The Role of Perceived Societal Pressure and Parents' Child-Oriented Self-Construal in Overprotective and Controlling Parenting in Belgian Parents of Adolescents.

Abstract

Societal expectations and demands regarding parenting roles have significantly intensified in recent decades, putting pressure on parents to be perfect in their parental role, which may push them to become overly involved in their children's lives. Although evidence suggests that perceived societal pressure is associated with overprotective and controlling parenting, less is known about which parents are more sensitive to such pressure. We investigated whether parents' child-oriented interdependent self-construal (the degree to which parents consider their relationship with their children as self-defining) moderates the relations of perceived societal pressure with overprotection and controlling parenting in Belgium. Thereby, we also examined potential parental gender differences. Participants were predominantly highly educated parents of adolescents (276 mothers, 142 fathers; most were married or cohabiting). Results showed that perceived societal pressure was associated with more overprotection among both mothers and fathers and more controlling parenting among fathers. For mothers only, interdependent self-construal was significantly related to more overprotection and controlling parenting. Sensitivity analyses suggested that gender differences in these associations were attenuated in families characterized by shared caregiving. We found no evidence that parents' self-construal moderated the association between perceived pressure and parenting. These findings suggest that excessive societal expectations may contribute to negative parenting practices, and that although child-oriented interdependent self-construal does not increase sensitivity to such pressures, mothers with a more interdependent self-construal may be at greater risk of overprotective and controlling parenting. Findings highlight the importance of addressing societal pressures in parenting support/prevention programs aimed at reducing overprotective and controlling parenting.