Parenting Practices as Predictors of Adolescents Externalizing and Internalizing Problems

The present study aimed to determine the effects of parenting practices on adolescent externalizing and internalizing problems. The sample of the study comprised of 360 adolescents aged 13 to 17 years belonged to intact family drawn from urban and rural government and private schools. Self reported questionnaires i.e., Strength and difficulties questionnaire and Alabama parenting questionnaire was used to assess adolescents’ behavior problems and adolescents’ perception on parenting practices, respectively. The results indicated that positive parenting was associated with pro social behavior and negative parenting (inconsistent discipline and poor monitoring) was associated with externalizing and internalizing problems. Further, except corporal punishment, all parenting practice components emerged as significant predictors of pro social behavior, externalizing and internalizing problems.