Abstract

Parental child rearing practices are regarded as significant step towards development of coping skills in children and adolescents. The role of fathers in child’s progress from infancy through adulthood is undeniable. The unique bond that a father and a child share is instrumental in influencing various behavioural outcomes in children. For a traditional country like India the emergence of active involvement of fathers in parenting is increasingly becoming popular. The present study investigates the influence of perceived paternal parenting styles on adolescents’ coping strategies. Family structure, gender of adolescents and income of father were taken as moderators in the study. The sample of this study was N = 180 (male 45.6% and female 54.4 %). Adolescents from standard X-XI, belonging to joint family (22.8%) and nuclear family (77.2%) were selected from different schools in Kharagpur, West Bengal (India). Analysis of variance and hierarchical multiple regression analysis were carried out for data analysis. Results revealed that adolescents’ perception of paternal demandingness and autonomy granting significantly predicts preventive and instrumental coping strategies among adolescents. Income of father and gender of adolescent were found to moderate the relationship between perceived paternal parenting style and coping strategies.

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