Parenting Styles and Emotional Regulation in Adolescents
Abstract
Background: Adolescents with poor emotional regulation often experience difficulties managing impulses, handling interpersonal relationships, and maintaining psychological stability. Research suggests that parenting styles play a pivotal role in shaping the emotional and behavioral development of children and adolescents. Both authoritarian and permissive parenting styles have been associated with emotional dysregulation, low self-esteem, and externalizing or internalizing behavioral problems. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate how various parenting styles contribute to the development of poor emotional regulation in adolescents. It further examined therapeutic approaches that focus on restructuring family communication, improving parental attunement, and promoting authoritative parenting practices to enhance emotional regulation in adolescents. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted, synthesizing empirical findings and theoretical frameworks from studies by Baumrind (1967, 1991), Belsky (1984), Buboltz et al. (2007), and others. Additionally, qualitative research themes were analyzed to identify patterns related to family communication, parental modeling, emotional attunement, and therapy as a behavioral modeling tool. Results: Six major themes emerged: (1) characteristics of emotionally dysregulated adolescents, (2) ineffective communication in the family system, (3) parental modeling of poor emotional regulation, (4) lack of parental attunement, (5) therapy as a modeling technique, and (6) individual work with parents. Supplementary themes emphasized the use of specific therapeutic techniques, including communication training, mindfulness, and relaxation strategies, which correlated strongly with improved emotional regulation outcomes. Conclusion: The findings reinforce existing literature linking parenting styles to adolescent emotional regulation and extend current understanding by emphasizing the therapist’s role as a behavioral model. Integrating family-based interventions, mindfulness training, and authoritative parenting strategies can effectively promote emotional regulation and strengthen family relationships.
