Emergence of Parentification in the Family Context

Abstract

Parentification is a process wherein children adopt and fulfil parental roles and responsibilities within their families in times of demanding situations. The present study aimed at identifying and understanding these situational factors that led to parentification in healthy families. The sample comprised of eight adolescents who were screened for the degree of parentification using the Parentification Questionnaire-Youth by Godsall and Jurkovic (1995) before an in-depth, semi-structure interview was conducted. Directed Content Analysis was used to analyze the data. Findings revealed nine factors, namely-lack of parental availability; brief period of illness in the family; socioeconomic status; gender; marital discord; culture, values and societal pressure; birth order; family expectations, parental pressure and obligations; and innate sense of responsibility/habit that led to the child assuming parental roles and responsibilities that varied from time to time across individuals.