The Relationship between Strength-Based Parenting with Children’s Stress Levels and Strength-Based Coping Approaches

Abstract

The current study adopted a positive psychology approach to examine the role of a positively oriented style of parenting—strength-based parenting (SBP)—on levels of stress in primary school aged children. Specifically, the study tested the degree to which SBP was directly and indirectly related to stress levels in children, partly through its influence on children’ coping responses. A community sample of Australian upper-primary school aged children (N= 103; Mage = 11.30; SD = 1.10; 57% female, 43% male) participated in a cross-sectional, mixed methods field study using self-report surveys and behavioral vignette. A series of multiple regression analyses found that SBP was significantly negatively related to stress levels and significantly positively related to strength-based coping in children. In addition, strength-based coping partially mediated the relationship between SBP and stress levels in children, suggesting that one reason why SBP reduced stress in children was that it encouraged children to take strength-based coping approaches when faced with adversity. SBP thus increases the endogenous resources (i.e., personal strengths) that children can draw upon to address resources with demands that leads to stress. The discussion provides practical implications for SBP and suggestions for future research in this area.