All in the family: A simultaneous model of parenting style and child
conduct
by Peter Burton, Shelley Phipps and Lori Curtis
Business and Labour Market Analysis Division
Analytical Studies Branch research paper series, No. 261
Context
Parenting is probably the most important public health issue facing
our society. It is the single largest variable implicated in childhood
illnesses and accidents; teenage pregnancy and substance misuse; truancy,
school disruption, and underachievement; child abuse; unemployability;
juvenile crime; and mental illness. These are serious in themselves
but are even more important as precursors of problems in adulthood and
the next generation.
Objectives
This paper is an attempt to move beyond the 'black box'
models linking family behaviour and children's attainments currently
dominant in the economics literature by modeling ‘parenting strategies.'
In the first major section of the paper, we present a simple model of
parent/child interactions in which both the parent and the child are
players. A key assumed difference between parent and child is that the
child has a much higher discount rate. In addition, the paper involves
an empirical exploration of the idea that parent and child behaviour
are simultaneously determined using the 1994 Statistics Canada National
Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth.
Findings
A major point to take from the theoretical model presented is that
parenting behaviour should not be regarded as an exogenous determinant
of child behaviour, as has been common in much empirical research on
the link between parenting behaviour and child outcomes. Rather, child
outcomes and parenting behaviour should be modeled as simultaneously
determined.
Clear evidence of simultaneity is present. Thus, care must be taken
in formulating policy. 'Bad parenting' should not be interpreted
as 'causing' poor child outcomes in a simple unidirectional
sense. While parenting classes would presumably be beneficial for both
parent and child, they are unlikely to be a panacea. The results suggest
that underlying socioeconomic factors, as well as parenting style, are
very important determinants of child behaviour; observed parenting behaviour
is influenced by stresses in the parent's life, but is also a
response to child behaviour.
Data sources: National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth of 1994.
View
the full publication.
You need to use the free Adobe Reader to view PDF documents. To view (open) these files, simply click on the link. To download (save) them, right-click on the link. Note that if you are using Internet Explorer or AOL, PDF documents sometimes do not open properly. See Troubleshooting PDFs. PDF documents may not be accessible by some devices. For more information, visit the Adobe website or contact us for assistance.
