Discipline of Children

According to the classic work of Diana Baumrind, there are different parenting styles: authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive—a typology based on a two-factor model of control (how demanding parents are) and warmth (parental responsiveness). She noted that permissive parents are high on acceptance/responsiveness, but low on control; authoritarian parents are low on responsiveness and high on control; and authoritative parents are high on both responsiveness and control.

The style believed and shown to have the most positive results on children is authoritative or democratic parenting, which sets and enforces limits; sets expectations that are age appropriate; and involves monitoring, support, affection, encouragement, and appropriate participation by children. In the study, authoritarian parents were the most likely to use corporal punishment or more punitive types of discipline. Classic ...