Self-harm refers to intentionally injuring one's own body as a coping mechanism to emotional distress. It manifests in many forms and has serious consequences not only on physical health but also on mental health. Self-harm among adolescents is becoming a significant public issue. It is more common in adolescence than any other age group, and adolescent self-harm experiences can increase the likelihood of repeated self-harm, suicide risk, substance use in adulthood, and long-term mental health difficulties.
Among various risk factors, parenting style has been shown to have a significant impact on self-harm in young adults. Importantly, it is adolescents' perceptions of parenting that shapes their emotional experiences and how they respond to stress. Previous research suggests that when adolescents perceive parenting as negative, they are more likely to engage in self-harm. However, relatively few studies have examined how different parenting styles relate to self-harm in adolescents. Additionally, since parent-child relationships also vary across cultures, it is important to explore these patterns within specific sociocultural contexts.
Addressing this gap, a research team led by Professor Myeong Sook Yoon and Associate Professor Kyu-Hyoung Jeong from the Department of Social Welfare, Jeonbuk National University, Republic of Korea, has identified the types of parenting styles perceived by middle and high school students in South Korea and how these styles relate to occurrence of self-harm. Their study was made available online on July 31, 2025, and published in Volume 259 of Acta Psychologica on September 1, 2025.
"Our study went beyond simply finding differences between good and bad parenting. We classified parenting into three distinct, evidenced-based parenting styles, scientifically clarifying the link between parenting dynamics and adolescent self-harm," says Prof. Yoon.
The researchers analyzed data from the 2021 Mental Health Survey of Adolescents conducted by the Korea Youth Policy Institute. The dataset comprised 3,940 participants, including middle school students aged 12–14 years and high school students aged 15–17. They used the Korean version of the Parents as Social Context Questionnaire for Adolescents for measuring parenting styles.
The results showed that 24.9% of middle and high school students had experienced self-harm. Notably, middle school students were more likely to engage in such behavior than high school students.
Using latent profile analysis, the team identified three parenting styles perceived by the participants: negative parenting style, average parenting style, and positive parenting style. The negative parenting group exhibited higher than average levels of negative factors like rejection, coercion, and inconsistency, while the average parenting group showed average levels of both positive and negative factors. The positive parenting style, comprising the largest proportion, exhibited higher-than average levels of warmth, autonomy support, and structure provision. The analysis showed that adolescents in the negative parenting group were most prone to self-harm, while those in the positive parenting group were least likely. In other words, positive parenting can protect adolescents against self-harm.
"These findings show that when parents offer warmth, respect their child's autonomy, and provide reasonable structure in choices and decisions, the risk of self-harm decreases," notes Dr. Jeong. "Further, these results highlight the need for tailored education programs, designed to help parents strengthen positive parenting practices. And in cases where parents are unaware or hesitant to seek help, multidisciplinary intervention by schools, counseling centers, and national institutions can provide an important safety net," concludes Dr. Jeong.
