BOCYF Projects

Strengthening Relationships Between Adolescents and Their Parents

There have been a number of recent changes in American society and in the nature of adolescence that have also contributed to the challenge of raising adolescents today. Compared to research on families with young children, there has been much less attention to the home and family environments of adolescents. Yet it is clear that adolescents develop best when they live and develop within a supportive home and family environment. For example, new research in this area indicates that adolescents of parents who provide guidance, discipline and close supervision are significantly less likely to engage in the kinds of behaviors that put them at risk for poor health outcomes -- unintended pregnancy, infection with sexually transmitted diseases, involvement in antisocial behaviors or drugs -- and they are more likely to experience success with their peers and at school. Thus, despite the fact that adolescents are moving out beyond the family and striving for greater autonomy from parents, parents remain an important influence in the lives of their adolescent children.

An even more neglected area related to parenting adolescents concerns the practical implications of this area of research, and the weak link between research, policy, and practice. Very little is known about the most effective mechanisms for educating and supporting parents of adolescents and enhancing their child-rearing abilities. There is an enormous gap between what is known about the effects of parenting on adolescents as it naturally occurs and what can be done to enhance the positive effects when parents struggle. This gap is especially striking in light of the recent growth in the development and availability of parenting programs, videos, articles, and books aimed at supporting and guiding parents of adolescents. Research on best practices and the effectiveness of education, training, and support programs and materials is almost nonexistent for this population. Also limited is an understanding of the types of knowledge, skills, and supports that parents of adolescents need and desire, and the strategies and techniques that are likely to be most helpful and effective.

The Forum is proposing to convene a workshop that would bring together researchers, policy-makers, educators, service providers and other stakeholders to review the knowledge base regarding the role of parents, families and other caretakers in promoting adolescent development, health, safety and well-being. The workshop will pay particular attention to what is known about racial and ethnic minority families and examine the knowledge base pertaining to the effectiveness of parent training, education, and support programs. Participants will review existing research in an effort to further the development of a Forum initiative that will focus on the ways that families contribute to adolescent development and well-being and how they can be enhanced. Specifically, workshop participants will:

An interdisciplinary group of individuals with expertise in a range of relevant fields including adolescent development, education, maternal and child health, mass media, family support, journalism and social work, will participate in the workshop. Presentations will draw upon current research on adolescent-parent relations, successful primary and secondary prevention programs, and what is known about how mass media and bibliography can educate and influence the raising of adolescents.