The Link between Parenting Behaviors and Emerging Adults’ Relationship Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Relational Entitlement

Previous research shows a link between parenting and children’s characteristics and interpersonal behaviors. However, little is known about the ways in which parenting tactics affect children’s romantic relationships and whether the children’s characteristics can mediate these associations. With this study, the aim was to test the associations between parents’ helicopter parenting/autonomy-supportive behaviors and emergent adults’ relational satisfaction and couple conflict. In addition, it was tested whether the sense of relational entitlement (excessive and restricted) mediated the links. Two hundred and twelve emergent adult–parent dyads participated in this study. Mediation analyses showed that parental autonomy-supportive behaviors had indirect effects on both the relational satisfaction and the couple conflict reported by the emerging adults through excessive relational entitlement. The link was positive for the former couple-related outcome and negative for the latter one. Helicopter parenting was not related to any variable reported by the emerging adults. In conclusion, positive parenting can increase relational stability and well-being by diminishing some potentially negative psychological characteristics of emerging adults.

Parenting Practices and Emerging Adult Well-Being in the United States and China

Parenting practices that promote or inhibit autonomy in their emerging adult child can impact the well-being of emerging adults. This study explored a variety of parenting practices and how these practices impact emerging adult well-being across two cultures. Associations between parental support, involvement, helicopter parenting, and psychological control and emerging adults’ well-being were compared between two samples of participants ages 18-25: American ( n = 643) and Chinese ( n = 514). Results indicate that parental support can promote well-being among emerging adults, but autonomy-limiting practices of psychological control and helicopter parenting seem to be unfavorable for emerging adults regardless of culture. Differences in reported mean levels of the four parenting practices were observed across the two culturally specific samples; however, the strength of associations between practices and emerging adult well-being was not statistically different.

Is helicopter parenting stifling moral courage and promoting moral disengagement? Implications for the training and development of millennial managers

Purpose This paper aims to examine the ethical foundations of Gen Z individuals by studying the impact of helicopter parenting on moral courage and moral disengagement. In addition, this study considers the implications for Millennial generation managers that are likely to be supervising this current generational cohort. Design/methodology/approach Hypotheses were tested using a two-wave online survey of 215 undergraduate students. Findings Helicopter parenting was associated with lower levels of moral courage and an elevated propensity to morally disengage in a sample of Gen Z individuals. The impact of helicopter parenting on these moral foundations was mediated by the children’s increased desire for continued parental involvement in their lives. Practical implications Similar to the Gen Z students surveyed in this study, many Millennials were raised by helicopter parents, thus, it is likely that they are also prone to moral disengagement and low moral courage. Furthermore, Millennial managers will be managing Gen Z workers. Thus, many companies will need to enhance their efforts in providing Millennial managers with business ethics training aimed at developing moral courage and reducing moral disengagement. Originality/value This study examines a previously unidentified antecedent of moral courage and moral disengagement

Parenting Post-9/11

The “Parenting Post-9/11” chapter examines the environment that Generation Disaster’s caregivers created within the family microsystem throughout their childhood and adolescence, as parents are generally the most important developmental influence during those formative years. It then considers how this cohort’s parents were impacted by 9/11 and all of the subsequent societal changes, as well as their fears about children’s safety amid the rise in school shootings, and it demonstrates how children’s responses to stressful and traumatic events are closely correlated with their caregivers’ reactions. The chapter considers whether accusations of “helicopter parenting” by these caregivers are valid, and it examines the impact of smartphones and other technologies on the first group of parents and children that had to incorporate these tools into their family dynamics.

Helicopter Parenting as Correlate of Self Confidence and Esteem of Adolescents in Secondary Schools in Anambra State, Nigeria

The study is on adolescents’ helicopter parenting as correlate of their self confidence and esteem in Onitsha Education zone, Anambra State. Three research questions guided the study while one null hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance. Correlational research design was adopted for this study. The population of the study comprised 17,200 secondary school adolescents from which a sample size of 1760 adolescents was selected using simple random sampling and disproportionate stratified random sampling techniques. Two research instruments, namely: Adolescent helicopter parenting Questionnaire (AHPQ) and Adolescents’ Self confidence and esteem Questionnaire (ASCEQ) were used for the study. The instruments were duly validated by experts before it was used in conducting this study. The reliability of the instrument is as follows: 0.949 for AHPQ, and 0.928 for ASCEQ. Data was collected through direct delivery method. Research questions 1 to 2 were answered using range of summated scores, while research questions 3 was answered and the null hypotheses was tested using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficients. The findings of the study revealed among others that secondary school adolescents’ helicopter parenting has high negative relationship with their self confidence and esteem. It was recommended among others that the Government and the school administrators should organize seminars, workshops and symposia for parents so that resource persons will educate and direct them on the right parenting style and the likely implication of wrong parenting styles.

Help From a Friend: Helicopter Parenting Predicts Empathy and Bystander Intervention

Harassment toward others happens in many contexts with a myriad of negative impacts on victims, witnesses, and society. Although preventing harassment of others is ideal, it is also important to consider how bystanders may react in ways to defend the victim and reduce the harassment. Bystanders differ in their reactions to these events and the goal of this investigation is to better understand individual differences in college students’ reported tendency to defend victims of harassment. We proposed a mediation model where higher rates of helicopter parenting would predict lower empathic concern and greater personal distress. In turn, lower empathic concern and greater personal distress would predict lower likelihood of defending the victim. College students ( n = 305) completed self-report measures of helicopter parenting, empathic concern, personal distress, and bystander intervention to general harassment. Using the Hayes PROCESS program, we found the relation of helicopter parenting to bystander intervention was mediated by empathic concern, such that helicopter parenting predicted lower empathic concern, which predicted lower likelihood of intervening. Helicopter parenting predicted greater personal distress, but personal distress did not predict bystander intervention. In an exploratory analysis, we tested a moderated mediation model in which personal distress moderated the relation of empathic concern to bystander intervention. The moderated mediation model was statistically significant; for students with low to moderate personal distress, empathic concern predicted self-reported intervention. However, for students high in personal distress, empathic concern was not related to self-reported intervention. The current study explained a small amount of the variance in bystander intervention. These findings demonstrate the complex family and personal factors that may explain, to a small degree, individual differences in bystander intervention. Further studies should consider the complex contextual variables that may influence this relationship.