Role of Parents in Helping Young People in the Period of Adolescence - Research Proposal Example

 Role of Parents in Helping Young People to Negotiate the Period of Adolescence The adolescence period is very critical to the life of every person. During this period, children either make their lives better or destroy them depending on how the people around them help them to negotiate this perplexing adolescent age (Coleman, & Hendry, 2011, p. 31). The parents are very influential to how a child grows especially during the adolescence age. Many theories on human development have been developed after long researches and observations. This paper will discourse the most influential adolescent development theories and will relate them to the role of parents in helping young people negotiate the adolescence period. The paper will also evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of these theories will relation to parents helping their children. During the adolescence stage, the child undergoes physical, socio-emotional, cognitive and contextual changes (Howe, 2011, p. 6). The child is usually in a period of transition from childhood into adulthood. The child experiences hormonal change and sexual maturity. They begin to try and establish themselves as grownups. The child is emotionally mixed up, and they require support from their parents in order to be better people with healthy personalities. Erik Erikson has developed one of the most famous theories on psychological development. According to Eric, psychology refers to the social relationships that the mind is engaged into (Coleman, & Hendry, 2011, p. 231). He claims that the psychological development refers to how a person’s mind, emotions, and maturity develop psychosocially depending on the people they interact with. He argues that during the adolescent age, the child experiences a conflict between their identity and their roles. The outcome of the conflict depends on how well the adolescent manages to develop a sense of personal identity and fails to give in to role confusion. During this period of self-definition, the child will need a lot of affirmation from the people that he/she is emotionally connected to (Bee, 2013, p. 24). In this case, the people that the child is emotionally connected to are his or her parents. Proper guidance from the parent leads to the child having a clear understanding of their worth, gaining self-control and having the confidence to face life. The child tries to explore possibilities, and their identity will be based on the outcomes of their exploration. Lack of proper guidance from the parent leads to the child becoming socially disconnected, and they can make wrong decisions in the future. They may end up being confused and not being sure of their place in the society. Consistency of values and personality are crucial to the child navigating through this challenging period. Erick argues that the adolescent age is a time of role examination whereby the child explores behaviors and ideologies before deciding on what kind of a person they want to be. The major weaknesses of adolescents are lack of self-esteem and self-competence (Young, 2004, p. 199). Self-esteem and self-competence are crucial psychological attributes that are vital in nurturing of identity and personal development. With self-esteem, the child s is able to believe in their own values and beliefs and make wise and correct decisions. Erick claims that the self-esteem during the adolescent period comes from how well the child is accepted by his/her parents. Many parents fail to accept and appreciate their children the way they are and, as a result, the child’s self-esteem is lost. Based on Erick Erickson’s adolescent theory, failure of parents to appreciate their children and comparing them to others destroys the child’s confidence and they turn into being rebellious. The esteem of the child protects them as they explore this transition period. Erickson’s theory is strong since it explores the development from a tender age and shows the challenges that a child experiences at every stage. The theory is well equipped and is helpful in resolving the conflict that occurs in the adolescent age. However, his work is biased since it assumes that all children develop in similar condition, and they experience similar psychological challenges. He does not consider the difference in cultures that might influence the upbringing of the child and hence his theory is subject to criticism. The theory is controversial since he pays more attention to infancy and childhood but names his theory as an entire life span theory which is not true. Kohlberg has also developed a theory explaining moral development. He argues that the moral reasoning of a person depends on their cognitive development. His theory states that people pass through three stages of moral development. He argues that in the first stage, the child believes that something is wrong if they are punished for doing it and it is right if they are rewarded for doing it. In the second stage, the child only believes that the correct things are those that close people to them approve. In the final level, the child believes that what is right is what they consider right. Parents are very influential in the first two stages. They should offer the best guidance to their children at these stages since they influence the child’s opinion in the post-conventional stage. What the parent teaches the child at the tender age or what the child copies from the parents while young is what that guides them in the adolescent stage. This theory is subject to criticism since it values individualism over cultures whereas most people base their reasoning on communal values. Piaget’s theory of cognitive development was developed to explain how the thoughts of children change as they mature. Piaget divides the development of children into three stages. The first stage is called the sensorimotor period whereby the child develops symbolic thoughts such that they can perceive an object even in its absence. The second stage is referred to as the pre-operational period and during this stage the child develops conversation ability. The third stage is called concrete operation period and during this stage, the child develops the ability to perform mental operations. The people who interact with the child at this stage help in the child’s development. The closest people are the parents, and they are influential in shaping the young child into a responsible young adult. The theory is criticized for underestimating the child’s ability to develop their identity without the influence of the people around them. Piaget also overlooks the cultural influence on the child and hence creates a limitation to his theory. According to the Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory, the social context that people live in, have a great impact in determining and influencing their development. Bronfenbrenner categorizes the interactions that a child has into five; microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem and chronosystem (Boyd, & Bee, 2006, p. 302). In the microsystem, the child development is influenced by the people he/she directly interacts with e.g. his/her parents, teachers, and other peers. In the mesosystem, the child’s development is influenced by the linkages that he/she has. In the exosystem, the child’s development is influenced by the experiences that he/ she is made to go through. In the macrosystem, the child is influenced by their cultures, values and traditions. In the chronosystem, the child’s behavior is influenced by the growing older and experiencing life shifts. Bronfenbrenner claims that the environment in which a child grows in influences the kind of person they become in the future (Boyd, & Bee, 2006, p. 325). Based on this theory, each stage in the development of a child is characterized with psychological challenges and crisis. Overcoming these challenges builds the motivation of the child. The theory emphasizes that the environment in which the child grows up in is vital in shaping their development (Boyd, & Bee, 2006, p. 326). The controller of the child’s environment is the parent. The parent has the mandate to determine the kind of people that the child interacts with and hence can control how well the child develops. The theory is strong and valid since it offers multiple scenarios that shape the child’s development. However, the theory has a vital weakness since it does not render a reason for the behaviors that the child has at different stages. The development of a child during the adolescent stage is determined by the adolescent-parent relationship. The support that the family will offer to a teenager and the connection that they have helps in developing an attachment bond which will guide the child through the adolescent stage. According to the attachment theory by Bowlby, the first connection that a child gets comes from their parents (Beckett, & Taylor, 2010, p. 176). The parents control the social and emotional development of the child. According to this theory, during the adolescent stage, the child first option for help is normally their parents. The closeness of the parents to the child will determine if the child will approach them for help or if the child will do things in their own way. It is important that the parents remain close and attached to their children so that the children can be open to them. The attachment experience makes the adolescent secure and willing to share their experiences to the parents. The adolescent age is characterized with emotional imbalances and inflexibility of communication (Gullotta, Adams, & Markstrom, 2000, p. 207). The closeness and attachment level of the parents is influential in determining the direction that the child takes. If the parents are not close to the child, there will be an inconsistency in the child’s ability to express their distress. Adolescents are in a period of searching for their identity. According to research by Berk, a psychologist, and human development specialist, the parenting style influences how the child navigates the adolescent period (Berk, 2014, p. 22). Berk argues that parents who involve adolescent in family decisions foster identity achievement in the child. He says that parents who fail to involve the adolescent in family decisions deny them the opportunity to express their opinion and hence discourage identity exploration. Psychologist Prior and Glaser says that giving the adolescents a platform to express their opinions and ideas promotes identity diffusion (Prior, & Glaser, 2006, p. 413). By letting the adolescent speak and express themselves in family matters, the parents are able to learn their children better and correct them. Therefore, the parenting style that a parent adopts is vital in determining how the child goes through the adolescent age. Children in the adolescent age have a characteristic of wanting to control themselves since they feel that they are already adults. According to Gross, a parent is supposed to accept that the child is now a young adult and treat them like adults (Gross, 2010, p. 45). Setting many rules for the child does not guarantee that the child will grow into being a responsible person. The degree of parental control is influential in setting the warmth that the child needs at this development stage. Many rules and a lot of controls make the child very unresponsive and impose a rejecting attitude on the child (Santrock, 2014, p. 23). Being very authoritative limits the child’s freedom that is what they require in order to develop and identity. It is the duty of the parent to offer logical explanations to the children rather than just making rules. A logical explanation opens up the mind of a young adult and fosters positive self-identification. Adolescence theorists have emphasized the need for autonomy and attachment for psychosocial adjustment (Steinberg, 2010, p. 12). It is the remit of the parent to help their children develop attachment to a certain culture. For example, when a child is brought up believing that alcoholism is bad, the adolescent forces of becoming an alcoholic will not overcome them. The family culture that the parents build in their homes is more likely to be adopted by their children (Ingleby, 2010, p. 98). However, cultures should not be forced on the adolescents. As stated earlier, the children at the adolescent stage require tender care and want to feel that they are adults. The parents should allow autonomy takes its path. Autonomy is defined by the culture that the child is introduced to. Therefore, it is important that parents allow their children to feel autonomy. The responsibility of the parent is to develop an attachment system whereby the child will want to adopt the cultures of their parents since they appreciate them. According to research conducted by Cooper and Grotevant, parents who encourage autonomy within the framework of effective support and connectedness provide a favorable environment for development of socials skills, personality, and self-identification. Parents should treat their children in a manner that matches their gender (Crawford, & Walker, 2010, p. 31). The way that a male adolescent will want to be treated is dissimilar from the way that a female adolescent will want to be treated. Failure of the parent to consider the gender of the child and treat them appropriately leads to the child feeling unwanted, and they tend to develop negativity. The girl child demands more love and care while the boy child demands more freedom (Slater, & Bremner, 2011, p. 16). While the female child will want someone to speak to and express their feelings, the boy child will want more autonomy (Slater, & Bremner, 2011, p. 17). However, the parents trust in the responsibility of the child will influence the identity that the child will take. Based on research carried out by William, Showing confidence and trust in both genders builds the child’s self-esteem and personal efficacy (Steinberg, 2001, p. 15). Failure of the parents to trust their children leads to detachment between the parent and the child and could make the child adopt bad behaviors. Mistrust reduces communication between the adolescent and their parents and in extreme cases withdraws emotional attachment. Research has proved that communication between the child and the parent is vital in determining the adolescent-parent relation (Robin, & Foster, 2002, p. 76). Constant and close communication between the adolescent and the child fosters the child’s trust in their parents. As much as communication is important, the parents should also observe personal boundaries of the child. The adolescent should feel mature and respected as an adult. Plenty of monitoring deters the closeness of the child to their parents. Destruction of the closeness will quench the opportunity of the parent to direct the child in this period that he/she is in the world of seeking personal identification. Parent-adolescent conflicts are unavoidable at the adolescent age since re-definition of identity is taking place in the child. Most parents view the changes in the child negatively. They consider them as opposition and resistance. Similarly, the child sees their parents as deterrence to them being what they want to become (Greene, 2008, p. 62). A parent should realize that the child is changing into a grown up and treat them like grownups. Simple changes like getting home late and changing of dress codes should be appreciated rather than being criticized. The parents should be cautious in the way they guide their children’s behaviors so that their closeness to the child is maintained. As far as a parent would want their children to follow their rules, it’s also their responsibility to understand their children. Conclusion Parents play a significant role in the psychological development of the child. The relationship that subsists between the child and the parent is crucial in determining how well and positively the child navigates through the adolescent age. The self-esteem, identity and social competence of the child is dependent on how they relate with their parents. Good relationship amongst the parent and the child in the adolescent age leads to the development of a positive personality. The mental and emotional maturity that the child develops should be nurtured by parental support. A good interaction between the parent and the child encourages autonomy and the ability of the child to possess the best individuality. Autonomy and connectedness from supportive parents fosters positive pattern of identity development. Therefore, provision of attachment, trust, connectedness, autonomy and interaction to the child by the parent plays an important role in adolescent development. Bibliography Beckett, C., & Taylor, H. 2010. Human Growth and Development. Sage Publications. London Bee, H. L. 2013. Developing Child. Pearson Education Limited. Harlow Berk, L. E. 2014. Development through the lifespan. 5th Ed., Pearson. 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