The Role of Authoritarian Parenting on Conduct Problems Mediated by the Development of Moral Judgment in Adolescent Boys Abstract

Conduct problems are the cause of delinquency in adolescents that can be influenced by parenting and the level of development of their moral judgment. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of authoritarian parenting on conduct problems mediated by the development of moral judgment in male adolescents living in correction and rehabilitation center.  

The present study is a cross-sectional analysis of path analysis. The statistical population of the present study included all adolescent boys in correction and rehabilitation centers in Kerman, Yazd and Hormozgan provinces and one of their parents ranging in age from 16 to 12 years, which consistently includes 220 adolescents; But 180 questionnaires were completed and entered into the analysis. All of them participated in the study by census method. Data were collected using Demographic Information Questionnaire, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), Baumrind Parenting Styles Questionnaire (BPSQ) and Moral Development Questionnaire (MDQ) was performed.

The direct effects of authoritarian parenting on the growth of moral judgment (β=-0.426; p=0.001), authoritarian parenting on conduct problems (β=0.322; p = 0.001), the growth of moral judgment is significant on conduct problems (β=-0.432; p=0.001). the indirect effect of authoritarian parenting mediated by the growth of moral judgment on conduct problems (β=0.270; p= 0.001) is significant and has a minor mediating role.

Authoritarian parenting is a negative factor on adolescents' moral development that can affect the rate of behavior problems. It is suggested that in order to improve the conduct problems of delinquent adolescents, parenting education should be provided to the parents of their adolescents and treatment programs should be provided to improve the development of moral judgment for delinquent adolescents in rehabilitation centers.