Erratum to: Overparenting is Associated with Child Problems and a Critical Family Environment
Journal of Child and Family Studies
Abstract
Overparenting involves the application of developmentally inappropriate parenting tactics that far exceed the actual needs of adolescents and emerging adults. Past research as well as elements of self-determination theory suggest that this type of parenting should be associated with greater child problems in relation to other people and a more critical family environment. These hypotheses were tested on 477 emerging adult child-parent dyads from 30 of the 50 United States who both completed self-report measures of overparenting and elements of a critical family environment. In addition, emerging adults completed self-reports of problems, primarily in relation to other people, and how they cope with them. Results of a structural equation model indicated that the child, but not parent, overparenting latent variable was strongly associated with reports of more child problems. Both the emerging adult child and parent overparenting latent variables were positively and significantly associated with the critical family environment latent variable. These results can be usefully explained by several postulates of self-determination theory and add to a growing literature pointing to the ill effects of overparenting when applied to emerging adults.
... Recent efforts of grounding parental involvement and science in early childhood have gained the attention of researchers and policymakers glob ally (Dumont, et al., 2014). There has been a "swing away from science" global concerns due to declining students' interest in natural sciences and related disciplines (Segrin, et al., 2015). One of the effective strategies com monly used to build natural sciences foundational skills and interests is the involvement of parents through various projects and programs (De Silva, Khatibi & Azam, 2018;Silinskas & Kikas, 2019). ...
... Overinvolved parents or 'helicopter parents' who are said to be reluctant to give autonomy and space to their children, have been found to have a negative impact on their children's learning and development (Schiffrin et al., 2014;Wong, et al., 2018). Findings from various parts of the world have established that such excessive parental control potentially puts children at high risk for behavioral deviation (Schiffrin et al. 2014) and/or low selfesteem (Segrin et al. 2015). In Hong Kong, Wong et al., (2018) examined the educational involvement of parents in their children's academic perfor mance and psychosocial development. ...
Recently, Nordic perspectives in early childhood education and care (ECEC) have garnered attention from researchers and various stakeholders. This monograph expands on the topic by emphasizing the Norwegian context as the authors present insights into both the historical and current practices of parent involvement in Norway. Another unique feature is the inclusion of research and developments from Africa, the Middle East, and East Asia, overlooked in many previous studies. Furthermore, it attempts to redefine parent involvement in ECEC based on recent trends and the evolving roles and concepts within contemporary discussions, such as family dynamics and the involvement of non-parental adults. It also highlights how parent involvement practices have evolved over time. Major related theories and models are discussed in relation to contemporary dynamics surrounding this phenomenon.
... Especially in adolescence, parental involvement attuned to adolescents' psychological and developmental needs can be particularly important for their psychosocial development . However, parental involvement that is less adjusted to adolescents' needs may set them at risk for psychosocial difficulties (e.g., Segrin et al., 2015). Therefore, we examined differences between parent profiles in terms of positive (i.e., interpersonal involvement, responsiveness, autonomy support) and negative types of involvement (i.e., overprotection and controlling parenting). ...
... Parental overprotection can manifest through a variety of parenting practices, such as constantly warning about potential dangers, anxious rearing, or prematurely solving the adolescent's problems. These practices can have detrimental effects for adolescents' developmental needs, such as their need for autonomy (Segrin et al. 2015). As a consequence, parental overprotection can be a risk factor for mental health difficulties, such as internalizing problems (Van Petegem et al., 2020). ...
The literature reveals particularly high standards of good parenting in Western societies, especially for mothers. However, parents as active agents of their parenting may react differently to societal prescriptions, and this variability may translate into different parental practices. The present article had two aims. A first aim was to identify profiles of parents by considering their adherence to intensive parenting beliefs, their perceived societal pressure to be a perfect parent, and their gender essentialist beliefs (i.e., the idea that mothers are naturally better parents than fathers). A second aim was to examine differences between parent profiles in terms of positive and negative parental involvement. To identify clusters among mothers and fathers, we conducted model-based cluster analysis (Fraley & Raftery, 1998) on a sample of 1,002 Belgian parents (609 mothers and 393 fathers) of adolescents (Mage = 16.83, SD = 0.96; 53% girls), based on parents’ scores on intensive parenting beliefs, gender essentialism, and perceived societal pressure. Differences between mothers’ and fathers’ clusters were examined in terms of interpersonal involvement, responsiveness, autonomy support, overprotection and controlling parenting. Analyses revealed five clusters for mothers and three for fathers. In both samples, traditional intensive profiles were associated to higher levels of parental overprotection and controlling parenting whereas no cluster differences were found in terms of positive parenting. These results suggest that demanding social prescriptions of parenthood may have an ironical effect as they might push some mothers and fathers to adopt parenting practices that are less attuned to their adolescents’ developmental needs.
... Parenting is overprotective when parents' level of involvement and protection is excessive, considering the developmental stage of the child (Thomasgard et al., 1995). Overprotective parenting is related negatively to adolescents' psychosocial adjustment (e.g., Segrin et al., 2015;Van Petegem et al., 2020). According to Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Ryan & Deci, 2017), this adverse effect of overprotective parenting can be largely explained by the violation of adolescents' psychological needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence Schiffrin et al., 2014). ...
Overprotective parenting is associated with developmental difficulties in adolescents, with adolescents’ frustration of the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness playing a critical role herein. However, the negative effects of overprotection might depend on how adolescents cope with overprotective parenting. The present study, relying on a person-centered approach, aimed to identify profiles of coping and to examine to which extent these profiles alter the association between overprotective parenting and consequences. A total of 509 Belgian adolescents (Mage = 17.2 years; SD age = 0.91, age range: 15–21 years) completed questionnaires, including a measure of four coping strategies to deal with overprotective parenting (i.e., opposition, submission, negotiation, and accommodation). Cluster analysis revealed five distinct coping profiles: flexible strategies, rigid strategies, passive strategies, active strategies, and low coping. Associations between parental overprotection, psychological need frustration, and subsequent internalizing problems were less pronounced among adolescents in the flexible (i.e., negotiation and accommodation) coping profile compared to adolescents in other profiles. The most pronounced associations were obtained among adolescents in the profiles with rigid strategies and passive strategies. These results highlight the importance of using a person-centered approach to gain a more profound understanding of the consequences of adolescents’ coping with overprotective parenting.
... On one hand, helicopter parenting can influence parent-child intimacy, though its effects appear inconsistent. Excessive control and involvement may limit open communication (Segrin et al, 2012) and create a critical or restrictive family atmosphere (Segrin et al, 2015), reducing emotional closeness. However, in some families, helicopter parenting may be interpreted as a form of care and love, reinforcing parent-child intimacy (Hwang & Jung, 2021). ...
Family systems theory emphasizes the combined influence of various family factors and the heterogeneity across families. Prior research has separately examined the effects of helicopter parenting and parent-child relationships on adolescent self-regulation-related behaviors, leaving their combined influence unclear. This study adopts a person-centered approach to identify latent profiles of helicopter parenting and parent-child intimacy and examine their longitudinal links with self-discipline and problematic internet use. Matched data on fathers (Mage = 42.65, SD = 4.34), mothers (Mage = 41.60, SD = 3.88), and children (Mage = 12.78, SD = 0.94, 51.6% female) from 283 families were included at two time points (T1 and T2, six months apart). Three distinct profiles emerged: moderate helicopter parenting with low intimacy, low helicopter parenting with moderate intimacy, and moderate helicopter parenting with moderate intimacy. At T2, compared to adolescents in moderate helicopter parenting with moderate intimacy families, those in moderate helicopter parenting with low intimacy families exhibited lower self-discipline and higher problematic internet use, and those in low helicopter parenting with moderate intimacy families demonstrated higher self-control. Additionally, compared to adolescents in low helicopter parenting with moderate intimacy families, those in moderate helicopter parenting with low intimacy families had lower self-control and higher problematic internet use. These findings underscore the importance of considering both helicopter parenting and parent-child intimacy when examining adolescent self-regulation.
... Some studies have also shown that in emerging adulthood (18-29 years old), higher levels of overparenting correlate with lower levels of school engagement and peer attachment (Gao et al., 2024). Reduced peer attachment further undermines trust and fosters relational estrangement, which is consistent with the findings of Segrin et al. (2015). In addition to relationships with peers, overparenting is also associated with a lower quality of parent-child communication and indirectly produces lower family satisfaction. ...
Overparenting means that the actual parenting level of parents exceeds the required parenting needs of their children. As a parenting strategy, parental overparenting affects children's social adaptation. By integrating global studies and from the perspective of positive psychology, this review aims to analyse and discuss the impact of overparenting on social adaptation, propose intervention strategies, summarize shortcomings and propose an outlook. The ultimate goal of this review is to expand the horizons of research on overparenting and to identify appropriate ways to correct overparenting and improve children's social adaptation ability.
... The concept of parental overprotection is defined as intrusive protective behaviors exhibited by parents (Starcher & Child, 2019), characterized by excessive warmth and high levels of parental control (Segrin et al., 2013). Such overprotective behaviors are detrimental to a child's development, including impairing their sense of control over the environment, reducing their self-efficacy, and fostering excessive dependence on caregivers (Affrunti & Ginsburg, 2012;Odenweller et al., 2014;van Ingen et al., 2015). ...
In previous research, the relationship between the parental dimension of maternal overprotection and individual revenge motivation has garnered widespread attention. This study delved into the moderating role of the COMT Val158Met gene in the connection between maternal overprotection and individual revenge motivation, providing a nuanced analysis of the association between maternal overprotection and revenge motivation. The study employed multiple regression analysis to test the moderation effect. Results revealed a significant positive correlation between maternal overprotection and revenge motivation in individuals with the Val/Val genotype, highlighting the relationship between genotype and environmental sensitivity. Specifically, individuals with the Val/Val genotype were more prone to exhibit strong revenge motivation in the parenting environment characterized by maternal overprotection. The moderating effect of the COMT gene does not vary significantly by gender or age, suggesting the relative stability of genetic influences on psychological health across the lifespan. The practical implications of the study provided a theoretical foundation for developing personalized psychological health interventions and support strategies, particularly in contexts focusing on individuals with the Val/Val genotype. This research enhanced our understanding of gene-environment interactions and provided a fresh perspective on interventions and prevention in psychological health, emphasizing the importance of balancing protection and fostering independence in parenting.
... This graded approach allows the parents to pursue a series of connected aims: (a) By staying generally at the lowest level of vigilance (i.e., open attention), they foster an atmosphere of trust and autonomy, thus increasing the chances for child disclosure (Love et al., 2022;Ryan & Deci, 2000); (b) by developing vigilant attention, they enhance their ability to detect warning signals, both in a child's behavior and within their environment; (c) by their readiness to move to focused attention and protective steps in case of need, they show that they remain present and do not abdicate their parental role, even when the child tries to create distance and concealment; (d) by adjusting their trust in response to detected warning signals, parents convey to the child that the degree of trust and autonomy granted is contingent upon their behavior; (e) by moving to higher levels only when conditions clearly require it, they guard themselves from acting invasively and overparenting (Segrin et al., 2015). ...
Problematic internet use and unsafe internet use are the two main potential negative consequences of children’s online activities. Parents play a vital role in mitigating these consequences and creating a safe digital environment. Parental Vigilant Care (PVC) is a systematic approach that integrates active and restrictive mediation practices, allowing parents to regulate their involvement according to the alarm signs they detect. This study is a randomized controlled trial designed to assess the efficacy of the PVC parent training program. Families were randomly assigned to either the three-session PVC group (n = 92) or the control group (n = 65). Measures from parents and children (77% male; 12–16 years old) were assessed at baseline, postintervention, and an 8-week follow-up. In addition to self-report questionnaires, children’s online activities (time and content) on smartphones were monitored. Compared to the control group, parents in the PVC group reported a lower sense of helplessness, fewer conflicts, improved child functioning, a better family climate, and greater knowledge of their children’s online activities. Additionally, children demonstrated lower scores for problematic and unsafe internet use. A gradual reduction in children’s time online and use of unsafe sites was observed during the intervention following the PVC training. Guided by the PVC model, parents increased their protective presence in their children’s digital world, thereby reducing online risks for their children.
The aim of this study was to examine the factors that influenced parental hesitancy toward vaccinating children against COVID-19 in the months leading up to the launch of the pediatric vaccination campaign. We examined whether parental anxiety moderated the relationships between parents’ access to vaccine information, choice overload, perceived freedom of choice, mistrust toward authorities, and hesitancy toward vaccinating children against COVID-19. A sample of 440 Canadian parents of children aged 1–16 years completed questionnaires. Results revealed that having less access to information and perceiving greater freedom in decision-making increased hesitancy among parents, especially when they reported experiencing anxiety in their parental role. Mistrust of authorities and choice overload were linked to greater hesitancy about vaccination. However, these links were not moderated by the reported parental anxiety. Considering that there will likely be more pandemics in the future, our study has pertinent implications for the healthcare community.
Recently, Nordic perspectives in early childhood education and care (ECEC) have garnered attention from researchers and various stakeholders. This monograph expands on the topic by emphasizing the Norwegian context as the authors present insights into both the historical and current practices of parent involvement in Norway. Another unique feature is the inclusion of research and developments from Africa, the Middle East, and East Asia, overlooked in many previous studies. Furthermore, it attempts to redefine parent involvement in ECEC based on recent trends and the evolving roles and concepts within contemporary discussions, such as family dynamics and the involvement of non-parental adults. It also highlights how parent involvement practices have evolved over time. Major related theories and models are discussed in relation to contemporary dynamics surrounding this phenomenon.
This study sought to examine the association between parental behavior indicative of overinvolvement and control and young adult child self-identity, namely self-efficacy and psychological entitlement. Participants in this study were 339 parent-young adult child dyads who completed survey measures of family environment, parenting, family communication, and family satisfaction. Young adults also completed measures of self-efficacy and entitlement. Results showed that balanced family adaptability and cohesion, open family communication, and authoritative rather than authoritarian parenting, were positively associated with parents’ and young adults’ family satisfaction. Parental behavior that emphasized control over the child was associated with diminished self-efficacy and exaggerated psychological entitlement in young adult children. The relationship between these two classes of variables was amplified by open parent-child communication.
Overparenting involves the application of developmentally inappropriate levels of parental directiveness, tangible assistance, problem-solving, monitoring, and involvement into the lives of children. Based on theories of family enmeshment, effective parenting, and personality development, this parenting behavior was hypothesized to be associated with negative traits in parents (i.e., anxiety and regret) as well as in young adult children (i.e., narcissism, poor coping styles, anxiety, and stress). Participants were 653 parent-adult child dyads from 32 of the 50 United States who completed measures of overparenting and maladaptive traits. A latent variables analysis showed that parental anxiety was positively associated with overparenting, and that parental regret had an indirect effect on overparenting through greater anxiety. In adult children, overparenting was associated with higher levels of narcissism and more ineffective coping skills (e.g., internalizing, distancing). These ineffective coping skills were associated with greater anxiety and stress in young adult children.
Is there a point where parental effort can be too much? While the link between parenting effort and the wellbeing of children has been firmly established, contemporary discussion has proposed that extreme levels of parental protection of and responsiveness to children could be counterproductive. Research has not yet addressed this phenomenon to ascertain if overparenting is a genuinely different type of parenting approach. The purpose of the present study was to gain insight into the parenting actions considered by parenting professionals (psychologists and school guidance counsellors) to be overparenting. One hundred and twenty-eight professionals responded to an online survey about their observations of overparenting, with eighty-six respondents providing lists of the types of actions they believed were behavioural examples of the term. The survey data revealed that certain types of actions were considered to be indicative of overparenting, and that particular beliefs and outcomes may be involved in this parenting approach. Implications for parenting advice and education programs, and further research are discussed.
I>"Parental love, which is so moving and at bottom so childish, is nothing but the parent’s narcissism born again, which transformed by object-love, unmistakably reveals its former nature."
— Sigmund Freud
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Richard L. Munich, MD, is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Weill-Cornell Medical College, and Training and Supervisory Analyst at the Columbia Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research, New York. Matthew A. Munich, PhD, is Instructor in Classics, William Penn Charter, School, Philadelphia, and MSW Candidate, Smith College.Address correspondence to: Richard L. Munich, MD, 286 Madison Ave., Box #23, New York, NY 10017; or e-mail drmunich@msn.com .
Dr. Richard Munich and Dr. Matthew Munich acknowledge the assistance of several clinician/parents: Jon Allen, Diana Diamond, Rebecca Chaplan, Sid Phillips; and Adrienne Munich, April Stein, and Karen Strupp.
Dr. Richard Munich and Dr. Matthew Munich have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
"Placing this phenomenon [hovercraft parenting] within a sociological context, Nelson explores the effects of this approach on both the children and the parents and why it is so persistently practiced by the professional middle class. Sociologists and academics will find much to glean here. The appendixes, outlining the technological choices of various populations, are both insightful and alarming."
What is colloquially referred to as “helicopter parenting” is a form of overparenting in which parents apply overly involved and developmentally inappropriate tactics to their children who are otherwise able to assume adult responsibilities and autonomy. Overparenting is hypothesized to be associated with dysfunctional family processes and negative child outcomes. Predictions were tested on 538 parent-young adult child dyads from locations throughout most of the United States. Parents completed a newly developed measure of overparenting as well as family enmenshment, parenting styles, and parent-child communication scales. Young adult children completed measures of parent-child communication, family satisfaction, entitlement, and several adaptive traits. Results showed that overparenting is associated with lower quality parent-child communication and has an indirect effect on lower family satisfaction. Overparenting was also a significant predictor of young adult child entitlement, although it was not related to any of the adaptive traits measured in young adult children.
What is colloquially referred to as "helicopter parenting" is a form of overparenting in which parents apply overly involved and developmentally inappropriate tactics to their children who are otherwise able to assume adult responsibilities and autonomy. Overparenting is hypothesized to be associated with dysfunctional family processes and negative child outcomes. Predictions were tested on 538 parent-young adult child dyads from locations throughout most of the United States. Parents completed a newly developed measure of overparenting as well as family enmenshment, parenting styles, and parent-child communication scales. Young adult children completed measures of parent-child communication, family satisfaction, entitlement, and several adaptive traits. Results showed that overparenting is associated with lower quality parent-child communication and has an indirect effect on lower family satisfaction. Overparenting was also a significant predictor of young adult child entitlement, although it was not related to any of the adaptive traits measured in young adult children.
This paper presents two short-form scales that measure the degree or magnitude of problems children have in their relationships with their parents. The scales were designed for use in research and in clinical settings to monitor and evaluate the client's response to treatment through repeated administrations. Both-scales have a reliability in excess of .90 as well as good discriminant and construct validity, and both have been used in clinical practice where they were found to be important adjuncts to the conduct and the evaluation of treatment.