Parents criticize their children in the hope that children will mend their ways, thinking this is a way to help and overcome the problems they suffer from, and to teach them the necessary skills to succeed in life and help them build a sense of responsibility of their own.

Thus, parents may use disparagement, blame and comparison, and express their dissatisfaction with their children’s accomplishments.

Assuming parents have good intentions, criticism in this way, however, results in negative outcomes and has significant effects on the psyche of the adolescent and on the relationship between parents and children. Although criticism does not work well with everyone in general, it is particularly non-beneficial with adolescents. Adults respond well because they may be able to understand what is required, while the adolescent has not developed the necessary skills of perceptions to do that.