PARENTING STYLES IN ARAB SOCIETIES A First Cross-Regional Research Study

The Arab language version of the Parental Authority Questionnaire was administered to 2,893 Arab adolescents in eight Arab societies. Results show that all parenting styles differed across Arab societies. Cluster analysis revealed three combined parenting patterns: inconsistent (permissive and authoritarian), controlling (authoritarian and authoritative), and flexible (authoritative and permissive). The mean score of the authoritarian style was higher among males, whereas the mean score of the authoritative style was higher among females. First-born adolescents reported higher level permissive parenting than other adolescents. The effects of urbanization, parents’ education, and the family economic level on parenting were minor.