BOCYF Projects

The Role of Parents in Promoting Adolescent Development, Health, and Well-Being

Recent changes in American society and in the nature of adolescence have contributed to the challenge of raising adolescents today. There has been much less research on the home and family environments of adolescents than on those of young children. Furthermore, although a substantial body of research addresses the role of parents, most of it focuses on middle-class populations or is based on studies of Caucasian and middle-class models. As a result, little is known about how minority parents and families--many of whom face more diverse challenges and are more likely to live in less than optimal environments--protect, support, and guide 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 it 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.

In this context, the Board will convene a workshop to bring together researchers, policy makers, educators, service providers, and other key stakeholders to review the knowledge base regarding the role of parents and families in promoting adolescent development, health, and well-being. The workshop will pay particular attention to the literature on racial and ethnic minority parents and families, and will also examine studies 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 adolescent-parent relationships. A workshop summary will be prepared and widely distributed to policy makers, researchers, service providers, and other key stakeholders.