Heterogeneity in Perceptions of Parenting Among Arab Refugee Adolescents in Jordan

Child Dev. 2018 Sep;89(5):1786-1802. doi: 10.1111/cdev.12844. Epub 2017 Jun 15.

Abstract

Heterogeneity in parenting was examined in 883 Arab refugee adolescents in Jordan (Mage = 15.01 years, SD = 1.60). Latent profile analyses of five parenting dimensions rated separately for mothers and fathers yielded authoritative, authoritarian, indifferent, punitive, and for mothers, permissive profiles, with most mothers (60%) and fathers (66%) classified as authoritative. Parenting was more often authoritative for women than men and punitive (for fathers) or permissive (for mothers) of boys than girls. Authoritative fathers and authoritarian mothers were better educated than punitive parents, whose offspring reported more norm breaking and internalizing symptoms and lower academic achievement than other youth. Adjustment was better when adolescents had at least one authoritative parent than when parents were either consistent or discrepant but nonauthoritative.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Behavior*
  • Arabs*
  • Educational Status
  • Fathers
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Jordan
  • Male
  • Mothers
  • Parenting / ethnology*
  • Refugees / psychology*