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The impact of parenting style on perceptions of police and offending intentions of young drivers: evidence from Australia

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Crime Prevention and Community Safety Aims and scope

Abstract

Parents are central to many learn to drive programmes internationally. This study surveys young drivers from Victoria and Queensland in Australia to examine if parental style impacts (a) intentions to offend on the road and (b) perceptions of police. Maccoby and Martin’s four parenting styles: (1) Authoritative, (2) Authoritarian, (3) Permissive, and (4) Neglectful inform the survey design. Results suggest that fixed offences like wearing a seatbelt or DUI are not impacted by different parental styles, while transient offences like speeding or dangerous driving are impacted. Specifically, young drivers with Authoritative or Authoritarian parents, who have higher levels of control, were less likely to speed or drive dangerously. Perceptions of police were also affected by parental style. Young drivers with Authoritative or Authoritarian parents had more positive perceptions of police than Neglectful or Permissive parents. The results suggest that parental support and education programmes could be developed to encourage parents to monitor their young person’s early driving career more closely.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Mr Levi Anderson who provided research support for this project. This research was supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council's Discovery Early Career Researcher Award funding scheme (DE180100778).

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  1. Griffith Criminology Institute, Griffith University, 176 Messines Ridge Road, MT Gravatt, Brisbane, QLD, 4122, Australia

    Lyndel Bates, John Seccombe & Marina Alexander

  2. School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Griffith University, 176 Messines Ridge Road, MT Gravatt, Brisbane, QLD, 4122, Australia

    Lyndel Bates

  3. Department of Population Health, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand

    Rebecca McLean

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Bates, L., Seccombe, J., Alexander, M. et al. The impact of parenting style on perceptions of police and offending intentions of young drivers: evidence from Australia. Crime Prev Community Saf 25, 62–81 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41300-022-00168-8

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