Uninvolved Parenting Style

Uninvolved Parenting Style

In the early 60s psychologist Diana baumrind conducted experiments with parents, about different parental styles. The core purpose of the experiment was to observe and understand how parents differ in their responses to their children. As a result of the study four major styles where put forward. They are authoritarian authoritative permissive and neglectful. All style has its own particular impact on the development of the child.

Uninvolved parenting is one of the four types of parental styles. Its also called as neglecting parenting style. This parenting style is characterized by lack of responsiveness to the need of a child. Uninvolved parents make no demands to their children. Parents in uninvolved parental style are dismissive or even completely neglectful to their children.

Neglectful parents weigh so much on their own needs that they try ignoring the needs of their children. But in recent years it has become quiet clear that the least successful parental style is uninvolved. By the age of 3 children of uninvolved parents are already relatively high in aggression and such externalizing behaviors as temper tantrums. Furthermore they tend to perform very poorly in the class room and to display conduct disorders later in childhood they often become hostile selfish and rebellious adolescents ho lack meaningful long range goals and are prone to commit such antisocial and delinquent acts as alcohol and drug abuse, sexual misconduct truancy and a wide variety of criminal offenses. In effect these youngsters have neglectful detached parents whose actions seem to be saying “ I don’t care about you or what you do” a message that undoubtedly breeds resentment and the motivation to strike back at these aloof uncaring the adversaries or other authority figure.

Desiring the closeness in relationship is a good thing. However the way they go about achieving the relationship blurs the lines of the relationship. Instead of parent child relationship the relationship is seen as friend- friend relationship. They usually do not provide the care necessary for healthy emotional development.