Sense of responsibility to parents linked to academic performance

Adolescents who feel more responsible to their parents are more likely to perform better in school, a new study reveals.

A team of researchers found that youths are more engaged in their academics when they feel obligated to please their parents. This sense of responsibility is fostered by open communication between adults and their children.

Experts concluded that this trend exists in a variety of cultures. The results are based on a survey of 835 middle school students in the U.S. and China, which are two countries with drastically different ideas about adolescence.

The report was conducted by researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Beijing Normal University. It appears in the journal Child Development.

Over the two-year study period, researchers found that, in the U.S., students' sense of responsibility to their guardians declined more than their Chinese counterparts. Middle school is a critical time for adolescents because their academic performance can set the tone for future behavioral and social patterns.

Youths who lack respect for their parents may benefit from enrolling in boot camps for troubled teens.