Options
Help-seeking behaviours of parents with delinquent children
Author
Long, Cindy May Yee
Supervisor
Lim, Kam Ming
Abstract
This study arises from concerns about escalating youths' offending behaviour. This study examines the help-seeking attitudes and behaviour of parents with at-risk children across 4 levels of help-seeking involvement: (i) parents who seek help straight away from the Juvenile court; (ii) seek help from the Juvenile Court but have also seek previous formal help; (iii) seek help from other official sources; (iv) mandated by the Police to seek help for their children. A sample of 120 parents with at-risk children was surveyed in terms of their: 1) attitudes towards help-seeking behaviour; 2) perceived barriers toward seeking help; 3) perceived parenting styles, and 4) parenting resources which they perceived as valuable or useful. This study also examines the influence of parenting styles on 1) attitudes toward seeking help and 2) perceived barriers toward seeking help. The sample completed the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Help Scale, Barriers to Adolescents Seeking Help Questionnaire, and Parental Authority Questionnaire. MANOVA results revealed a significant main effect of help-seeking involvement on tolerance of stigma: parents who have previously sought professional help before seeking the court's assistance reported higher tolerance of stigma compared to parents whose children are placed on the mandatory police Guidance Program. A significant main effect of involvement was also found for openness about one's problems; parents who sought the Juvenile Court's assistance as a first resource were less open with self-disclosure as compared to those who have previously sought professional help before seeking the court's assistance and parents who sought help from other sources. A significant main effect of involvement on presence of court as a useful resource was found: parents who sought the Juvenile Court's assistance as a first source of help and parents who previously sought professional help before seeking the court's assistance rated the Juvenile Court as a more important resource highest as compared to parents who sought help from other help sources. Correlation studies revealed that authoritarian parenting style is negatively correlated with openness with self-disclosure, suggesting that authoritarian parents are less willing to self-disclose. Authoritative parenting style is negatively correlated with barriers toward seeking help, indicating that authoritative parents are less resistant to help-seeking. Despite the few sets of significant results, this study is an attempt to provide some insights on better ways to fit into the needs of parents with delinquent children. Understanding parents' help-seeking attitudes and behaviour in the Singapore context provides useful frameworks that can assist agencies planning or are currently offering professional help to parents.
Date Issued
2007
Call Number
HM1141 Lon
Date Submitted
2007