Polish Journal of Social Rehabilitation (Jun 2015)
Parenting Styles in the Family of Origin in the Perception of Adolescents with Internalizing and Externalizing Disorders – Analysis of Dependencies
Abstract
The authors have made an attempt at analyzing the mechanisms of internalizing, externalizing and mixed disorders, attitudes related to parenting (parenting styles) of the parents: mother and father. The study was conducted among middle school pupils on the identified different types of disorders, and they related to the perception of the dominant parenting styles in the family of origin. The classification of parenting styles developed by Maria Ryś was adopted, who distinguished the following styles: democratic, autocratic, liberal loving and liberal unloving. The identification of the types of disorders was made based on the Teacher’s Report Form (TRF) created by Thomas M. Achenbach. The analysis of dependencies between the types and dimensions (syndromes) of adaptation disorders and parenting styles in the family of origin revealed that the attitude of parenting attitudes to a small extent determine the differences in the types of adaptation disorders, but specific trends are visible, which indicate a link between certain dimensions of parenting styles preferred by the mother and father: (1) internalizing disorders are significantly associated with the father’s parenting attitudes (autocratic and liberal loving attitude), causing the strengthening of problems in interpersonal functioning (social issues); (2) mixed disorders are associated significantly with the mother’s parenting attitudes (democratic, autocratic, liberal loving and unloving attitude), triggering disorders of withdrawal, anxiety-depressive and maladjusted behaviour; externalizing disorders are associated with parenting attitudes of both parents (democratic and liberal loving attitude), triggering mainly somatic complaints and anxiety-depressive disorders.
