Codependency and Parenting Styles

Abstract

This study examined the association between the parent-child relationship (as perceived by late adolescent-early adult children) and the adolescent's codependency. College students 17through 22 years of age (N = 175) reported the parenting style of their mother and father (via ratings of perceived parental support and coercive control) and completed a scale assessing their own level of codependency. Parenting style (uninvolved, permissive, authoritarian, and democratic) was related to offspring codependency in that daughters of authoritarian fathers had higher codependency scores than did daughters of permissive fathers, whereas sons of authoritarian fathers reported higher levels of codependency than did sons of uninvolved fathers. It appeared that the exercise of control on the partoffathers untempered byperceptions ofpaternal warmth or support was related to higher codependency scores in offspring. Parenting style of mothers was unrelated to codependency scores in offspring. Future research should investigate other indirect as well as direct associations of parenting with offspring codependency.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Baumrind, D. (1971). Current patterns of parental authority. Developmental Psychology Monographs, 4(1, Part 2), 1-103.

Baumrind, D. (1975). Early socialization and adolescent competence. In S. E. Dragastin & G. H. Elder, Jr. (Eds.), Adolescence in the life cycle (pp. 117-143). New York: Halsted.

Baumrind, D. , & Black, A. E. (1967). Socialization practices associated with dimensions of competence in pre-school boys and girls. Child Development, 38, 291-327.

Beattie, M. (1987). Codependent no more. New York: Harper/Hazelden.

Benson, C. S. , & Heller, K. (1987). Factors in the current adjustment of young adult daughters of alcoholic and problem drinking fathers. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 96, 305-312.

Buri, J. R. , Louiselle, P. A. , Misukanis, T. M. , & Mueller, R. A. (1988). Effects of parental authoritativeness on self-esteem. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 14, 271-282.

Capell-Sowder, K. (1984). On being addicted to the addict: Co-dependent relationships. In U.S. Journal of Drug and Alcohol Dependency & Health Communications (Compilers), Codependency: An emerging issue (pp. 19-24). Pompano Beach, FL: Health Communications.

Cermak, T. (1986). Diagnostic criteria for codependency. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 18, 15-20.

Dornbusch, S. M. , Ritter, P. L. , Leiderman, P. H. , Roberts, D. F. , & Fraleigh, M. J. (1987). The relation of parenting style to adolescent school performance. Child Development, 58, 1244-1257.

10.

Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and crisis. New York: Norton.

11.

Fischer, J. L. (1980). Reciprocity, agreement, and family style in disturbed and nondisturbed families. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 9, 391-406.

12.

Fischer, J. L. (1981). Transitions in relationship style from adolescence to young adulthood. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 10, 11-23.

13.

Fischer, J. L. , Linn, J. , & Crawford, D. (1990, July). Research on codependency and close relationships. Paper presented at the Fifth Intemational Conference on Close Relationships, Oxford, England.

14.

Fischer, J. L. , Spann, L. , & Crawford, D. W. (1991). Measuring codependency. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 8, 87-100.

15.

Johnson, B. M. , Shulman, S. , & Collins, W. A. (1991). Systemic patterns of parenting as reported by adolescents: Developmental differences and implications for psychosocial outcomes. Journal of Adolescent Research, 6, 235-252.

16.

Maccoby, E. E. , & Martin, J. A. (1983). Socialization in the context of the family: Parent-child interaction. In P. H. Mussen (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology (4th ed., pp. 1-101). New York: Wiley.

17.

O'Farrell, T. J. , & Birchler, G. R. (1987). Marital relationships of alcoholic, conflicted, and nonconflicted couples. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 13, 259-274.

18.

Peterson, G. , & Rollins, B. (1987). Parent-child socialization. In M. Sussman & S. Steinmetz (Eds.), Handbook of marriage and the family (pp. 471-507). New York: Plenum.

19.

Prest, L. A. , & Storm, C. (1988). The codependent relationships of compulsive eaters and drinkers: Drawing parallels. American Journal of Family Therapy, 16, 339-350.

20.

Schaef, A. W. (1986). Co-dependence: Misunderstood-mistreated. San Francisco: Harper & Row.

21.

Schaefer, E. (1965). Children's reports of parental behavior: An inventory. Child Development, 36,413-424.

22.

Spann, L. , & Fischer, J. L. (1990). Identifying co-dependency. The Counselor, 8, 27-27.

23.

Wegscheider-Cruse, S. (1985). Choice-making. Pompano Beach, FL: Health Communications.

24.

Woititz, J. (1983). Adult children of alcoholics. Hollywood, FL: Health Communications.

25.

Young, E. (1987). Co-alcoholism as a disease: Implications for psychotherapy. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 19, 257-268.