Bad Parenting vs. Irresponsible Parents

Parenting Styles

• According to parenting researchers such as Angela M. Pfeiffer, Ph.D. of the Sugar Bend Center, four different parenting styles exist. If parents are both strict and emotionally cold toward their children, they fit into the authoritarian parenting style. Parents who are neither very strict nor nurturing toward their children have a rejecting or neglectful parenting style. If parents are not strict, but they are emotionally supportive, they have a permissive parenting style. Finally, parents who are strict but emotionally supportive have an authoritative parenting style. Out of all these parenting styles, the authoritative style is associated with the best results for kids, while the permissive style is less effective. The authoritarian and rejecting styles can be harmful.

Authoritarian Parenting

• Gwen Dewar, Ph.D. on the Parenting Science website states that authoritarian parents enforce a strict hierarchy based on dominance and control. They rely on noisy displays of anger, harsh punishment and sometimes fear to achieve complete control over the behavior of their children. Although effective parents also set limits and enforce rules, they provide emotional support and a loving household. Authoritarian parents enforce their dominance without providing much emotional support. Authoritarian parents aren't always abusive, but this parenting style is not associated with good outcomes. Children raised in an authoritarian household often don't have close relationships with their parents and may be either domineering or submissive toward other people.

Neglectful Parents

• Pfeiffer also states that rejecting or neglectful parents neither provide emotional support nor set reasonable limits. This parenting style is also known as the "uninvolved" style, as parents who use this style don't put enough focus on their jobs as parents. According to the Parenting Science website, kids with permissive parents don't do as well in school as kids with authoritative parents. They are also more likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol. However, permissive parents do provide their children with love and warmth. Neglectful parents provide a place for their children to live but then offer them no guidance or warmth. Kids raised by neglectful parents are at risk for many problems.

Abusive Parenting

• Irresponsible parenting is one thing, but some parents cross the line into abusive behaviors such as leaving young children unsupervised or using physical violence or verbal mockery for punishment. The National Criminal Justice Reference Service defines four types of abusive parenting including expecting young children to have capabilities beyond their age, showing a lack of empathy toward kids, using violence toward kids, and expecting the child to be responsible for the parent's well-being. Authoritarian or neglectful parents can be abusive depending on the severity of the behaviors.