Coping Strategies used by Adults and Adolescents in Distressing Parenting Style

Abstract

 Objectives. The aim of the present study was to investigate coping strategies (problem-focused
and emotion-focused) of adolescents and adults with respect to distressing parenting style. It was
assumed that adults will score high on problem-focused engagement while adolescents on
emotion-focused disengagement Coping Strategies Scale. Another assumption was that adults
having parents with authoritative parenting style will use problem-focused engagement coping
whilst adolescents will use emotion-focused disengagement coping strategies.
Method. A sample of (N=300) participants was included in the study out of which (n=150) were
adolescents and (n=150) were adults. The sample was taken from different institutes of Peshawar.
Coping strategies of both groups were investigated by using Coping Strategies Inventory (CSI)
(Tobin et al; 1984) and their parents’ parental style through Parenting Style Inventory II (Darling
& Toyokawa 1997).
Results. Result of the study showed that adults use problem-focused adaptive coping strategies
more than adolescents, whereas, adolescents have higher score on emotion-focused maladaptive
scale of coping strategies as compared to adults. Results also showed that coping strategies of
adults is not affected by parents’ authoritative or authoritarian parenting style, however, for
adolescents’ authoritarian parenting style was distressing and lead them to use emotion-focused
disengagement coping strategies.
Conclusion. It is concluded from the present study that adults choose adaptive while adolescents
choose maladaptive coping strategies. Parenting style does have major effect on coping strategies
selection of individuals.