ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the various domains in which legal considerations can affect the rights and responsibilities of parenting. It discusses “parenthood” as it is defined by the law, including the legal shift from a focus on biological parentage to a focus on the psychological or functional role that a parent plays in a child’s life. The chapter describes the legal responsibilities of parenthood: providing for one’s children and exercising authority over one’s children. It examines the legal limits of parenthood, as initiated by the courts, by the child, and by another parent and explores contemporary research on legal contexts for parenting. The chapter focuses on the balance between the interests of the state, the child, and the parent with respect to the way that parents monitor their children’s activities, direct their children’s education, authorize their children’s medical treatment, and interact with child-serving systems.
