Parenting IQ Report
What 2,469 Parents Reveal About Teen Mental Health, Risk, and Misconceptions
Strong Understanding
9
Conclusion
14
The Parenting IQ Test was initially developed by Turning Winds to gain a better understanding of how informed and knowledgeable parents are about the issues affecting teenagers today.
The test explores what parents know about social media, mental health, substance abuse, sexting, and relationships and their ability to recognize warning signs of trouble.
The findings confirm and sheds light on the “critical crisis” of rising teen mental health, general well-being and risky behaviors.
With an average Parenting IQ score of just over 53.94%, it’s clear that many parents are struggling to fully grasp the issues affecting teens today.
One of the most surprising findings is that contrary to common beliefs, parents are much more informed about the impact of social media but have many misconceptions about teen mental health issues and substance misuse.
This report provides detailed insights, categorized findings, and recommendations to help parents become better informed and proactive.
The Parenting IQ Test is designed for all parents, and intentionally placed on websites that parents who are concerned about teen behavior or mental health visit. It is a voluntary assessment, not incentivized in any way, and it is available on the TurningWinds.com website as well as other unbranded properties.
After the visitor completes the test, they are asked for their email address and presented with their Parenting IQ score, which explains the correct answers.
The test questions are about modern parenting challenges, including social media, mental health, sexting, pornography exposure, substance abuse, relationships, bullying, and communication.
Responses were analyzed across multiple datasets to identify accuracy rates and misconceptions.
This report provides insights from a self-selected group of parents concerned about teen behavior and mental health. While the findings highlight significant trends, they may not necessarily reflect the views or experiences of all parents nationwide.
Figure 1: This chart illustrates parental understanding across the 12 key topic areas. Each bar represents the percentage of correct responses within each topic, with color-coding indicating levels of understanding: green (strong), yellow (moderate), and red (needs improvement). The gray line highlights the overall Parenting IQ average of 52.98%, emphasizing areas where parent knowledge falls above or below the average.
The collected scores of the Parenting IQ Test highlight the significant gaps in parental understanding across twelve topics that are critical to teen development and behavior today. These topics are grouped into seven main categories: teen mental health, sexual behaviors, personal relationships, and substance misuse.
Categories were assigned based on the percentage of correct responses within each topic area:
91.21% of parents correctly identified general social media risks. However, parents demonstrated less awareness of the popularity of TikTok and Discord.
81.12% clearly understood how important it is for them to be actively involved and engaged in their teenager’s life.
This is a very positive finding because, as we know, parental involvement is vital to a teen’s emotional well-being, decision making and overall development.
From setting boundaries to offering emotional support, consistent parental engagement remains one of the most effective protective factors for today’s teens.
"When parents stay connected—even through the messy parts—it makes all the difference. Teens may push away, but deep down, they want to know you’re still there.”
Nearly 1 in 5 teens experience cyberbullying weekly, most often through private messages and social platforms.73% of parents are aware of bullying and have a general understanding of its negative effects.
However, our test revealed a critical gaps:
While parents recognize bullying as a problem for teenagers, many struggle to know when their teens are being bullied.
This was especially evident in our test results, which show parents significantly underestimated the prevalence of bullying on digital platforms like like social media, group chats, and gaming.
63% of parents show a moderate understanding of how their relationship with their teen impacts behavior and emotional health.
1 in 5 parents selected outdated parenting practices signaling confusion remains about what approaches are most effective for this generation of teens.
We can conclude from the data that there is a high likelihood that parents in our sample hold outdated beliefs about what healthy boundaries should look like.
Only 42% of parents have a clear understanding of their teen’s emotional struggles or the impact of parent-child communication.
It underscores a growing disconnect between parental intention and perception—and highlights the urgent need for more parent education around emotional connection, empathy, and mental health literacy.
Only 14% of parents underestimated girls' struggles, while 78% were wrong about boys' struggles.
Parents seem to be more aware of girls' emotional and psychological struggles, while they underestimate boy's struggles, specifically how bullying and boy's emotional stress.
These findings confirm the need for more parental education about teen sexting and sexual behavior.
These findings highlight critical knowledge deficiencies among parents. The Parenting IQ of 54% score reveals a lack of understanding in areas such as mental health, substance misuse, and teen sexual behavior. Additionally, it highlights an underappreciation of the unique challenges and pressures faced by teenagers in today's world.
The clear takeaway is that parents must learn how to communicate and guide their teens effectively through these sensitive and critical topics. We know that teens are not the best communicators; they are generally prone to being secretive, but especially so when it comes to these topics.
Parents must be able to discuss and guide their teens in order to reduce risks and mental health issues in the future.
There's a clear need for targeted educational interventions.
This visual summary provides a consolidated view of the parents responses to our test. It allows for quick comparison of how parents scored in different areas, reinforcing the themes discussed in the report and highlighting categories requiring additional education and awareness.
About the Charts
The charts depict parental understanding across the identified topic areas. Color-coded to reflect strong (green), moderate (yellow), and needs improvement (red) awareness levels.
Turning Winds is a trusted leader in adolescent behavioral health and therapeutic education. For over 20 years, our integrated approach—combining evidence-based clinical care, accredited academics, and experiential learning—has supported lasting outcomes for teens and their families. This report reflects our ongoing commitment to equip parents with clear, data-driven insights into the challenges facing today’s youth. If you are seeking clarity or next steps, we invite you to explore how Turning Winds can help.
Learn more at TurningWinds.com