Families Parent-Adolescent Conflict

Issues to Focus on… Why is there a marked increase in parent-adolescent conflict? What do parents & adolescents argue about? How often do they argue? Cultural Differences?

“Storm & Stress” Increased emotional & physical distancing from parents Conflict increases at early adolescence and decreases by 18 Adolescents report more conflict than parents Conflicts usually over everyday issues – dress codes, chores, sibs Typically not intense or volatile & not indicative of major problems Mother/daughter conflicts more frequent than other dyads Small minority (5-10%) of families experience serious problems

What do Parents and Adolescents argue about?

NOT over important issues, rather over mundane things like chores, homework, getting along with siblings Adolescents see issues as “personal” Parents see issues as “social conventions”

How often do Parents and Adolescents argue?

Conflict between parents & adolescents relatively frequent with a distinct increase in conflict from early to mid-adolescence Conflicts decline over adolescence…in part due to decline in amount of time spent with parents What are other reasons that would explain decline in conflict?

Two Major Caveats…  Much of this research conducted on children already in adolescence …What happens before they enter adolescence?  The majority of research on parent-adolescent relationships conducted on White, middle class, two- parent families. …What about families from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds?

Cultural Differences in Parent-Child Relationships Both African-American & Latino families encourage family interdependence vs. independence (de-emphasize autonomy) Both families emphasize obedience, dignity, and respect toward elders and parental authority (Garcia Coll et al., 1995) Latino adolescents feel it is inappropriate to argue with or talk back to parents (Fuligni, 1998)

Parent-Adolescent Conflict In Context Parent-adolescent conflict more frequent in White, middle-class families than in Mexican American families (Suarez-Orozco & Suarez-Orozco, 1996) Less conflict reported by African American and Hispanic families than in Caucasian families (Barber, 1994) Different belief systems do exist, but no differences in actual conflict (Fuligni, 1998)

More Recent Findings on Conflict Contrary to previous findings in conflict literature, conflict did not significantly increase over time Conflict frequency and intensity similar across ethnic groups

WHAT DID THE ARTICLE YOU READ INDICATE ABOUT CONFLICT ACROSS ETHNIC GROUPS?

Respect for Parental Authority Significant ethnic group differences Girls’ respect for parental authority did not significantly change over time

Respect for Parental Authority Association between mother-reported conflict intensity and respect moderated by ethnicity at both time points

Conclusions Respect is a salient issue for children and parents –Parent-child conflict –Ethnic/Cultural differences –Both in childhood and adolescence Respect is differentially experienced by families of varying ethnic and cultural backgrounds Respect may be associated with ‘Americanization’ phenomenon in immigrant families

Parenting

Authoritarian Parenting Pattern -Controlling – using standard set of rules -Stress Obedience -No “give-and-take” -May use physical punishment

Parenting Authoritative Parenting Pattern -Explain & discuss rules & expectations -Maintains firm control -Set high standards -Encourage independence -Respectful of child’s point of view

Parenting Indulgent parents behave in an accepting, benign, and somewhat more passive way Indifferent parents try to minimize the time and energy that they must devote to interacting with their child

Limitations Limited to white, middle-class families Not generalizable to families across different cultures Does not take into account surrounding environment…ex: growing up in dangerous neighborhoods, cultural expectations, etc. Some characteristics cut across categories…ex: discussion of rules not limited to authoritative parents

Do these styles influence adolescents?

Children of Authoritarian Parents Tend to lack social competence Look at outside figures in making moral decisions Lack spontaneity and intellectual curiosity

Children of Authoritative Parents More self-reliant and self-controlled More willing to explore More content Better academic achievement Lower problem behaviors

Children of Indulgent Parents Relatively immature Difficulty controlling impulses Difficulty accepting responsibility for social actions Lack independence

Limitations of Baumrind’s Theory Correlational Biased toward white, middle- income/class Is “style” stable? Children’s later perceptions

Are ‘Ideal’ Parenting Styles the same for ALL Cultures? Authoritative parenting is less prevalent among African- American, Asian-American, or Hispanic-American families than among white families Beneficial effects are found for all ethnic groups

Are ‘Ideal’ Parenting Styles the same for ALL Cultures? Authoritarian parenting more common among ethnic minority families Negative child outcomes not same as with White families with same parenting style

Further Research disciplinary parenting behaviors differentially experienced by families of differing ethnic and cultural backgrounds African American and Latina mothers consistently endorse more restrictive, disciplinary parenting practices than European American mothers –But still nurturing

Discussion… If more recent research is focusing on cultural differences with respect to parenting patterns, why does all of the current day literature still list AUTHORITATIVE parenting as optimal? Ongoing debates in Parenting research & literature