Strength-Based Parenting and Well-Being in Adolescence (Strength-Based Parenting dan Kesejahteraan Remaja)

Adolescents’ well-being deserves attention as it promotes adolescents’ general health. Parenting is a factor that may influence adolescents’ well-being. Unfortunately, some parents provide only limited support to their adolescents and show ineffective parenting. Strength-based parenting (SBP) is a parenting style where parents seek to deliberately identify and develop positive conditions, processes, and qualities in their children. Research conducted in Western culture showed that strength-based parenting (SBP) was associated with adolescents’ subjective well-being, particularly life satisfaction. This present study extends the past research by involving adolescent sample from Eastern culture (Indonesia) and including the measure that combines both subjective and psychological well-being. Particularly, this study examined if strength-based parenting (SBP; strength knowledge and strength use) predicted adolescent well-being. Participants were 191 high school students in Surabaya (15-18 years old). Participants completed the Pemberton Happiness Index (PHI) and Strength-Based Parenting Scale (SBPS). Results showed that both strength knowledge and strength use were positively related to adolescent well-being. This indicates that parents’ recognition and encouragement to use adolescents’ strengths has helped adolescents to understand their own potentials and therefore, generate positive feelings and meaningful experiences. Thus, strength-based parenting (SBP) does not only benefit adolescents from Western culture, but also adolescents from Eastern culture (Indonesia)