The development of adolescent behavioral autonomy and parental control on the example of independent city movements

Abstract

The article is centered on the disclosure of links between the formation of child behavioral autonomy (self-reliance), manifested in independent movements around the city, and parental practices, primarily – the practice of controlling and supporting the autonomy of the child. It has been found that a number of environmental factors influence the way parents perceive the environment and, as a result, how early and freely they allow children to move around the territory without adult supervision. Also, the socio-economic status of the family, the number of children, their gender, age and the subjective assessment of their maturity by parents have an impact on the accessibility of independent movements for children. Empirical evidence confirms that different forms of control – behavioral, providing the activity framework, and manipulative (psychological) aimed at tracking a child's thoughts and experiences – have different effects on a child's development. The perspective of empirical studies of independent movement of children is discussed.