Children’s Mental Health Is Adversely Affected By Harsh Parenting
In many countries across the globe, such as the US, UK, and Northern Ireland, it is still legal to physically punish minors. This is concerning since a number of studies indicate that aggressive parenting techniques, such spanking or yelling, have a detrimental impact on kids’ behavioral and emotional development.
An increased risk of mental health conditions such anxiety, depression, and violence has been associated with such behaviors. Additionally, they have been linked to worse social skills, lower self-esteem, and worse academic achievement.
What Impact Does Parenting Style Have On The Mental Health Of Children?
Although the majority of study has focused on how parenting practices affect kids’ development, there might be unintended consequences as well. Frequent misbehavior or difficulty managing emotions in children may also put special demands on parental conduct. Thus, the mental health of kids may have a detrimental impact on parenting.
For instance, a kid who struggles with emotional regulation may often have temper tantrums, which may irritate parents and result in unfavorable responses like screaming or physical punishment. This might thus cause the youngster to have even more difficulty managing their emotions.
Studies on such two-way connections have not focused much. Understanding how a child’s conduct might affect parenting allows for the creation of therapies that focus on the child’s emotional and behavioral issues as well as the parent’s responses and coping techniques. In the end, helping parents handle their kid’s challenges in a constructive and efficient manner may benefit the child as well as the family.
Investigating The Reciprocal Relationships Between Parenting And The Mental Health Of Kids
In order to investigate the reciprocal relationships between parenting practices and kids’ mental health, my colleagues and I performed a research. We looked at the potential two-way relationships between children’s actions in early to middle childhood (i.e., when they are three, five, and seven years old) and harsh parenting techniques like striking and yelling.
Two externalizing behaviors, such as conduct issues (such as having temper tantrums) and hyperactive/inattentive behaviors (such as becoming easily distracted), were among the behavioral consequences that we looked at. We also examined mental issues (such as signs of anxiety and despair).
14,037 children (49% female, 84% White) and one of their parents (mostly mothers) who participated in the UK Millennium Cohort analysis were included in our analysis. Because the study’s participants came from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds, it was guaranteed to be representative of the UK population.
Evidence Linking Children’s Mental Health With Strict Parenting In Both Directions
Harsh parenting methods, such yelling at or physically abusing three- to five-year-olds, caused the children to exhibit increased signs of hyperactivity and inattention as well as increased emotional difficulties at the ages of five and seven. These results are in line with other studies that shown the detrimental impact of strict parenting methods on kids’ mental health.
This relationship is reciprocal. In the next year, parents were more likely to become more strict with their kid if the youngster had more behavioral issues, hyperactive/inattentive behaviors, or emotional difficulties. As a result, children may suffer from severe parenting due to a harmful self-perpetuating loop: Harsh parenting methods may thereby exacerbate mental health issues in kids, which can then encourage more harsh parenting methods.
How Can Parents Help Their Kids Who Are Having Emotional Or Behavioral Problems?
1. Encourage Kids To Fulfill Expectations
First, our research indicates that punishing children with severe methods like beating or yelling is not only ineffective, but it may also be detrimental to their mental health. To encourage children’s healthy growth, parents should also use other methods, such as providing clear expectations, ignoring undesirable conduct, and elucidating the reasons behind the behavior. (For further instances, see to the Incredible Years Parent Programs, which are supported by research.)
These methods support kids in acknowledging and growing from their errors without undermining their feeling of security or self-worth. Parent and child relationships may become more supportive and happy as a result of using these techniques.
2. Take Socioemotional Challenges Into Account
Second, our results emphasize how critical it is to treat parenting challenges in families dealing with socioemotional challenges in order to assist stop the development of new problems. The difficulties and stress of parenting might be exacerbated by children exhibiting strong emotions or misbehaving. Therefore, in order to support their children in overcoming difficult habits without using harsh parenting techniques, we recommend parents to consider their parenting styles and enlist the help of mental health specialists.
In Terms Of Child Development Policy, What Does This Mean?
Our findings back up recent legislative initiatives in Wales and Scotland that specifically prohibit using physical punishment as a parenting tactic. We urge politicians to enact such measures in other regions of the US, the UK, and other countries.
Providing resources and treatments to children and families who are at risk should be a top priority for policymakers. This might include evidence-based parenting programs, mental health services for both parents and kids, and other family support programs to assist foster good child development and stop behavioral and emotional problems in kids from becoming worse and having detrimental impacts.