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Category: Volume 06 Issue 09 September 2018
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Title: A Cross- Sectional Study to Assess the Extent of Helicopter Parenting in Adolescent Age Group

Authors: Dr Veena Yesikar, Dr Ruchita Banseria, Dr Sanjay Dixit, Dr Amit Gharia, Dr Yogesh Chouhan

 DOI:  https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v6i9.119

Abstract

“Helicopter parenting “or cosseting parent is a term used to describe a phenomenon of a growing number of parents, who pays extremely close attention and obsessed with their children’s success particularly at areas of decision making, academic institutions, and social relationships. This was a cross-sectional study. Systematic sampling method is used for selection of sample for this every 3rd student is taken. 100 students are selected from each institute, so total 200 students and 200 parents are taken for the study this makes sample size of 400. The respondent parents had a mean age of 47.1 years and 62% were female and 38% male. 98% were the biological parent of the young adult child who participated along with them in the study, with the remaining 2% includes stepparents, adoptive parents, and grandparents who had legal guardianship when the young adult child was a minor. Behavioural based measures of Helicopter parenting and its various aspects were assessed by semi-structured questions over parent and child separately with responses on a 5-point Likert scale (1= never, 2= rarely, 3=sometimes, 4=frequently, 5= always). Internal reliabilities were a = .72 for young adult children and a = .71 for parents. Parenting skills differ from individual to individual; it also depends on various factors such as education status, socio-economic status, family size, birth order, etc. There should also be gatherings and group discussions in community for parents for better understanding of parenthood. Helicopter parenting is a new concept but as there is no universal definition it is important for future studies to determine and investigate the elements involved in it.

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Corresponding Author

Dr Ruchita Banseria

Resident, Department of Community Medicine, MGM Medical College, Indore, (M.P), India

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