteem.
1.7 Operational Definition of Terms
1. Self-esteem:
it is how one regards or values oneself in terms of accomplishments and
relationships.
2. Depression:
it is a period of unhappiness or low morale which lasts longer than several
weeks and may include ideation of self-inflicted injury or suicide.
3. Adolescence:
it is a period in human growth and development that occurs after childhood and
before adulthood.
4. Parenting
style: is the exemplification of how parents demand and respond to their
children.
5. Authoritative
parenting style: it combines unconditional regard, acceptance of the child's
behaviour within certain limits, with relatively firm control.
6. Authoritarian
parenting style: involves the parent using unbending rules to shape the child's
behaviour and imposing their will on the child without any give and take. The parent believes they are always right.
Permissive parenting
style: parents show warmth and allow the child a great amount of autonomy while
exercising little control over them. They allow their children to shape their
own behavior instead of being active in this process.================================================================
Item Type: Postgraduate Material | Attribute: 86 pages | Chapters: 1-5
Format: MS Word | Price: N3,000 | Delivery: Within 30Mins.
================================================================
No comments:
Post a Comment