This is the tenth and final post in a series of blogs about the benefits of connectedness between parents and children.

A research report in 2005, from the journal known as Current Opinion in Pediatrics, explored different parenting practices and how they influence risky behaviors among youth. Researchers reviewed an abundant amount of literature on parenting and teenage risk behaviors.

They found that recent studies showed that having a parent around brought immediate and long-term protective effects on risky behaviors among young people. Parent-child connectedness and an authoritative parenting style are definitely protective for teens.

When parents intentionally monitor their children, there is a protective effect against many teen risk behaviors for families in both middle-class populations and poor urban environments. Parents who are actively involved in their teens’ lives, are moderating the effect of peer influence into late adolescence.

On the other hand, unsupervised time, exposure to sexual possibilities, and out-of-home care tend to increase sexual behavior. But improved communication between parents and children works to reduce sexual risk behaviors.

The researchers ended by stating that recent studies show significant, enduring, and protective influences on teenage development from positive parenting practices. In particular, parental monitoring, open parent-child communication, supervision and a high quality of the parent-child relationship deter involvement in high-risk behaviors.

Authoritative parenting generally leads to the best outcomes for teens. Parental connection has been proven again and again as a positive force in the lives of children, and as a valuable asset in their development, as well as protecting them from so many of the risks that they face every single day!

That concludes this series of posts examining some of the professional literature that is available about the benefits of parents connecting with their children.