COMMENT | All over the world, young people are living in uniquely pressurised times.

From high-stress school performance expectations, unrealistic comparisons on social media, to precarious job prospects in an increasingly competitive climate, adolescents face magnified pressures exacerbating what is already a difficult development period.

In all of this, parental support plays a crucial role. Quoting development psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner, the family unit is the “most powerful, the most humane, and by far the most economical system known for building competence and character.”

That dictum – while slightly overreaching – has a distinct ring of truth, especially when it comes to parents. Though friends and peer groups may provide comfort and companionship, research has shown that emotional support from parents, or parental figures, remain crucial to a young person’s development outcomes.

A complex act

What is competent youth parenting, and how can public policies coherently promote it?

The answer to the first question is not easily defined for two reasons. Parenting, in many respects, is a very personal and private matter. Opinions on ways to raise children tend to be grounded in a parent’s own experiences of family life, as well as his or her personal values, beliefs and traditions.

Secondly, in any given society, parenting philosophies tend to be guided by social and cultural norms. In more multicultural societies, these norms are rarely collective and come in diverse forms.

Hence, what one group views as appropriate parenting behaviours may differ widely from the views of others within the same community. Malaysia, with a population encompassing a broad swathe of ethnic, subethnic and indigenous cultures, is certainly no exception.

Approaches to parenting tend to be wide-ranging, since many families come from diverse cultural backgrounds, social spheres and religious roots.

These different contexts embody unique...