Review of Related Literature

Young adulthood has changed dramatically since the middle of the 20th century.
Research over the past two decades has documented this restructuring, relabeling the late
teens and 20s under the auspices of “transitions to adulthood” or “emerging adulthood”
(Arnett, 2000; Furstenberg, 2010). According to the research of American Academy of Child
and Adolescent Psychiatry in 2016, ‘The actions of the teenagers are guided more by the
emotional and reactive amygdala and less by the thoughtful, logical frontal cortex.” It has also
shown that exposure to drugs and alcohol during the teen years can change or delay these
developments. Their brains work differently than adults when they make decisions or solve
problems.
There is clear evidence that parents can and do influence children. There is equally clear
evidence that children’s genetic makeup affects their own behavioral characteristics, and also
influences the way they are treated by their parents (Maccoby 2000). There are many factors
that can affect the behavior of the children, parental harsh disciplining, like corporal punishment
is one. It has consistently been associated with adverse mental health outcomes in children. It
remains a challenge to accurately assess the consequences of harsh discipline, as researchers
and clinicians generally rely on parent report of young children's problem behaviors
(Mackenbach 2014, et. al.) Disciplining children is one of the most important yet difficult
responsibilities of parenting. According to Pediatric Child Health 2014, “Discipline is the
structure that helps the child fit into the real world happily and effectively. It is the foundation for
the development of the child’s own self-discipline. Effective and positive discipline is about
teaching and guiding children, not just forcing them to obey. As with all other interventions
aimed at pointing out unacceptable behavior, the child should always know that the parent loves
and supports him or her”. Trust between parent and child should be maintained and constantly
built upon. For children from 12-18 years old, conflicts frequently ensue because the adolescent
adheres increasingly to the peer group, challenges family values and rules, and distances
himself from the parents. Parents can meet these challenges by remaining available, setting
rules in a noncritical way, not belittling the adolescent, and avoiding lectures or predicting
catastrophes. Contracting with the adolescent is also a useful tool. Disciplinary spanking of
adolescents is most inappropriate.

https://academic.oup.com/innovateage/article/1/3/igx026/4643095

https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/The-Teen-
Brain-Behavior-Problem-Solving-and-Decision-Making-095.aspx

https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev.psych.51.1.1

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2719514/
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0104793