1. Adolescent Psychology
Chapter 8: Families
Lecture 2

2. Emerging Adult Relationship with Parents
Generally improves when they leave home
Psychologically closer
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More autonomous/less struggle
Continued parental support…
Separation without “cutting off”
Problems with “cutting off”
Living arrangements
Leaving home “on time” – more securely attached (21/23)
“returners”
Strategies for parents & emerging adults

3. Sibling Roles
Approximately 80% of American adolescents have 1+ siblings
Conflict, helping, teaching, fighting, playing, support, rivals, teammates
What do siblings spend their time talking about?
Three important characteristics of sibling relationships to consider:
Emotional quality of the relationship
+ and -
Familiarity & intimacy of the relationship
Know each other well!
Considerable variation in sibling relationships

4. Siblings Parental favoritism – 65 – 70% Socialization
Self-esteem & sadness
Socialization
High sibling conflict
Parental ineffectiveness
Antisocial bx & peer relationships
Depression vs. social competence

5. Siblings & Birth Order Birth order linked to Firstborns
Individual characteristics
Siblings’ relationships with each other
Firstborns
More adult oriented; Helpful, conforming; Anxious; Self-controlled
Less aggressive than their siblings
What are later-borns like?
Can occupy so many different sibling positions.
Overall, usually enjoy better relations with peers than firstborns
Last-borns run the risk of becoming overly dependent – “the baby”
Middle-borns: more diplomatic, role of negotiator, “scapegoat”
Do you think Birth Order is important? Why?

6. “Family” in a Changing Society
Divorced Families
Stepfamilies
Working Parents
Adoption
Gay Male & Lesbian Parents
Culture

7. Divorced Families Adolescents’ Adjustment in Divorced Families
Changed dramatically in U. S. & many other countries in the late 20th century
Increased 60s – 70s; declined since 80s
40% born to married parents will experience divorce
Adolescents’ Adjustment in Divorced Families
Show poorer adjustment than their counterparts in non-divorced families
Academic problems and /or drop out of school
Externalized problems /Internalized problems
Less-competent intimate relationships; Become sexually active at an earlier age
Drug related problems; Associate with antisocial peers
Lower self-esteem (Conger & Chao, 1996; Hetherington, 2005; Hetherington & Kelly, 2002).

8. Emotional Problems & Divorce

9. Adolescents & Divorce
Should parents stay together for the sake of their children?
Unhappy marriage can be harmful to well-being of children.
Diminished resources can be harmful to children.
Marital conflict may have negative consequences for children & adolescents in the context of marriage or divorce
Family processes matter a great deal!
When the divorced parents have a harmonious relationship & use authoritative parenting  better adjustment of adolescents (remember co-parenting)
Secure attachment also matters

10. Adolescents & Divorce Individual Adolescent Risk Factors
Age of onset of the divorce
Adolescent’s adjustment prior to the divorce
Personality & temperament
Developmental status
Gender
Custody
Relocation
SES – decrease in income, increased work, etc.

11. Stepfamilies
Steady increase of remarriages involving children in recent years
Stepfamily structure
Stepfather
Stepmother
Blended or complex
Stepfamilies Types – Relationship Patterns (Bray, Berger, & Boethel,1999)
Neo-traditional: both adults want family; 3-5 years look like intact family
Matriarchal: mother runs family, stepfather is bystander; may have “turf” issues
Romantic: unrealistic expectations  divorce

12. Stepfamilies & Adolescent Adjustment
Boundary ambiguity makes adjustment difficult
Who is in/out of the family
Who is performing/ responsible for certain tasks in the family system
Early adolescence is an especially difficult time for the formation of a stepfamily (Bray & Kelly, 1998).

13. Working Parents
What matters for adolescent development is the nature of parents’ work rather than whether one parent works outside the home (Clarke-Stewart, 2006).
Self-Care/Latchkey Adolescents
Typically do not see their parents from the time they leave for school in the morning until about 6:00 or 7:00 P.M.
Some have negative experience

14. Adoption
Social & legal process by which a parent-child relationship is established between persons unrelated at birth.
Changes in adoption practice in last several decades of 20th century
Substantial decrease in the number of healthy, non-Latino White infants have become available for adoption.
Other prospective adoptive parents began considering adopting foster children
Changes characterize adoptive parents
Adopted children & adolescents often show more psychological & school-related problems than non-adopted children (Brodzinsky & others, 1984).

15. Adoption
Keys to effectively parenting adopted adolescents very similar to those for effectively parenting biological adolescents:
Be supportive & caring
Be involved & monitor the adolescent’s behavior & whereabouts
Be a good communicator
Help the adolescent learn to develop self-control

16. Gay & Lesbian Parents 1 million + GLB parents in U.S. today
Important to consider sexual identity of parents at the time of a child’s birth or adoption (Patterson, 2002).
Few differences in children & adolescents growing up with gay fathers & lesbian mothers (Patterson, 2006; Patterson & Hastings, 2007).
Adjustment
Sexual orientation
Mental health
Peer relationships

17. Gay & Lesbian Parents

18. Culture & Ethnicity Cross-Cultural Comparisons
Cultures vary on a number of issues involving families.
Most common pattern was a warm & controlling style; neither permissive nor restrictive
Love and moderate parental control
In some countries, authoritarian parenting continues to be widely practiced (Rothbaum & Trommsdorff, 2007)
There are trends toward greater family mobility
Migration
Commuting
Mother’s employment
Fewer extended family members nearby

19. Ethnicity & Parenting
Ethnic minority families differ from non-Latino White American
In their size
Structure & composition
Reliance on kinship networks
Level of income & education (Harwood & Feng, 2006; Nievar & Luster, 2006).
Large & extended families are more common
AA & Latino children interact more with grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, & more distant relatives (McAdoo, 2006).
Ethnic minority adolescents are more likely to come from low-income families (Magnuson & Duncan, 2002; McLoyd, Aikens, & Burton, 2006; Parke & Buriel, 2006).
Single-parent families are more common among AA & Latinos

20. What can parents do?
Competent adolescent development is most likely to happen when adolescents have parents who:
show them warmth & respect
demonstrate sustained interest in their lives
recognize & adapt to their changing cognitive & socio-emotional development
communicate expectations for high standards of conduct & achievement
display authoritative, constructive ways of dealing with problems & conflict.

21. Families, Adolescents, & Social Policy
School, cultural arts, religious/youth organizations, & health-care
involve parents in activities with adolescents
develop ways to engage parents & adolescents in activities they both enjoy
Professionals (teachers, psychologists, nurses, physicians, etc.)
work with the individual adolescent
Also, increase the time they spend interacting with the adolescent’s family
Employers
workplace policies now reserved only for the parents of young children
flexible work schedules, job sharing, telecommuting, & part-time work with benefits
free parents to spend more time with their teenagers.
Community institutions (businesses, schools, & youth organizations)
providing after-school programs-- such programs for adolescents are rare
More high-quality, community-based programs for adolescents
after- school, weekend, & vacation time periods

22. Additional Resources
National Stepfamily Resource Center
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
Your Book Online!