We expect parents to take care of their children’s physical and emotional needs at all times. However, the roles are sometimes reversed, and the child takes on more responsibility than is acceptable for their age — a process called as parentification.
For a variety of circumstances, adults may be unable to fulfill their parental responsibilities, which can have major effects for their children. A new study from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign examines academic literature on parentification to find causes and results in communities worldwide.
“Parentification is more than increasing independence or additional household chores, it’s taking on activities that adults should be doing. The earlier it starts and the longer it lasts, the more negative the outcomes will be for the children if they don’t have an adequate support system,”
said lead author Jacinda K. Dariotis, professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES).
Emotional Distress, Reduced Resources
Parentification stands apart from higher-level household duties used by parents to encourage positive youth development through leadership skills and character development. Instead, parentified children and adolescents are expected to assume the duties of pseudo-parents and pseudo-adults before they are cognitively and physiologically prepared for them.
“The two main types of parentification are instrumental tasks, such as bringing in money to the household, and emotional tasks, such as becoming a confidant to a parent. Often, the two types go hand in hand. Families that are experiencing some form of trauma may suffer from depleted resources as well as emotional distress,”
Dariotis said.
The researchers examined 95 studies from 19 nations across six continents, demonstrating that parentification is a worldwide phenomena. Some studies employed community samples, while others focused on specific populations, such as immigrants and refugees or children whose mothers were HIV/AIDS positive.
“There are lots of different reasons why parents experience stressors and trauma in different environments. In some countries it may be war and displacement; in the U.S., parents may be suffering from serious illness, mental health problems, substance use, or domestic violence. The sources of parentification vary, but the result is that sometimes families are so overtaxed that major responsibilities shift to the children,”
Dariotis stated.
Multitude of Serious Problems
Parentified children may be expected to perform a variety of roles, including supporting their parents or siblings emotionally, educating themselves, counselling, earning a living, or caring for their families.
Estimates of the prevalence of the condition range from a few percent to more than 30% of youth. The latter is based on a Polish estimate that concentrated on the repercussions of the COVID-19 epidemic, during which many families endured illness, death, or job loss, and children were frequently forced to handle their own education.
The researchers identified several common themes from the studies, finding that parentification can lead to a multitude of serious problems.
“There is a potential for dropping out of school if children have to work or help care for their parents and siblings. Lack of education has long-term consequences for employment and income, which in turn affects health status. They may also lose their friend network if they don’t have time to socialize, and they may resent missing out on childhood,”
Dariotis explained.
Some Favorable Parentification Outcomes
Youth who are parentified are more likely to engage in unhealthy coping strategies such as risky sexual behaviors and substance use.
They may struggle to form long-term, meaningful connections because they lack trust or feel unduly responsible for the well-being of others. Furthermore, they may pass on the pattern to their own offspring, making the problem multigenerational.
Dariotis observed that, while the majority of the results analyzed are unfavourable, parentification can have positive impacts in some circumstances. Taking on adult tasks can help youth develop resilience, strength, and maturity, especially if they feel their efforts are recognized, their role in the family is fair, and there is a social network in place to assist them.
Parentification can also strengthen sibling ties while encouraging empathy, understanding, and acceptance of others. More research is needed to determine how and when parentification is associated with favourable outcomes.
In addition to establishing policies that provide the required support, the researchers conclude that it is critical to identify and recognize the prevalence of parentification.
“Ultimately, parents want what is best for their children, and they are not actively trying to parentify them. Parents should not be stigmatized; they are not doing this on purpose. Regardless of the source of parentification, we have to accept it’s happening and figure out ways to help families and children get on a more positive trajectory. Families need instrumental support, but social support is a basic human need as well, and it could make a huge difference in these young people’s lives,”
Dariotis said.
Reference:
- Dariotis JK, Chen FR, Park YR, Nowak MK, French KM, Codamon AM. Parentification Vulnerability, Reactivity, Resilience, and Thriving: A Mixed Methods Systematic Literature Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2023; 20(13):6197. Doi: 10.3390/ijerph20136197