John Coleman

 Too little thinking about how to link current research with parenting interventions  Not enough attention paid generally to what constitutes effective parenting of teenagers  Too little thinking about how to educate the public generally about adolescence.

Four challenges

 Parenting interventions –  Do they link with current knowledge about adolescent development?

 Have our parenting interventions kept pace with social change?

 Is there enough emphasis on developmental change in parenting interventions?

 How can we describe the principles of effective parenting so that they are easy to grasp?

The STAGE framework

 Two underlying principles:  To emphasise that the teenage years are a process, a time of change, a stage in development  To create a framework that is easy to grasp, and easy to remember.

 S - the significance of parents  T - two-way communication  A - the nature of authority  G - the generation gap  E - emotion

 In parent groups communication seems to be at the heart of things  Why does communication break down?  Teenagers do want to talk  BUT in a way that feels safe to them  When they are not being pumped for information, nagged or interrogated.

Is STAGE relevant to troubled families?

 Communication is central  Boundaries and structure need to be in place  The exercise of appropriate authority is key  The management of difficult emotions is another central goal  Finally interventions aim to restore parental self-confidence. STAGE is good for that.

 We badly need more thinking, and discussion, about parenting for adolescents  We need better linkage between research and practice  We need to identify, and share, the principles of effective parenting. THERE IS A LOT TO DO!

Thank you.