1. John Coleman

2.  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.

3. Four challenges

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

5.  Have our parenting interventions kept pace with social change?

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

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

8. The STAGE framework

9.  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.

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

12.  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.

13. Is STAGE relevant to troubled families?

14.  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.

15.  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!

16. Thank you. johnchristophercoleman@gmail.com