Maria Giulia Olivari

Parenting Style and Dimensions Questionnaire: A Review of Reliability and Validity

Increasing interest in measuring parenting styles, especially with the Parenting Style and Dimensions Questionnaire, has emerged in the last 17 years. However, a critical review of studies using this instrument to assess parenting styles has not been done. The present article proposes an extensive review of studies that applied the instrument, focusing in particular on the different uses of the scale, its psychometric properties, and its association with other constructs. A discussion about the applicability, measurement reliability and validity of the instrument is provided.

Adolescent Men’s Pregnancy Resolution Choices in Relation to an Unintended Pregnancy: A Comparative Analysis of Adolescent Men in Three Countries

This article investigates adolescent men’s pregnancy resolution choices in Australia, Ireland, and Italy. It addresses two main gaps in the literature: the lack of research on (adolescent) men’s views on unintended pregnancy and pregnancy resolution and the lack of international comparative case studies on men and reproductive choices. Consistent with theories of the transformation of intimacies in society and the growth of individualization, the results suggest that adolescent men are interested in the effect of an unintended pregnancy on their individual biographies as well as the effect on their girlfriend’s health and well-being. However, Australian male adolescents were much more likely to choose abortion than Italian or Irish adolescents, suggesting adolescent males have also internalized country-level debates surrounding abortion. Methodologically, the article demonstrates an innovative approach to data collection using a computer-based interactive drama to facilitate participants’ deliberation and responses. It was shown to engage a large number of adolescent men and is likely to have wider generalizability in developing international comparative research on the topic as well as applications for health promotion.

Adolescent Perceptions of Parenting Styles in Sweden, Italy and Greece: An Exploratory Study

Comparative research on parenting styles among Nordic and Mediterranean countries is still missing, despite the increasing number of studies on parenting styles in adolescence. This study explores similarities and differences in adolescents’ retrospective perceptions of parenting styles, for both parents, in Sweden, Italy and Greece, using the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire. In particular, it examines the relation between parental role, adolescent gender, country of origin, SES and these perceptions. Swedish, Italian and Greek adolescents (N = 702; 30.9% Swedish, 39.6% Italian and 29.5% Greek) participated in the study. To test the principal effects three mixed 2(parent; mother and father)*2(gender; girl and boy)*3(countries; Sweden, Italy and Greece)*3(SES; low, medium and high) ANOVAs were conducted separately for each parenting style. To verify the interaction effects, a mixed 2(parent; mother and father)*3(countries; Sweden, Italy and Greece)*3(SES; low, medium and high) ANOVA was tested on authoritative style. Regarding authoritarian and permissive two mixed 2(parent; mother and father)*2(gender; girl and boy)*3(countries; Sweden, Italy and Greece) ANOVAs were tested. Mothers, as compared to fathers, were perceived as more authoritative, authoritarian and permissive. Moreover, boys perceived their parents as more authoritarian and more permissive than girls. Swedish parents were perceived as significantly less authoritarian than Italian and Greek parents and more permissive than Italian parents; Greek parents were perceived as less authoritarian and more permissive than Italian parents. The study provides an interesting contribution to parenting styles literature, showing how country legislation concerning family matters and SES are related the perception of parenting behaviours.

Eventi traumatici in adolescenza : risposte psicologiche e comportamentali

Gli adolescenti esposti a eventi di vita negativi possono sviluppare sintomi da stress post-traumatico e/o altri problemi psicologici e comportamentali. Questo lavoro si propone sia di indagare l’impatto degli eventi negativi o potenzialmente traumatici sulla comparsa dei sintomi di PTSD e sui comportamenti internalizzanti e/o esternalizzanti, sia di verificare se il modo in cui l’adolescente narra tali eventi sia in qualche misura influenzato dall’esperienza vissuta. 747 adolescenti (476 maschi e 271 femmine; eta media = 16.45; DS = 1.57) sono stati contattati presso alcune scuole secondarie. Ai ragazzi e stato chiesto di scrivere una narrazione di un evento di vita negativo esperito; in seguito e stato chiesto di compilare i seguenti strumenti: Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R; Weiss & Marmar, 1997); Centrality of Event Scale (CES; Berntsen & Rubin, 2006) Youth Self-Report (YSR; Achenbach, 2001). I nostri dati sottolineano la presenza di numerose esperienze traumatiche anche in un gruppo normativo di adolescenti, di un effetto tra il tipo di evento e la risposta psicologica e comportamentale, e differenti modalita narrative a seconda delle risposte psicologiche e comportamentali suscitate dall’evento vissuto.

Italian psychologists’ and midwives’ perceptions of the pregnant teen: a qualitative study

Background: Although debate on adolescent pregnancies has continued for many years, only a few studies have paid attention to the attitudes of health workers and their perceptions of these teens. Objective: The main purpose of this study was to investigate and describe midwives’ and psychologists’ perceptions of the pregnant teens arriving at the health centres – either who wanted to become mothers or to interrupt pregnancy – analysing health workers’ reflections on their experiences of caring for these teens during pregnancy in the Italian context. Methods: Interviews were conducted with 22 health workers in order to describe their perceptions of Italian pregnant adolescents. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Data analysis identified three themes arising from health workers narrations: ‘teen identities’, with the subthemes confused teens, omnipotent teens and immigrant teens; ‘maternal bonding’, with the subthemes supportive mothers and self-centred mothers; and ‘social support demand’, with the subthemes support-seeking teens, self-excluded teens and unsupportive young partners. Conclusion: The results provide an interesting picture of health workers’ perceptions of Italian pregnant adolescents adding new knowledge that will be useful for better planning interventions with pregnant teenagers.

Premature birth: complexities and difficulties in building the mother–child relationship

Abstract Aim: This paper aims to investigate if the dyadic interactive behaviours were influenced by parental stress and feelings both in preterm and full-term mother–child dyads. Methods: 45 mothers (age = 35.29 ± 5.38) and fathers (age = 36.77 ± 6.89) of preterm infants (GA = 30.25 ± 2.95; BW = 1288.02 ± 488.76), and 36 mothers (age = 32.60 ± 4.56) and fathers (age = 35.54 ± 5.16) of full-term (GA = 39.88 ± 1.38; BW = 3156.39 ± 493.81) were involved. Parents filled out the Impact of Event Scale Revised (IES-R), Profile of Mood States (POMS) and Parenting Stress Index Short Form (PSI-SF) and interactive behaviours (Global Rating Scale) was videotaped after 3 months. Results: Mothers of preterm children showed higher level of Intrusiveness (Mpreterm = 4.07 ± .74, Mfullterm = 4.39 ± .51, t = 2.22, p = .029) and Remoteness (Mpreterm = 4.45 ± .83, Mfullterm = 4.79 ± .34, t = 2.51, p = .015) than mothers of term children. In preterm mothers’ lower levels of Sensitivity, higher levels of Intrusiveness, Remoteness and Depression are associated with the presence of negative feelings and parental stress in both parents. Moreover, higher children Distress is associated to parental negative feelings, paternal stress and post-traumatic symptoms. A higher score of parental negative feelings and parental stress predicted lower scores in Global RatingScale dimensions. Conclusions: Our results underline that preterm birth could be a risk factor for the co-construction of interactive exchanges between mother and premature baby. This study could help practitioners to better consider parental roles and to carry out specific supportive interventions for both parents and children.

Measuring adolescents' perceptions of parenting style during childhood: psychometric properties of the parenting styles and dimensions questionnaire

Nos ultimos 15 anos houve um interesse crescente na avaliacao de estilos parentais de forma retrospectiva, especialmente com o Parenting Style and Dimensions Questionnaire (Questionario de Estilos Parentais). No entanto, poucos estudos efetuaram a analise psicometrica desta escala com analises fatoriais confirmatorias (AFC). O presente estudo analisou as caracteristicas psicometricas do instrumento numa amostra de 1465 adolescentes italianos que avaliaram o estilo parental do pai e da mae durante a sua infância. Foram utilizadas AFCs e analises multi-grupo para avaliar a estrutura e consistencia da escala. Os resultados demonstram que 22 dos 62 itens nao mediram bem a constructo. A versao final do instrumento, composto por 40 itens, apresenta propriedades psicometricas satisfatorias e validade convergente nas duas versoes.

Adolescenti e Sexting: una review della letteratura

Nonostante il crescente interesse pubblico rispetto al coinvolgimento di adolescenti in comportamenti di sexting, la ricerca su questo tema e agli albori e gli studi sono principalmente di natura esplorativa. La presente review mira a delineare un quadro delle evidenze esistenti in letteratura riguardo il sexting in adolescenza. I risultati mostrano variabilita nella diffusione del fenomeno tra i diversi Paesi e l’associazione con variabili demografiche. Emerge anche che il sexting in adolescenza e associato a diversi comportamenti a rischio. E inoltre analizzato il ruolo giocato da fattori individuali, sociali e culturali. Infine il sexting sembra assumere funzioni diverse in relazione ai significati e alle motivazioni: per gli adolescenti esso puo essere una nuova forma di esplorazione sessuale o puo condurre a conseguenze negative come il grooming e la pornografia.

Health workers' perceptions of Italian female adolescents: a qualitative study about sexuality, contraception, and caring practices in family health centers.

Our aim was to explore health workers’ perceptions of providing sexuality and contraception care for female adolescents within family health centers. We interviewed 26 volunteer health workers and analyzed the interviews using thematic analysis. We identified three main themes: (a) “adolescents and sexuality,” with the subthemes “initiation rite,” “me like the others,” and “just for fun”; (b) “adolescents and contraception,” with the subthemes “omnipotent adolescents,” “aware adolescents,” and “womens responsibility”; and (c) “health workers and adolescents,” with the subthemes “to put in order,” “to catch,” and “to teach to take care of themselves.” Our results provided an interesting picture of health workers’ perceptions of their work with Italian female adolescents regarding sexuality and contraception.

Memories of parenting styles and communicative processes in adolescence

This study aims to (a) examine the links between adolescents’ memories of authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive parenting styles and parent–child communicative processes; (b) test adolescents’ and parents’ gender differences. Data were collected from 479 Italian adolescents (Mage = 16.62 years; SDage = 1.46) attending public high schools. Participants completed Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire and Parental Solicitation and Child Disclosure scales. Results indicated that memories of maternal authoritative style were significantly related to both parental solicitation and child disclosure, whereas memories of paternal authoritative style were significantly linked only with parental solicitation. No significant links involving neither authoritarian nor permissive styles were found and no differences between adolescent genders were identified. Present findings suggest that parent–child relationships featuring both warmth and control built through past interactions facilitate communicative processes during adolescence. Future research is needed to confirm the strong relationship between authoritative parenting style and communicative processes in adolescence.