Category: Parenting

Introduction

Gay couples should be allowed to adopt, as parents sexual orientation does not affect childrens emotional and behavioral functioning. However, the controversial question that has been asked is whether same-sex parents can nurture a stable child. This has attracted supporters and opponents in equal measure. Nevertheless, experts agree that there is no scientific evidence to support a same-sex marriage adoption ban. This conclusion stems from previous research that compares heterosexual and same-sex parenting outcomes.

Reasons to Support the Claim

Gay couples should be allowed to adopt because, first, same-sex couples are capable of bringing up well-adjusted children as they can give love and care to their child, and a home that helps in the childs proper growth and development. Second, same-sex adoptive parents are more likely to be open-minded individuals and teach their children the importance of acceptance and diversity. Third, they are capable of teaching their children the value of kindness and resilience in the face of adversity. Fourth, a childs behavior is not a result of the parents sexual orientation, and thus regardless of sexual orientation, adoptive parents will face similar challenges in terms of a childs behavioral pattern and will learn to apply mitigating factors. Finally, allowing LGBT couples to adopt will help cut costs from the government spending on supporting foster care and will provide an option for the children to be raised in a family.

Types of Sources

This study will use various sources including, a literature review on previous studies about this topic to understand the gaps. Also, conduct interviews between homosexuals and heterosexuals to understand the challenges of raising children and observing their childrens behavioral differences. Additionally, the research will provide questionnaires to understand the impact of a low-income same-sex couple on the psychological wellbeing to prove same-sex parents are as fit as heterosexual parents to adopt.

Counterargument

However, there are those opposed to same-sex adoption claiming that children require both genders for a balanced upbringing and that the adopted children may face discrimination resulting in psychological challenges. Conversely, even heterosexual parents children experience discrimination hence parents should teach the children values to overlook a judgmental society.

Intended Audience

The proposal is to be used by the government to lift the ban on gay adoption. It also targets social workers to help remove the biases about gay parents. Additionally, it targets the community to support gay parents and stop the stigmatization to provide a healthy environment for proper growth and development.

Heterosexuality is one of the oldest concepts mentioned by historical narratives since the dawn of history. In spite of its historical significance, it is still one of the underdeveloped and uninvestigated problems of the modern society. Democratic freedoms and changes in social relations permit homosexual men and women to marry and have children. Thus, the problem of children rearing and upbringing by heterosexual parents is not clear. In such unions, both parents and children experience some problems and difficulties caused by the unique nature of their family. The literature reviews aims to discuss current trends in literature and theoretical concepts related to the problem of heterosexual parents and their relations with children.

The main problems experienced by children raised by heterosexual parents are home violence and abuse, lack of parental attention and support. It is found that mother and father are as different in their attitudes toward children. The family unit has been referred to as the last line of defense against the origin of crime. However, the family scenario too often is one of living in public housing or poverty, witnessing violence, drug abuse, predominantly single parenting, a lack of positive male role models, few people working, and everyone struggling to survive. Still, family breakdown or incompetence is only one of the many factors that give rise to violence and depression of children. These other issues may have an influence on the development of hostility in children that is independent of the influence of abuse, or they may work with the physical mistreatment to raise the risk that a child will become aggressive.

Some researchers admit that heterosexual parents are stricter and more demanding that homosexual parents. The research on parental neglect and indifference has involved studies using a variety of methodologies, much of the research on parental neglect and indifference comes from studies using parental ratings of child behavior or from clinically oriented studies using medical charts or clinical interviews. Such literature have generally found strong links between sexual abuse and aggression, with neglected children of different ages reported as more violent than nondistressed groups and rather less aggressive than some social groups or other groups of abused children.

The researchers admit that work (career) and money are the main priorities or many heterosexual parents. The extent to which witnessing parental negligence influences childrens antagonism is unclear. Some studies have reported important differences between the conduct-disordered and antagonistic behaviors of children who witness parental violence and those who do not. Other studies find no differences between these social groups. One probable explanation for this can be found in the studies showing that witnessing parental indifference and egoism has little additional influence on the behavior of a child who also has been the sufferer of indifference. It may be that there were varying numbers of neglected children in the samples of the various studies examining the influence of witnessing aggression and that these varieties caused the differences in results. It is apparent that additional research needs to be done in this area in order to investigate current problems and the impact of social relations of heterosexual families. These findings will help to understand whether there are unique associations between parental indifference and childrens psychological disorders, or whether the apparent connection is due to the neglect and indifference on many of the children who witness interspousal hostility.

References

Garbarino, J. (2002). Towards a sustainable society: An economic, social and environmental agenda for our childrens future. Chicago: Noble.

Garbarino. J. (2005). Raising children in a socially toxic environment. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Garbarino, J. (2001). Lost boys: Why our sons turn violent and how we can save them. New York: Free Press.

Garbarino, J., and Associates. (2005). Children and families in the social environment (2nd ed.). Hawthorne, NY: Aldine de Gruyter.

Gelles, R., and Straus, M. (2000). Intimate violence: The definitive study of the causes and consequences of abuse in the American family. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Moran, G., and Vinovskis, M. (2007). Religion, family, and the life course: Explorations in the social history of America. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Osofsky, J. (Ed.). (2001). Children in a violent society. York, PA: Guilford.

Pelton, L. (1981). The social context of child abuse and neglect. New York: Human Sciences Press.

Pelton, L. (2000). The role of material factors in child abuse and neglect. Washington, DC: U. S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect.

Vygotsky, L. (2003). Thought and language. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Warren, R. (2002). The community in America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Wilson, W. (2002). The truly disadvantaged: The inner city, the underclass, and public policy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Summary of the Argument

The author uses the argument of the governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, to heap the blame on makers of violent video games by pointing out that the video games are solely to blame for real violence in the society (Whitehead).

According to the governor, it is the role of the state to assist parents in bringing up kids and one of the best ways is to outlaw the selling of excessively or sexually explicit video games to under age children (Whitehead). The governor agrees that as much as the parents have the basic role of the parent to impart ethics on their children, the state should complement such efforts (Whitehead).

The governor insists that kids have a right to play as kids but unfortunately, the entertainment industry waters down efforts to bring up outstanding men and women in the society through manufacture and sale of inappropriate video games to the kids (Whitehead).

He refers to gangland assassins, a video game that shows gang warfare and killing of prostitutes. Another video game teaches kids to aim at the head of President Kennedy by aping the position of Lee Harvey Oswald as the motorcade passes by (Whitehead).

The retailers of such games are diametrically opposed to such efforts and instead believe it is up to the parents to vet what their kids buy or watch (Whitehead). They hide under the banner of the free economy of giving and take at ones pleasure. The entrepreneurs have to survive just like any other citizen or so the argument implies.

Critique of the Authors Argument

The existence of a state agency that ought to deal with video game content but fails in its role is a pointer to inefficiency in the government and most probably due to corruption (Whitehead).

The government that licenses manufacturing and distribution of such video games should be fully aware of the intended content or the current content as it has the ability to do so. The government should, therefore, play its role of vetting the contents since outlawing licensed enterprises would only result in endless lawsuits.

As much as the governor warns against the video games, the retailers are right when they insist that parents must scrutinize the video games (Whitehead). Each parent must monitor their kids activities and encourage them to balance their lives with other games, both indoors and outdoors. When parents soothe their kids so much, that alone and not the video games can contribute to violent behavior.

When the author says that such control or vetting by the parents is not possible in the current era of portable devices, it exposes the reluctance in parents to talk to their kids on issues (Whitehead). It is not controlled alone that parents can do; they should explain to their kids why watching such games is not beneficial to them in the long run.

Parents who fear to instill discipline in their kids for fear of hatred from their kids have no one to blame but themselves. A kid who lacks discipline is likely to indulge in bad behavior even without gadgets like video games. Kids who have never had access to video games are not saints. The parent should be a role model.

In conclusion, the manufacturers must continue with their business, the parents must play their roles and the government must enforce regulations. No one will lay blame on each other.

Works Cited

Whitehead, Barbara Dafoe.Parents Need Help: Restricting Access to Video Games. Commonweal 132.2 (2005).

The riots that broke out in London on August 4, 2011 shocked the British society and the world at large. The violence, aggression, destructive behavior and looting displayed by the youth have elicited varied reactions and explanations from the public. That level of violence and destruction was not expected, even if the youth felt they had a genuine grievance after the police had shot one of them.

After that, the police did not know how to react, or feared reacting strongly, and the youth were allowed to go on the rampage in a manner that shocked the society. Once the dust settled, everyone tried to reflect and offer an explanation on the whole episode.

The picture that emerged was that there is moral rot in the society today, and the youth have no virtues at all. The riots were a clear indication that the youth of today have not been brought up well, and the thesis that the author of this article is trying to put across is that bad parenting is to blame for such bad behavior. The author tries to appeal to parents to rethink their parenting styles in order to bring up children who are morally responsible.

There have been several explanations put forth regarding the wanton display of violence and destruction. The shooting of the young, black man by the police was just the spark that lit the fire. Experts, and the general public alike, have been quick to raise issues like unemployment, poverty, repressive rule, societal disaffection and so on. The author refutes all these explanations.

First, London is not a place that is known for abject poverty. If riots were to break out because of poverty then they would not start in London. It is also not a place where religious zealotry, class warfare, or racial unrest would blow out to such proportions. The author is urging the society to drop all these convenient explanations and instead look at the real underlying cause, which she says is bad parenting.

There are several reasons why poor parenting has led to a society of violent, irresponsible youth. Parents nowadays are afraid to discipline their own children. The society has become too liberal, and the disciplinary powers of parents have been eroded (Gentleman, 2011). Parents fear chastising their children because they do not want to upset them. When the children make mistakes or break the law, there is no one to tell them off, and bad behavior becomes part of their everyday life.

In fact, the society seems to glorify bad behavior in our youth. The same applies to teachers, who are also helpless in the face of indiscipline from their students. Parents and teachers cannot punish the children, and this has encouraged the children to break rules and cause trouble without fear of repercussions. There has been a chorus of voices, led by the Mayor of London, urging for adults and teachers to be given back the right to discipline the children and impose their authority.

Those who sympathize with the youth point out that police harassment is a reality and should not be ignored. Police have been employing stop-and-search tactics that have amounted to harassment of the youth. These constant searches cause a lot of frustration to the youth and leave a scar on them. Since they lack a platform to channel their frustration through, they take it to the streets. However, the author points out that the reason why some youth are unemployed is simply those they do not want to work in many cases.

They would rather stay home and play video games than go to work because they claim it is too far from home, or the work is too hard, or the pay is not enough (Fralic, 2011). The parents then compound this by providing for all their needs, including the video games they play at home. The parents are, inadvertently, contributing to this laziness and lack of responsibility. A little firmness on their part and the youth would be out there working (Winget, 2011).

In writing this article the author is implicitly applying deontological theory of ethics as espoused by Immanuel Kant and W.D. Ross. The argument here is that doing good and avoiding bad deeds is the moral duty of everyone in the society. It is the work of the parents to teach their children good moral values.

According to Kant, we have to apply reasoning in fulfilling our moral duties. According to his principle of the categorical imperative, any action we engage in should be universally acceptable as good, and we should treat others as an end, not just as a means. If children are taught about moral responsibility from an early age by their parents, they will learn to respect others and their property.

They will know that they are expected to do good deeds in the society always if they are to live in harmony with others. Parents should know that teaching their children about moral values is a good deed in itself, which is expected of them. I totally agree with the author that if parents had taken their moral duties seriously, such problems could not have occurred with the youth.

References

Dunning, L., & Dunning, B. (2004). Good Parents, Bad Parenting: How to Parent Together when your Parenting Styles are Worlds Apart. Morrisville, NC: Lulu.

Fralic, S. (2011). Parents Bear Responsibility for the Recreational Rioter.

Gentleman, A. (2011, Aug 10). UK Riots: Being Liberal Is Fine, but we Need to be Given the Right to Parent. The Guardian Newspaper, P. 21.

Winget, L. (2011). Shut Up, Stop Whining, and Get a Life: A Kick-Butt Approach to a Better Life. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley.

Adult-to-child interactivity

Summary

The research investigates the influence of gadgets on relationships between parents and their children. The study took place in the park, where the researcher compared the frequency of parents interacting with their kids to the frequency of their interacting with their devices. It was found out that the fact of carrying and using devices led to a lesser amount of parents communicating with their offspring, and to the decrease in childrens happiness.

Questions about the study

Did the parents with very young children pay more attention to their kids in comparison to those whose offspring were older despite the devices? Did the interaction between parents and their gadgets endanger young children? Did any kids use devices when their parents did not, and, as a result, did they ignore their parents?

Alignment between methods, analysis, and conclusions

The researcher employed naturalistic observation in their study, which allowed for recording the natural, unaltered behavior of the sample. The observations were then analyzed about the theme of the effect of technology on the interaction between individuals. The conclusions that were made might sound too general for the conducted observation (the research indicated that most people through the social media neglect the obligations that they have to real people), but they do reflect the situation connected to the researched phenomena.

Bias in the study

The study might appear slightly biased against the usage of devices, perhaps drawing too generalized conclusions from the observation concerning the adversity of social media. However, the conclusions are supported by references to scholarly literature; for instance, Galloway (2013) also asserts that social media have highly negative consequences. In any case, the conclusions appear fully justified about the phenomena that were being studied.

Ethical research

Despite being restricted by the specifics of the method of observation, the researcher strived to protect the identity of the representatives of the sample and did not include any personal details in the study. Moreover, the researcher endeavored to avoid famous individuals, for recording their behavior would uncover their identity. Therefore, the scholar paid close attention to ethical issues while conducting the study.

Communication of research findings

The findings of the study are communicated in a clear and structured way. The purpose of the study, its strengths, and limitations, methods, the results of observations, as well as conclusions and implications are clearly stated. Despite the presence of linguistic imperfections, the material is easy to grasp and comprehend.

Effect of parenting styles on mood disorders and mobile device/social media usage in adolescents

Summary

The research by Name 2 investigates the correlation between four parenting styles (as defined in Garcia and Gracia (2009)) and perceived engagement of adolescent offspring in communication with parents versus the usage of mobile devices during family meals in a restaurant. It was found out that the less attention parent paid to their adolescent children, the more time the children spent using their mobile devices. The results of the study are backed up by a substantial literature review.

Questions about the study

What other factors, apart from the parenting style, might affect the number of time children spends using their devices? Were the kids always happy to abandon their gadgets when they were addressed by their parents? Did disengaged parent stimulate their children to use their devices?

Alignment between methods, analysis, and conclusions

The method of naturalistic observation was chosen to gather the data. The results were analyzed to find the dependence between the parenting style and the quantity of time spent by children while using their devices. The utilized method of data obtaining was adequate for such an analysis because it allowed perceiving the natural behavior of the families. The conclusions are directly based on the gathered data and its analysis and are supported by scholarly literature on the topic.

Bias in the study

The researcher has identified the main bias of the study, identifying the issues of possibly prejudiced definitions of the utilized concepts. Although the definitions were given after the observation has occurred, they might have been significantly dependent on the authors perceptions of family relationships.

Ethical research

The researcher thoroughly followed the ethical code while conducting the study, observing the families from a distance, not meddling in their affairs, and only recording those nuances of the samples behavior in a public place that was significant for the research. The confidentiality of the members of the sample has been protected; the scholar did not even know the names of the observed individuals and exposed no personal information in the study.

Communication of research findings

The findings of the study, as well as all the other data related to the research, are presented in an exemplary clear, well-structured way. The necessary components of a report about a study are provided explicitly. Despite some minor linguistic imperfections, the research is engaging and easy to comprehend.

References

Correa, T., Hinsley, A.W., & De ZúHiga, H.G. (2010). Who interacts on the Web? The intersection of users personality and social media. Computers in Human Behavior, 26(2), 247-253.

Galloway, A. R. (2013). The interface effect. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Garcia, F., & Gracia, E. (2009). Is always authoritative the optimum parenting style? Evidence from Spanish families. Adolescence, 44(73), 101-131.

Golbeck, J., Robles, C., & Turner, K. (2011). Predicting personality with social media. Proceedings of CHI EA 2011, CHI 2011 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 253-262. Web.

Introduction

In the past decades, the numbers of single parents have significantly become common. As a result, we have all manner of single-parent families in the world. The head of the household maybe mothers, fathers, or in some cases, grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. Past studies have shown that the number of single mother families rose from 12 percent to 36 percent (three million to ten million) between 1970 and 2003 in the US (Huffman, Kanikireddy and Patel 2800). Between the same period, the number of single father families increased by five percethe nt. This represented an increment from a half of a million to over two million homes. The possible causes for such increments may result from late marriages and high rates of divorce. Late marriages usually have many non-marital births.

We have to note that single parent homes have various sorts of problems for adults, children, and other dependents. Families of single parents cannot function like other nuclear families. For instance, a single parent may have difficulties in raising children, attending work, and meeting other needs of the family. In cases of breakups, financial problems may drastically affect the family.

Therefore, single parent families have to face some issues and potential problems, which most nuclear households do not experience. Some of these problems may include:

• Custody squabbles
• Visitation problems
• Consequences of prolonged conflicts between parents
• Family ties breakdown
• Effects of peer pressures and school performance
• The presence of a new or a step parent into the lives of the children

Single parent homes can find solutions to face their problems and live like other nuclear families. Some useful sources of support may include support organizations, friends, professional bodies, extended family members, and churches among others.

This article looks at some problems, which single parent homes experience from scholarly perspectives. Thus, it covers various issues that affect single parent homes.

Problems

Some studies have concentrated on how a structure of a family may influence the well-being of children. Waldfogel, Craigie, and Brooks-Gunn identified five ways in which a family structure affected the well-being of children. These include: parental resources, parental mental health, parental relationship quality, parenting quality, and father involvement (Waldfogel, Craigie, and Brooks-Gunn 87).

However, studies have not established how these factors influence children well-being and outcomes. These authors noted that relationships between broken homes and child outcomes were not the same. For instance, they noted that family instability had significant influences on a family structure than other forms of outcomes such as behavior issues.

Hemovich and Crano noted that adolescents from single parent homes were susceptible to delinquent behaviors and other forms of social misfits in society, including drug and alcohol abuse (Hemovich and Crano 2099). On the other hand, some studies have argued that compositions of homes have little impacts on adolescent behaviors or problems.

However, such studies have gone contrary to general finding on the issue. Hemovich and Crano show that children who live with single parents exhibit various forms of problems such as emotional distress, negative behaviors, delinquency, and drug use (Hemovich and Crano 2099). In addition, children from single parent homes experience challenges regarding availability of resources, more so in homes headed by women. Still, such children also get low-levels and inconsistent monitoring, which have contributed to their delinquency and drug abuse.

Zeiders, Roosa, and Tein looked at the relationship between family structures and family adjustment among single parent families of Mexican Americans (Zeiders, Roosa and Tein 77). According to a study by these researchers, adolescents from single parent homes had high-levels of school misconduct, conduct disorder or oppositional deviant disorder symptoms, major depressive disorder, and high rates of parent-child conflict than their counterparts in two parent families (Zeiders, Roosa and Tein 80).

Moreover, single parent mothers also reported high-levels of economic problems, stress, and depression. The researchers established that family stress and parent-child conflicts were common in single parent homes of Mexican Americans. In addition, these factors could explain the relations between early adolescent outcomes and family structures. Therefore, they are necessary for understanding problems among Mexican American single parents.

Some researchers have investigated effects of single parent homes on preschool children. Jackson, Preston and Franke used data from a sample of 89 poor and near-poor single black mothers and their preschool children to study the influences of parenting stress, physical discipline practices, and nonresident fathers relations with their children on behavior problems in kindergarten (Jackson, Preston and Franke 50). The study found out that high rates of stress among parents, child spanking, and few contacts with fathers had some behavior implications among children.

First, in some cases, teachers had cases of behavior problems among children. Second, increased visits and contacts from nonresident fathers controlled severe effects of cruel punishment imposed by mothers. This study shows that the absence of a father in the family leads to high rates of indiscipline among children. Moreover, any attempts to control such negative behaviors by mothers only increase the level of behavior problems among children. Therefore, the presence of a biological father in a home reduces cases of rebellion among preschool children.

Huffman, Kanikireddy, and Patel decided to investigate the relations between single parent and child obesity as a problem in single parent homes (Huffman, Kanikireddy and Patel 2800). These researchers noted that child obesity cases were on the rise in many households across the world. As a result, they linked parental status to issues like eating habits, blood cholesterol, and body weight.

They concluded that obesity problems among children had links to a single parent status. However, they proposed further studies to investigate the influence of single parent status on childrens diet and obesity. Parent and school involvement can address cases of obesity among children.

Improving Single Parent Homes

Some authors like Waldfogel and others have concluded that three types of policy reforms can address issues at single parent homes and their effects on children. They claim that we can reduce the number of children in fragile families by reducing unwanted births or enhancing family stability. Second, we can address challenges such families face by encouraging participation of both parents in raising children and providing the necessary resources. Third, we can focus directly on problems, which such children face, especially education, visitation, and behavior issues among others.

Conclusion

It is worth mentioning that this paper has focused on problems, which single-parent homes experience. However, there are also some elements of positive outcomes among such families. For instance, the dissolution of marriages affected by conflicts can reduce problems that arise from such conflicts. Children and parents have reported reduced cases of problems associated with nuclear families, which result from marital issues. Thus, single-parent homes may avoid problems associated with such nuclear families. However, problems of single-parent homes are numerous.

Works Cited

Hemovich, Vanessa and William Crano. Family Structure and Adolescent Drug Use: An Exploration of Single-Parent Families. Subst Use Misuse 44.14 (2009): 2099 2113. Print.

Huffman, Fatma, Sankarabharan Kanikireddy and Manthan Patel. ParenthoodA Contributing Factor to Childhood Obesity. Int J Environ Res Public Health 7.7 (2010): 28002810. Print.

Jackson, Aurora, Kathleen Preston and Todd Franke. Single Parenting and Child Behavior Problems in Kindergarten. Race Soc Probl. 2.1 (2010): 5058. Print.

Waldfogel, Jane, Terry-Ann Craigie and Jeanne Brooks-Gunn. Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing. Future Child 20.2 (2010): 87112. Print.

Zeiders, Katharine, Mark Roosa and Jenn-Yun Tein. Family Structure and Family Processes in Mexican American Families. Fam Process 50.1 (2011): 7791. Print.

The problem of underage drinking is not a new one in American society, yet many parents today demonstrate a total lack of strategy on how to deal with it. Common sense demands that parents be at the forefront in guiding their adolescent youth toward adopting good standards of behavior and moral responsibility. However, it is clear from the many studies conducted on underage drinking that parents continue to play a significant role in introducing the youth to alcohol and subsequent alcohol dependence through exposure (Jackson, Ennet, Dickinson, Bowling, 2013). This issue demands sufficient attention. Hence this article dwells on demonstrating what parents should do to avoid exposing the youth to alcohol to successfully address the issue of underage drinking.

In the context of this article, parental exposure is used to imply the behaviors and actions that the youth are exposed to when their parents engage in drinking sprees for whatever reasons. Some parents are keen on taking their children to social gatherings and family parties, where alcohol is served along with other enticements. Other parents take pride in taking their children to recreational facilities over the weekends to enjoy themselves, while the guardians consume alcohol in the guise of relaxing after a long and difficult week. Indeed, there may be nothing wrong in taking the youth to social gatherings and recreational facilities as has been the tradition in most American families. However, the behaviors and actions that follow after parents take alcohol in such events make a substantial impact on youth decisions to drink (Haugland, 2003).

Parents in this community must realize that children and youth learn from the behaviors and actions exhibited by significant others. Specifically, this group of the population learns and internalizes behavior based on the events happening in the immediate environment (Haugland, 2003). Consequently, if parents project an image that alcoholism is cool, many of the youth will have no option other than to internalize that image and start experimenting with alcohol reinforced by the perception that they will be as cool as their parents. In this context, it is highly advisable that parents exercise a lot of caution and responsibility while drinking to avoid projecting an image that will interfere with their childrens perceptions of alcohol and alcoholism.

One of the ways that parents can use to demonstrate responsibility, in my view, is by taking their children to social gatherings or recreational facilities that do not serve any alcohol. Parents must desist from indulging their children in social events where alcohol is served at will.

Parental exposure is not limited to, social gatherings and recreational facilities. On the contrary, available research demonstrates that a high percentage of children and youth are exposed to alcohol in home settings (Haugland, 2003). Consider a situation whereby a parent engages in drinking at his own home and at the full glare of his children, or where a parent sends his adolescent son to buy alcohol from the nearby pub for the parents consumption at home. In both scenarios, the children are unnecessarily exposed to alcohol and may grow up thinking that alcohol is a good thing since their parents drink it from the comfort of their homes.

Parents must, therefore, take the necessary precautionary steps to ensure that their children are not exposed to alcohol in home settings. A good way to go about this is to have a special room in the house that they can use to consume alcohol away from the glare of their children. Another way would be to engage in taking alcohol after all the children have gone to sleep to avoid instilling a perception that alcohol is good since it can be taken in home settings. One way or the other, the main objective of taking such precautionary measures should be to avoid engaging in any event that may end up adversely affecting your children in the future.

Alcohol is known to adversely affect some important cognitive functions, including the ability to make the right decisions (Haugland, 2003). Consequently, many parents who take alcohol find themselves in a situation whereby they may be unable to make the right decisions in front of their children, while others go to the point of abusing the children or demonstrating antisocial behavior.

This is a major area of concern as such behaviors may have additional social ramifications on the children other than exposing them to underage drinking. Research has shown that children from alcoholic parents are more likely to demonstrate aggression in school than those in the general population (Jackson et al., 2013). It is, therefore, of critical importance for parents to demonstrate leadership and responsibility to their children even though they engage in alcohol consumption. Alcohol-dependent parents must be encouraged to seek help at the earliest possible opportunity to avoid a scenario that would easily compromise the social and psychological development of their children.

Overall, parental exposure is an important concern which should be considered with the weight it deserves. Parents need to desist from acting as reinforcements to underage drinking by taking control of their drinking habits and behaviors. Of essence is the fact that parents should take the initiative not to expose children and the youth to alcohol in social gatherings, recreational facilities, and home contexts.

References

Haugland, B.S.M. (2003). Paternal alcohol abuse: Relationship between child adjustment, parental characteristics, and family functioning. Child Psychology & Human Development, 34(2), 127-146. Web.

Jackson, C., Ennet, S., Dickinson, D., & Bowling, J. (2013). Attributes that differentiate children who sip alcohol from abstinent peers. Journal of Youth & Adolescence, 42(11), 1687-1695. Web.

Introduction

The misuse of substance among children has been a major problem in most countries (Velleman and Templeton 2007). Research has indicated that children who are introduced to substance abuse at early stages in their lives are likely to develop serious psychological and behavior disorders in adulthood (Velleman and Templeton 2007). In America and most of European countries, children are introduced to substance abuse as early as the age of 11 years. The problem of substance abuse is particularly common among the adolescent. This is because the children at this stage are likely to adventure and to imitate others. Consequently, they imitate the use of various substance such as alcohol, tobacco and marijuana from their significant others. Research has indicated that children will abuse substance if their parents are consumers of such substance (Andrews, Hops and Duncan 1997). Earlier research studies have identified the risk factors that lead to substance abuse among children whose parents abuse the same substance. However, how these risk factors influence the use of substance by the children is not well understood. This research will build on the findings of earlier studies. It will use qualitative research to investigate the relationship between age and gender of adolescents and their relationship with their parents with the aim of determining how this relationship contributes to substance use among the adolescents.

Literature Review

Earlier research studies have proved that children whose parents abuse substance are likely to develop the same behavior (Chapple, Hope and Whiteford 2005). Studies have indicted that parenting has indirect effect on substance use among the adolescents (Chapple, Hope and Whiteford 2005). These studies suggested that parental factors on substance use among adolescents operate indirectly (Chapple, Hope and Whiteford 2005).This is through stable characteristics among the adolescents (Chapple, Hope and Whiteford 2005). The studies by Chapple, Hope and Whiteford (2005) investigated the relationship between self-control among the youth and the parenting variables. They concluded that the variables operate indirectly to prevent the adolescents from abusing substance (Chapple, Hope and Whiteford 2005). They identified the intensity of relationship and emotional attachment between the parents and their children as the factors that determine the childrens ability to imitate their parents in relation to substance use (Chapple, Hope and Whiteford 2005). However, the relationship between these factors and the level of substance use among children is yet to be understood. Besides, the conclusions were based on personal views and suggestions rather than empirical evidence.

According to Andrews, Hops, and Duncan (2007) adolescents are likely to model the use substance if the relationship between them and their parents is good. Their investigations indicate that the most influential factor that introduces adolescents to substance abuse is their parents use of substance (Andrews, Hops and Duncan 1997). This study indicates that mothers have more influence on adolescents than fathers (Andrews, Hops and Duncan 1997). However, this conclusion did not take into account the effects of age and gender among the adolescents in relation to the influence of their parents (Andrews, Hops and Duncan 1997). It also did not identify why mothers are more influential than fathers and how it happens.

According to Plant, Orford and Grant (1989), parents who drink excess alcohol are likely to have children with the same behavior. According to their findings, parental use of substance has long-term effect on their children (Plant, Orford and Grant 1089). These effects include crime, substance abuse and suicide (Plant, Orford and Grant 1089). However, their study did not investigate why some children whose parents abuse substance abstain from the same substance. According to Velleman and Templeton (2007), substance use among parents has both social and mental effects on their children in addition to initiating them to the use of the same substance. However, their study did not explain how the risk factors initiate the children to substance abuse.

From the above literature review, it is clear that children are likely to use substance in future if their parents use the same substance (Plant, Orford and Grant 1089). The intensity of the relationship and emotional attachment between the parents and their children determine whether the children will imitate their parents in using substance or not (Chapple, Hope and Whiteford 2005). Earlier researches identified that parental use of substance has an influence on their childrens use of the same substance. However, they did not investigate how this happens. Consequently, an academic research on the relationship between age, gender and the relationship between the parents and their children is needed as a response to the above challenges. The sociological theory of differential association will be used to investigate the relationship between the parents and their children. The control theory will be used to investigate why some children do not use substance despite the fact that their patents use them.

Hypotheses

Based on the issues and questions raised in the literature review, the following questions will be investigated:

1. What is the relationship between age and gender of the adolescents and the influence that their parents have on them?
2. What is the role of the relationship between parents and their children in relation to substance use?
3. What is the relationship between a childs belief on moral standards and the influence of their parents?

Research Design or Method

This will be a qualitative research study that will use sociological theories and both primary and secondary sources of data to investigate how parental influence leads to substance abuse among their children.

Data Collection

The primary sources of data will include the statistics on substance use among adolescents and their parents. This will be obtained from the states department of crime and law enforcement. Data on substance use will also be obtained directly from the adolescents and their parents. Secondary sources of data will include reports of earlier research works and publications or journal articles on the research topic. The methods of collecting data will include surveys, focused group discussions and article review. All these methods are needed since the topic is wide and requires a lot of information to be analyzed.

Sampling

The participants in the study will include adolescents (between 9-20 years) and parents below 50 years of age. To ensure representativeness, the study will be conducted in every district of the country. The marginalized communities will also be considered in the study. To avoid bias, the participants will be picked at random in order to give everyone an equal opportunity of being picked. The size of the population will depend on the time and resources available to support the study.

Constructs

In research question one, age and gender will be conceptualized as characteristics. The measurements will include variance in parental influence in relation to the age of the child, the relationship between daughters and their mothers/ fathers, the relationship between sons and their mothers/ fathers. In question two, the role of the relationship between parents and their children will be conceptualized as commitment. The measurements will include the authority of parents over their children, the role of parents in socializing their children, and childrens perspective on parents behavior. In question three, the measurements of belief will include childrens perspective on morality and childrens ability to identify right from wrong.

Data Analysis

The first step in data analysis will be proofreading the surveys to ensure that they are complete and free of grammatical errors. Statistical tools such as ANOVAs and Chi-squares will be used to analyze the data. The result of the analysis will be presented in the form of a report that answers the questions of the research.

References

Andrews, Judith A., Hyman Hops, and Susan C. Duncan.1997. Adolescent Modeling of Parental Substance Use: The Moderating Effect of the Relationship with the parent. Journal of Family Psychology 11(3): 259-270.

Chapple, Costance L., Trina L. Hope, and Scott W. Whiteford. 2005. The Direct and Indirect Effect of Parental Bonds, Parental Drug Use and Self-Control on Adolescent Substance Use. Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse 14(3): 17-35.

Plant, Michael A., John Orford, and Michael Grant. 1989. The Effects of Children and Adolescents of Parents Excessive Drinking: An International Review. Public Health Report 104(5): 433-442.

Velleman, Richard and Lorna Templeton. 2007. Understanding and Modifying the Impact of Parents Substance Misuse on Children. Advocacies in Psychiatric Treatment 13(1): 79-89.

Corporal punishment has always been a controversial subject not only for the United States but also for the rest of the world. Opinions are often divided when it comes to the effectiveness of corporal punishment as a tool for disciplining children. In most circles, corporal punishment is also known as a spanking. The differences in opinion when it comes to corporal punishment are not necessarily specific to political, religious, demographic, or geographical affiliations.

Jessica Beagley, a mother from Anchorage, was recently put before a jury to answer to charges of abusing her adopted son. The revelations about Beagleys behaviors were brought to the authorities attention when she sought help about how to discipline her children from renowned TV psychiatrist Dr. Phil.

The events surrounding Miss Beagleys charges have rekindled the debate on whether corporal punishment is an acceptable method of disciplining children. Corporal punishment has proved to be an effective disciplinary method, and the government and child protective services should give parents room to exercise it at their discretion.

When corporal punishment is employed correctly, it is a safe, effective, and an appropriate tool for disciplining unruly children. Corporal punishment is not usually the go-to disciplinary tool for most parents. Responsible and reasonable parents usually try to understand the childs position first. On the other hand, the parent will often try to explain the consequences of unruly behavior to the child. In the video that Miss Beagley sent to The Doctor Phil Show, she can be seen trying to reason with the unruly child.

The next form of punishment is only carried out after this approach has failed. Also, parents usually try milder forms of punishment before resorting to corporal punishment. Milder forms of punishment might not work for most children, but they might prove to be a good choice for others.

Corporal punishment should also be mild and the slight pain it inflicts is often supposed to send a physical and a psychological message to the child. Researchers have found corporal punishment or spanking to be particularly effective on children aged between two and six years.

Corporal punishment is known for inducing short-term compliance in unruly children. Most times, children will often test the resolve of the disciplinarians when other modes of discipline are enforced. For instance, when children are punished by being denied television privileges, they can keep trying to watch it when the parent is not around.

However, corporal punishment produces instant results because parents can be able to monitor compliance almost immediately. This attribute makes corporal punishment a more effective disciplinary tool. The videos that were presented to Doctor Phil show parents being involved in lengthy confrontations with their children a situation that can be easily resolved using corporal punishment.

Corporal punishment has often been associated with long-term shortcomings, but this view is unsubstantiated. Opponents of corporal punishment blame the practice for anti-social behaviors in children, among other problems. However, this view is biased because all other disciplinary methods can lead to similar problems. Comparative research indicates that the long-term effects of corporal punishment are similar to those of other punishment methods such as grounding or professional counseling.

Using corporal punishment within reason can produce good results when disciplining unruly children. Most of the opposition against corporal punishment is based on unsubstantiated results. The case of Jessica Beagley is an indication of the overstepped mandate by child protective services. Also, corporal punishment is not a hallmark of any parenting style, and it should only be used in appropriate situations.

Introduction

The issue of immigration in the U.S. has been a topic of debate for many years. However, one aspect that often lacks proper attention from the authorities and the general public is the children of immigrants who are left in their home countries. This paper aims to evaluate the implications of leaving children in their home state while moving to the U.S. and the emotional impact of these actions.

Annotated Bibliography

A book written by Sonia Nazario titled Enriques Journey portrays a boy traveling to the United States. The story is based on the issue that is explored in this paper because Enriques mother left Honduras to immigrate into a different country without her son (15). While the primary aim for the move was to find a job and send money for Enriques education, the woman never returned to Honduras, and thus her son decided to go to North Carolina to find her.

Nazarios book is an ideal illustration of children left behind by their parents. The book serves as the basis for this paper because it displays the emotional difficulties of the child and his desire to reunite with the mother, which is the focus of this essay.

Stories similar to that described by Nazario help the issue of parental immigration gain public attention, primarily because this book is based on real-life events. However, a more scientific approach that allows one to evaluate evidence and the actual impact of such actions is necessary. Shen and Zhang studied the subjective well-being of children living in rural China whose parents moved to a city (127).

There is a significant difference in self-reported health and happiness in families where one or both parents left when compared to integral families. Moreover, Shen and Zhang report that there is a difference in the impact that depends on whether a mother or a father is migrating to a different place (128). This occurs because, in the second case, the motivation of children enhances. Therefore, this study is essential for this paper as it provides a better understanding of the variables that one should consider when evaluating the impact of parental immigration on children.

Unarguably, the absence of parents due to immigration affects the emotional state of children. Zhao et al. conducted a study examining the psychological implications of children who were left without parental support due to migration (80). The authors offer the term left-behind children (LBC) due to a large number of similar occurrences and the nature of these events. Next, Fellmeth et al. investigated many studies focusing on parental immigration to determine the impact it on the growth and development of children (2567).

This study is essential for the investigation of the problem because it accounts for a lot of factors and examines long-term implications. Fellmeth et al. concluded that even when parents immigrated for less than six months, their children had a high risk of developing nutrition issues, mental health problems, or unintentionally injuring themselves (2567). The results are based on the examination of 264,967 children, which suggests that this effect is an actual danger to children.

Claim

The issue of parents immigrating without their children is prevalent not only in the U.S. The importance of this problem increases globally because individuals all over the world choose this path (Fellmeth et al. 2567). In most cases, this migration prevails in low-income countries where people are unable to find a job and earn a decent income. The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) argues that overall migration has become more prevalent in the recent decade because traveling has become more convenient and more accessible (Migration and Children).

Thus, the ability to collect information about distant counties and access to transportation means, together with the desire of improving ones living conditions, facilitate the need to immigrate. This is especially evident in the United States because of economic prosperity and the large number of immigrants entering the country each year. A choice to leave children in the home state, however, is questionable because both positive and negative outcomes are a result of such actions.

Therefore, this paper claims that despite the initial motive of improving the financial well-being of their families, parents who leave their children to travel to the U.S. affect their children adversely. Additionally, the research suggests that a severe impact on both the psychical and emotional health of children is the result of such immigration, which requires additional attention from policymakers. However, this paper also acknowledges that the issue is an outcome of social and economic problems that affect states globally and thus cannot be resolved quickly.

Why Migrants Want to Go to the U.S.

As was previously mentioned, the primary motive of choosing to come to the United States is the economic struggles that people face in developing nations. Turkewitz and Del Real provide an example of an immigrant from Guatemala who was placed in a detention center after crossing the border. The man was well aware of the possible consequences of his illegal actions; however, he did not want to return to Guatemala because of the social conditions in his country.

Moreover, he decided to travel with one of his sons, leaving behind three other children and his wife. Turkewitz and Del Real state that despite the current policies in the U.S. becoming stricter, people choose to migrate with the hope of finding a source of income for themselves and their families. Therefore, the primary motive that guides individuals is the desire to improve their lives and those of their children. Their children, in return, want to reunite with their families, as was illustrated by Enriques case.

Other causes of parental and child migration include increased crime rates, which endanger individuals, and the inability to travel with children due to their age or other reasons. Similar conclusions are made by UNICEF and Fellmeth et al. that provide an understanding of migration in general (Migration and Children). For instance, gun violence and other crimes can lead to parents choosing to leave for the United States. In some cases, they hope that they will be able to reunite with their children afterward. The complexity of this problem suggests that there is no simple solution because poverty and crimes motivate people to immigrate, leaving their children.

Supporting Details

In most cases, parents choose to migrate because they want to earn money for their families. However, the journey of such people on their way to the U.S. is often dangerous and unpredictable. One example is Nazarios book in which Enrique traveled through mountains and came to the U.S. without any money or legal documents allowing him to stay (56). This in itself has several implications  including lack of proper wages, no health insurance, a need to continually be alerted, and inability to return home for these parents. Thus, the journey of the parents is usually not simple, and children who decide to reunite may also experience a lot of difficulties.

Emotional Impact, Changes, Consequences, and Surroundings

The studies presented in the Annotated Bibliography section of this paper suggest that the emotional impact of parental immigration on children is adverse. Fellmeth et al. state that in most cases, these children have issues with mental health, including depression and other disorders (2568). Lack of parental support and inability to reunite with their families is a severe stress for children. Therefore, the emotional impact is adverse in most cases, regardless of the ability to have access to resources and education that is enabled by parents working in the United States.

In essence, by migrating to the U.S., parents from developing countries can find a job that will help support their families. However, for children, the significant change in their surroundings, which is illustrated by Shen and Zheng and Zhao et al., is challenging to overcome (127; 80). The authors conclude that the emotional connection with parents is crucial for children when they are growing up.

Thus, despite the good intentions, children, in most cases, are unable to understand the implications and motives of immigration, which results in frustration and dissatisfaction because they are left with other relatives. Moreover, UNICEF argues that immigration affects people in the surroundings as well because it changes the communities in terms of workforce and composition of families (Migration and Children). Therefore, immigration in question has a severe impact on the emotional state of individuals due to significant changes in the environment and its consequences.

Lives Upon Accomplishing their Goals

While people migrating to the United States can find a better job and have improved life experience, one should note that in many instances, children want to reunite with their parents. UNICEF argues that migration alters the structure of families (Migration and Children). Also, the years spend apart unarguably affect the relationship between children and parents. Therefore, while the initial goal of being able to provide for the relatives is accomplished, other aspects of family life suffer because of parental absence.

This is especially evident in the study by Shen and Zhang, which provides an understanding of the fact that the lack of a mother has a significant negative effect on ones psychological well-being (127). This dissonance between the initial goal and actual outcomes is the primary issue of parental immigration and left-behind children.

Opposing Views

One can argue that, similarly to the story described by Nazario, most immigrants want to ensure a better life for their children by traveling to the United States, finding a job, and sending money home. This can be done for a variety of reasons, including poverty, low wages, social difficulties, and other struggles that obstruct these people from living in their countries. While the argument is valid, the evidence suggests that the emotional and even physical impact on these children is adverse. Thus, the parents are left with a choice of staying with their families and living in poverty or trying to find other options.

Additionally, one can examine the journey of people who decided to take their children with them when migrating to the U.S. and the outcomes of such stories as an example of dangers that can be encountered along the way. Due to the fact that a lot of immigrants come to the United States illegally by crossing mountains or other entry points, one can suggest that taking their children would be irresponsible. This, in most cases, is real. However, the fact does not contradict the variety of psychological and physical issues that LBC encounter.

Similar to the story described in Nazarios book, most individuals decide to come to the United States to earn money for their families. UNICEF claims that a 2004 report found that LBC benefits from migration (Migration and Children). It is because parents can send home money that is used to purchase food and healthcare items. However, the outcomes depend on the context, including the specifics of the country where children live and their character traits. The organization does not provide statistical data that would substantiate the claim and allow one to compare the adverse and beneficial outcomes of parents immigrating. Therefore, while there are some positive aspects of this issue, the overall impact on the children and their development is not good.

Conclusion

Overall, this paper examined the issue of parents immigrating to the United States and leaving their children in their home states. The Annotated Bibliography focused on the book by Nazario that portrays a real-life story of a boy who decided to find his immigrant mother. The evidence is suggesting the adverse impact of such actions, which was explored as well, by examining studies that evaluate the well-being of children. In conclusion, while parents immigrate to be able to support their families, the variety of adverse effects that impact the development of their children suggest that this approach is not the best.

Works Cited

Fellmeth, Gracia, et al. Health Impacts of Parental Migration on Left-Behind Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis. The Lancet, vol. 392, no. 10164, 2018, pp. 2567-2582.

Migration and Children. UNICEF. Web.

Nazario, Sonia. Enriques Journey. Random House, 2006.

Shen, Ke, and Yuan Zhang. The Impacts of Parental Migration on Childrens Subjective Well-Being in Rural China: A Double-Edged Sword. Eurasian Geography and Economics, vol. 59, no.2, 2018, pp. 127-132.

Turkewitz, Julie and Jose Del Real. Why Are Parents Bringing Their Children on Treacherous Treks to the U.S. Border? New York Times, 2018. Web.

Zhao, Chenyue, et al. Impact of Parental Migration on Psychosocial Well-Being of Children Left Behind: A Qualitative Study in Rural China. International Journal for Equity in Health, vol. 17, no. 1, 2018, p. 80.