concludes with a brief discussion of what parents can do to avoid being overprotective.
Overprotecting children has psychological, social, emotional and spiritual elements and consequences. These are all discussed in this section of the paper.
Spiritual Elements and Consequences
There is a good deal of social science research examining the consequences of overprotection. However, it needs to first be noted that while overprotection is a psychological phenomenon, it also has spiritual components. In this regard, Ephesians 6:4 states: "Do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." According to MacArthur (2009), one of the ways that parents can and do 'provoke' their children is through overprotection which communicates to children that their parents do not trust them and results in a sense of deep insecurity and frustration.
The fact is, MacArthur (2009) states, that overprotection makes children repeatedly angry that they get so little chance at independence and this is especially true as they grow older. Although parents might have the best intentions and be well-meaning, they will not escape their child's resentment if they are overprotective. MacArthur strongly warns parents against smothering their children and overly restricting where they can go and what they an do. He points out that in addition to causing their children many problems in later life, such parents are failing in following the biblical mandate not to provoke their children.
Coughlin (2008) states that a certain type of Christian father may be particularly at risk for overprotection of children. Specifically, Coughlin notes that if fathers are passive in character, they can sometimes confuse Christianity with being a Nice Guy and, as such, they miss the difference between exercising healthy and unhealthy authority over their children. Such fathers are said to see failure to hover...