Parents who yell, insult, or swear in an effort to correct bad behaviour may perpetuate the behaviour and increase a child's risk for depression, new research suggests.
The longitudinal study led by behavioural psychologist, Dr Ming-Te Wang of the University of Pittsburgh found that nearly half of parents (around 46% of mothers and 43% of fathers) reported using harsh verbal language to discipline their 13- and 14-year-old children.
The research showed that the higher the exposure to harsh verbal discipline at age 13, the greater the likelihood of adolescent behaviour problems and symptoms of depression.
The study is among the first to examine the impact of parental verbal discipline on teen behaviour and depression.
"The finding suggests that a coercive cycle of parenting is operating in which a parent might react to children's conduct problems with hostile and demeaning verbal discipline, and these verbal assaults may thus provoke the adolescent to further engage in disruptive behaviour," the researchers wrote.
Professor Nadine Kaslow of Emory University School of Medicine (who was not involved in the study) said the findings highlight the futility and potential harms of reacting to adolescent behavioural issues with harsh verbal discipline.
"It sends the message that when you are mad or upset or scared, yelling is the way to deal with it. That is the opposite of the message parents should be sending.
“Also, shouting and yelling doesn't really work. It may stop the behaviour for a while, but the child will probably be exhibiting the same behaviour within an hour or two."
The findings also suggested that parental warmth was not a buffer against the effects of harsh verbal discipline.
"Harsh verbal discipline was associated with increased conduct problems and depressive symptoms regardless of whether parenting style was characterised by low, moderate, or high levels of maternal and paternal warmth," the researchers wrote.
The study included 967 two-parent families and their children who were participants in a longitudinal trial examining family socialisation and adolescent development.
About 50% of the participants were Caucasian, 40% were African American and the rest came from other ethnic backgrounds. All were recruited through ten public schools in Pennsylvania.
The study was published in the September issue of the journal Child Development.
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