What Can Parents Do?

In recent years research on parenting has changed stance from one where parents shape child outcomes to an interactive perspective. However this shift is only now transferring to adolescents, with research exploring how the roles that adolescents and parents play in their interactions can lead to problem behaviour. Part of the Hot Topics in Developmental Research series, this book presents the new perspective.

About the Editors vii

List of Contributors ix

Acknowledgements xi

Introduction: What’s Changed in Research on Parenting and Adolescent Problem Behavior and What Needs to Change? 1
Margaret Kerr, Håkan Stattin and Rutger C. M. E. Engels

PART 1: ADOLESCENTS AS ACTIVE AGENTS 9

1 Adolescents’ Agency in Information Management 11
Lauree C. Tilton-Weaver and Sheila K. Marshall

2 Relational Implications of Secrecy and Concealment in Parent–Adolescent Relationships 43
Catrin Finkenauer, Rutger C. M. E. Engels and Kaska E. Kubacka

3 Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (Your Mom and Dad): Disclosure and Nondisclosure in Adolescent–parent Relationships 65
Judith G. Smetana and Aaron Metzger

PART 2: THE ROLES OF ADOLESCENT AGENCY AND PARENTING EFFORTS IN RELATIONSHIPS AND ADJUSTMENT 89

4 Parents React to Adolescent Problem Behaviors by Worrying More and Monitoring Less 91
Margaret Kerr, Håkan Stattin and Vilmante Pakalniskiene

5 Vicissitudes of Parenting Adolescents: Daily Variations in Parental Monitoring and the Early Emergence of Drug Use 113
Thomas J. Dishion, Bernadette Marie Bullock and Jeff Kiesner

6 Reciprocal Development of Parent–adolescent Support and Adolescent Problem Behaviors 135
Susan J. T. Branje, William W. Hale III and Wim H. J. Meeus

7 Linkages between Parenting and Peer Relationships: A Model for Parental Management of Adolescents’ Peer Relationships 163
Nina S. Mounts

8 From Coercion to Positive Parenting: Putting Divorced Mothers in Charge of Change 191
Marion S. Forgatch, Zintars G. Beldavs, Gerald R. Patterson and David S. DeGarmo

PART 3: LESSONS FROM PARENTING RESEARCH ON YOUNGER CHILDREN 211

9 Stepping Up without Overstepping: Disentangling Parenting Dimensions and their Implications for Adolescent Adjustment 213
Wendy S. Grolnick, Krista L. Beiswenger and Carrie E. Price

10 What is the Nature of Effective Parenting? It Depends 239
Joan E. Grusec

11 Positive Parenting and Positive Characteristics and Values in Children 259
Marc H. Bornstein

Index 285

Margaret Kerr (Orebro, Sweden) is Professor of Psychology at Orebro University, Sweden.

Hakan Stattin (Orebro, Sweden) is Professor of Psychology at Uppsala and Orebro Universities, Sweden.

Rutger Engels (Nijmegen, The Netherlands) is Professor at the Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, the Netherlands. They are the co-editors of Friends, Lovers and Groups (Wiley, 2007).

Adolescence is a time of rapid cognitive development, and extensive emotional and attitudinal changes. During this time, adolescents typically attach more importance to their friends and peer groups than to their parents, which can often led to conflict within the family.

In this groundbreaking new book, international experts on adolescent problem behaviour examine the roles that parents can adopt to ensure that adolescent is a time of positive personality growth. Based on the latest research findings, What Can Parents Do? examines the role that adolescents play as active agents in their relationships with their parents, discusses approaches to conceptualising complex parenting models and applies research findings from the parenting of younger children to adolescence research.

An erudite and fascinating read, this book will be invaluable to researchers and academics in developmental psychology, social psychologists and clinical child psychologists.