Tough love

TOUGH LOVEChild delinquency cases have escalated all over the world today. Surprisingly, some high-profile cases recently involve children already capable of committing violent crimes. Based on some studies regarding the prevalence and frequency of children involvement, family factors definitely have an influence on offending.This paper aims to understand the gravity of proper parental discipline especially on issues of what is called “Tough Love”. Does parental tough love really work?I. Definition of Terms:A. Tough Love Wiktionary defines Tough Love as the compassionate use of stringent disciplinary measures, to attempt to improve someone's behavior.Tough love is an expression used when someone treats another person harshly or sternly with the intent to help them in the long run. In most uses, there must be some actual love or feeling of affection behind the harsh or stern treatment to be defined as tough love. However, British researchers defined tough love more similar to the concept of “Authoritative Parenting” while American ideas are closer to the notion of “Authoritarian Parenting”.A.1. Authoritative ParentingIt is characterized by a child-centered approach that holds high expectations of maturity. Authoritative parents can understand how their children are feeling and teach them how to regulate their feelings. Even with high expectations of maturity, authoritative parents are usually forgiving of any possible shortcomings. They often help their children to find appropriate outlets to solve problems, encourage them to be independent but still place limits on their actions. Extensive verbal give-and-take is not refused, and parents try to be warm and nurturing toward the child. Authoritative parents are not usually as controlling as authoritarian parents, allowing the child to explore more freely, thus having them make their own decisions based upon their own reasoning. Often, authoritative parents produce children who are more independent and self-reliant.