Parenting Style and Social Skills amongst Indian Adolescents

Description

Page: 1109-1113

Rashi Kaushik, Vijaya Upadhyay, and Arati Pandey (Department of Psychology, B.R.D.B.D.PG College Ashram Barhaj, Deoria, Uttar Pradesh)

Adolescence represents a critical developmental stage during which individuals acquire essential life competencies, including social skills that enable effective interpersonal interactions. Social skills-such as communication, empathy, cooperation, and conflict resolution-are foundational for personal and societal functioning. This theoretical paper explores the influence of parenting styles on the development of social skills among Indian adolescents, emphasizing the centrality of the familial environment in shaping adolescent behavior. Drawing from established frameworks such as Baumrind’s parenting typology, attachment theory, social learning theory, and Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, the paper examines how different parenting styles-authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and neglectful-affect adolescents’ social competencies. In the Indian socio-cultural context, where collectivist values, hierarchical family structures, and evolving norms co-exist, parenting practices are particularly nuanced. The paper highlights how authoritative parenting is consistently linked to higher social competence and emotional resilience, while authoritarian and neglectful styles often hinder social development. It further discusses the bidirectional nature of parent-child interactions, the influence of gendered parenting expectations, and the ole of extended families, schooling, and peer environments in shaping adolescent social skills. Additionally, the paper considers the psychological consequences of various parenting styles and underscores the importance of parental involvement, emotional availability, and culturally informed parenting strategies. Ultimately, the paper argues for a culturally sensitive understanding of parenting in India and calls for increased awareness and educational interventions aimed at promoting parenting practices that support the holistic social development of adolescents.