Socio-demographic factors predicting perceived Parenting styles: implications for counselors

Parenting styles may place children, adolescents and young adults at risk of developing psychiatric disorders, such as depression, low self-esteem and high anxiety. Therefore, the present study sought to examine the role of sociodemographic factors in predicting perceived parenting styles. The sample of the study composed of 505 (233 males, 272females) undergraduate students selected from Yarmouk University. A shortened version of the parental authority questionnaire was used. Results showed that the father whose family income is high is more authoritative than others; the father who is married to two wives or more, whose education is high school or below, whose wife is working, whose family size is small or who is working is more permissive than others; the father who is married to two wives or more or whose family income is low is more authoritarian than others; the mother whose education is college or above or whose husband is married only to her is more authoritative than others; the mother whose husband is married to two wives or more, whose husband s education is high school or below, who is working or whose family size is small is more permissive than others; and the mother whose husband is married to two wives or more or whose family income is low is more authoritarian than others. In light of these results, implications for counseling were discussed.