Influence of Parenting Styles on Adolescent Risk Behaviour in Secondary Schools in Ibadan Metropolis

Parenting style is widely recognised as a proximal determinant of adolescent risk behaviour, shaping the developmental contexts in which substance use, sexual risk-taking, and delinquency occur. This study examined the influence of parenting styles on adolescent risk behaviour in secondary schools in Ibadan Metropolis, Oyo State, South West Nigeria. A descriptive correlational design was used, with 480 senior secondary school students selected through multistage sampling from twelve schools. The Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ) and the Adolescent Risk Behaviour Scale (ARBS) were administered. Regression analysis and chi-square tests were used for data analysis. Findings revealed that authoritative parenting was significantly and negatively associated with risk behaviour, while permissive and authoritarian parenting styles were associated with elevated risk behaviour profiles. Substance use and sexual risk behaviour were the most prevalent risk categories. Parental monitoring emerged as the most specific mechanism linking authoritative parenting to reduced risk behaviour. Adolescents from dual-income households reported lower parental monitoring regardless of dominant parenting style. The study recommended that school counsellors develop parent education programmes incorporating authoritative parenting principles, and that family-inclusive counselling approaches be adopted for students identified with high-risk behaviour profiles. Keywords: parenting styles, adolescent risk behaviour, secondary school, Ibadan, family counselling.