Parenting Styles and Self-Esteem of Adolescents in Owerri, Imo State

This study examines the relationship between parenting styles and self-esteem among adolescents in Owerri, Imo State, South East Nigeria. Self-esteem, as a core component of adolescent psychological well-being, has been linked to various parenting approaches, with authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and uninvolved styles producing distinct developmental outcomes. The study adopts a descriptive correlational design, engaging 290 secondary school students aged 13 to 18 from six schools in Owerri Municipal Local Government Area. The Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were used as instruments. Data were analysed using one-way analysis of variance and post-hoc tests. Findings indicate that adolescents from authoritative homes report significantly higher self-esteem than those from authoritarian or uninvolved households. Parental warmth and responsiveness emerged as the specific dimensions most strongly predictive of positive self-esteem. The study also notes that adolescents from single-parent households did not differ significantly in self-esteem from those in two-parent households, provided the single parent demonstrated high warmth and consistent structure. These results support Baumrind's parenting typology within the Nigerian cultural context, while also highlighting nuances specific to Igbo family structures. Social workers and school counsellors in Imo State are advised to design parent education programmes targeting positive discipline and emotional responsiveness, particularly in communities where authoritarian parenting is culturally normative. Keywords: parenting styles, self-esteem, adolescents, Owerri, family psychology.