Thomas Madrecki and Charlie Redmon

'Helicopter' parents may be asset to college students

'Helicopter' parents -- those who hover over their children -- may not have as negative of an effect on their children as originally thought, according to a recent report released by the National Survey of Student Engagement. In fact, according to Todd Chamberlain, assistant director for survey operations, NSSE researchers discovered positive effects of "helicopter parenting" in regards to the lives of many college students. "Helicopter parents," Chamberlain said, is a term that has received much, often negative media attention in recent years; however, he said the results of the survey indicate a benefit relating to parents who "show intense involvement with the lives of their students." According to Chamberlain, the NSSE gave an 85-question survey to 313,000 randomly-selected first- and fourth-year students at 610 four-year higher education institutions.