Topics of conflict between parents and young adolescents

Preparation for Adulthood: Shifting Responsibility for Management of Daily Tasks From Parents to Their Children

Importance: Limited research has described the timing of acquisition of the broad range of skills required for the transition to adulthood.

Objective: To describe the timing of the shift of responsibility for daily tasks from parent to child.

Design: This study used an existing data set of parent responses to 49 items in the Responsibility domain of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory Computer Adaptive Tests.

Participants: A U.S. nationally representative sample of 2,205 typically developing children and youth ages 0 to 20 yr.

Outcomes and Measures: Descriptive analyses focused on two ages: (1) starting age (when >50% of parents reported their child was taking at least some responsibility for a task) and (2) full responsibility age (when >50% of parents reported their child was taking full responsibility for the task).

Results: The process of shifting responsibility for daily life tasks from parent to child typically occurred over a long period. Many task items had an interval of 5 yr from starting age to full responsibility age; the longest interval was 15 yr. Youth began assuming responsibility for more complex tasks and tasks that involved more risk at ages 10 to 15.

Conclusions and Relevance: Results can serve as a reference for the timing of the transition to greater self-management of daily life tasks across childhood and adolescence. Timing of responsibility shifts may reflect a combination of development of underlying capacities and social transitions. Executive functioning may be especially relevant for management of the more complex tasks required in daily life in adulthood.

What This Article Adds: The transfer of responsibility for managing tasks of daily life from parents to children often extends over a period of many years. Clinicians may find the results helpful when discussing the future with parents of young people with disabilities and other chronic conditions and the tasks that their children must learn to manage for independent living as an adult.

Everyday Disputes and Negotiations: A Video Observational Analysis of Mexican-origin Mother-Daughter Conversations

Little is known about the nature of normative mother-daughter everyday disagreements in Mexican family contexts in which daughters are socialized to avoid conflict out of respect and deference to authority. Observations of videotaped conversations of 130 Mexican-origin mothers and their adolescent (13- to 16-year-old) daughters discussing their disagreements were systematically coded. Analyses of the conversations showed that the most frequently recurring conflicts involved autonomy privileges (appearance, friendships, going out, media use), household responsibilities (chores, sibling caretaking), and family dynamics (sibling tensions, sibling differential treatment, mutual respect in communication). Daughters from traditional immigrant families who had lived longer in Mexico were just as assertive in expressing their viewpoints as daughters from less traditional families, although they were less likely to display negative affect.

Dealing with a Latent Danger: Parents Communicating with Their Children about Smoking

The purpose of this study was to understand parental approach to the topic of smoking with school-age preadolescent children. In-depth interviews were conducted with 38 parents and yielded a grounded theory that explains how parents communicated with their children about smoking. Parents perceived smoking to be a latent danger for their children. To deter smoking from occurring they verbally interacted with their children on the topic and took action by having a no-smoking rule. There were three interaction approaches, which differed by style and method of interaction. Most parents interacted by discussing smoking with their children. They intentionally took advantage of opportunities. Some interacted by telling their children about the health effects of smoking and their opposition to it. They responded on the spur-of-the-moment if their attention was drawn to the issue by external cues. A few interacted by acknowledging to their children the negative effects of smoking. They responded only when their children brought it up. The parents' intent for the no-smoking rule, which pertained mainly to their homes and vehicles, was to protect their children from second-hand smoke and limit exposure to smoking. The theory can be used by nurses to guide interventions with parents about youth smoking prevention.

Promoting protective factors for young adolescents: ABCD Parenting Young Adolescents Program randomized controlled trial

This study examined the efficacy of a program for parents of young adolescents combining behavioral family intervention with acceptance-based strategies. 180 parents were randomly allocated to a 6-session group ABCD Parenting Young Adolescent Program or wait-list condition. Completer analysis indicated parents in the intervention reported significantly higher adolescent prosocial behaviors (p = 0.020), lower conduct problems (p = 0.048) and total difficulties (p = 0.041). These parents also reported lower stress associated with adolescent moodiness (p = 0.032), parent life-restriction (p < 0.001), adult-relations (p < 0.001), social isolation (p = 0.012), incompetence/guilt (p < 0.001), lower stress in the parenting domain (p < 0.001) and lower overall stress (p = 0.003) relative to the control condition following the intervention period. No other statistically significant differences were evident (p < 0.05). Results of intention-to-treat analyses were similar. Greater reliable clinically significant change was also achieved for the intervention condition. Participants reported high satisfaction with all elements of the ABCD program. Results suggest the program may assist parents of young adolescents to promote or maintain protective factors in their families. Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ANZCTRN12609000194268.

A randomised controlled trial of the efficacy of the ABCD Parenting Young Adolescents Program: rationale and methodology

BACKGROUND

The transition to adolescence is a time of increased vulnerability for risk taking and poor health, social and academic outcomes. Parents have an important role in protecting their children from these potential harms. While the effectiveness of parenting programs in reducing problem behavior has been demonstrated, it is not known if parenting programs that target families prior to the onset of significant behavioral difficulties in early adolescence (9-14 years) improve the wellbeing of adolescents and their parents. This paper describes the rationale and methodology of a randomised controlled trial testing the efficacy of a parenting program for the promotion of factors known to be associated with positive adolescent outcomes, such as positive parenting practices, parent-adolescent relationships and adolescent behavior.

METHODS/DESIGN

One hundred and eighty parents were randomly allocated to an intervention or wait list control group. Parents in the intervention group participated in the ABCD Parenting Young Adolescents Program, a 6-session behavioral family intervention program which also incorporates acceptance-based strategies. Participants in the Wait List control group did not receive the intervention during a six month waiting period. The study was designed to comply with recommendations of the CONSORT statement. The primary outcome measures were reduction in parent-adolescent conflict and improvements in parent-adolescent relationships. Secondary outcomes included improvements in parent psychosocial wellbeing, parenting self-efficacy and perceived effectiveness, parent-adolescent communication and adolescent behavior.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the effectiveness of parenting programs in reducing child behavioral difficulties, very few parenting programs for preventing problems in adolescents have been described in the peer reviewed literature. This study will provide data which can be used to examine the efficacy of a universal parenting interventions for the promotion of protective factors associated with adolescent wellbeing and will add to the literature regarding the relationships between parent, parenting and adolescent factors.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12609000194268.

Furthering the understanding of parent-child relationships: a nursing scholarship review series. Part 5: parent-adolescent and teen parent-child relationships

PURPOSE

The purpose of this paper is to examine nursing's contribution to understanding the parent-adolescent and the teen parent-child relationships.

CONCLUSION

Relationships between parents and adolescents may reflect turmoil and affect adolescents' health and development. The social and developmental contexts for teen parenting are powerful and may need strengthening. Several interventions to help teen mothers interact sensitively with their infants have been developed and tested.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Nurse researchers have begun to provide evidence for practitioners to use in caring for families of adolescents and teen parents to acquire interaction skills that, in turn, may promote optimal health and development of the child.

The Strengthening Families Program 10-14: influence on parent and youth problem-solving skill

The aim of this paper is to report the results of a preliminary examination of the efficacy of the Strengthening Families Program (SFP) 10-14 in improving parent and youth problem-solving skill. The Hypotheses in this paper include: (1) youth and parents who participated in SFP would have lower mean scores immediately (T2) and 6 months (T3) post intervention on indicators of hostile and negative problem-solving strategies; (2) higher mean scores on positive problem-solving strategies; and (3) youth who participated in SFP would have higher mean scores at T2 and at T3 on indicators of individual problem solving and problem-solving efficacy than youth in the comparison group. The dyads were recruited from elementary schools that had been stratified for race and assigned randomly to intervention or comparison conditions. Mean age of youth was 11 years (SD = 1.04). Fifty-seven dyads (34-intervention&23-control) were videotaped discussing a frequently occurring problem. The videotapes were analysed using the Iowa Family Interaction Rating Scale (IFIRS) and data were analysed using Dyadic Assessment Intervention Model. Most mean scores on the IFIRS did not change. One score changed as predicted: youth hostility decreased at T3. Two scores changed contrary to prediction: parent hostility increased T3 and parent positive problem solving decreased at T2. SFP demonstrated questionable efficacy for problem-solving skill in this study.

Finding the balance: adolescents with type 1 diabetes and their parents

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study was to describe the ways that parents and 11- to 15-year-old teens communicate and the recurrent themes and patterns of behavior that were revealed during brief interactions about issues related to diabetes management.

METHOD

A secondary qualitative analysis of data, based on a template for analysis developed from the literature, was completed on audiotaped interactions of 28 adolescents and their parents.

RESULTS

Themes identified were frustration, fear, normalizing, trusting, and discounting. Trusting the adolescent to manage diabetes was difficult for the parents and was associated with frustration, fear, and discounting communication.

DISCUSSION

Results support the need for clinicians to work with families to facilitate trust and positive parent-adolescent communication about diabetes management.

Changing Women: Mothers and Their Adolescent Daughters

Budding fecundity in the female child is a matter of family concern. The authors used the grounded theory method to explore the process of communication between mothers and their adolescent daughters concerning sexuality issues within the context of the age changes of both. A core category of changing women was identified along with three maternal and three daughter processes. Changes that occur during this time period can lead to lasting separation between the pair if they fail to develop insight as a way of protecting themselves and one another. The findings may assist health professionals to understand these changes and facilitate the process of communication in these dyads.

The influence of ethnicity and generational status on parent and family relations among Chinese and Filipino adolescents

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of ethnic and generational differences on perceptions about parent and family relationships in a nationally representative sample of Chinese and Filipino adolescents living in the United States.

DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional descriptive study, utilizing data from the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health.

SAMPLE

The sample was weighted to produce a nationally representative sample, based on 216 self-identified Chinese and 387 self-identified Filipino adolescents.

RESULTS

Results indicated that generational status plays a role in predicting how adolescents perceive the parent-adolescent relationship.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings provide a basis by which community health nurses can begin to understand the uniqueness of Asian subgroups, as well as generations of immigrant youth.

An evaluation of a mass media campaign to encourage parents of adolescents to talk to their children about sex

PURPOSE

We evaluated a mass media campaign in North Carolina that used television (TV) public service announcements (PSAs), radio PSAs, and billboards to encourage parents of adolescents to talk to their children about sex. The primary message of the campaign was "Talk to your kids about sex. Everyone else is."

METHODS

Thirty-two of the 100 counties in North Carolina were chosen to evaluate the mass media campaign. Paid TV PSAs were aired in 22 of these counties, radio PSAs were aired in 21 counties, and billboards were displayed in 6 counties over a period of 9 months. The counties in our sample varied from no exposure to exposure to all 3 types of media. To assess the impact of the campaign, a sample of 1,132 parents of adolescents living in the 32 counties was administered a postexposure survey via a telephone interview. Questions about exposure to the media campaign were embedded among questions concerning media exposure to other health-related messages. The parent survey assessed the frequency the parents reported exposure to each type of media message, correct knowledge of the message, and multiple item scales that assessed how often they had talked to their child about various issues related to sex during the previous 6 months, intentions to talk to their child about these issues during the next month, and attitudes about discussing sexual issues with their child.

RESULTS

In bivariate analyses the levels of parental exposure to the 3 types of media messages were associated with both having talked to their children and intentions to talk to their children about sex (p < .0001). When analyzed with multiple regression, female gender, minority ethnicity, frequency of seeing a billboard on teenage pregnancy, frequency of seeing a TV PSA about sex, and frequency of hearing a radio PSA about sex and teenage pregnancy accounted for 12.8% (p < .0001) of the variance in having talked to their child about sex. Female gender, minority ethnicity, and previously talking to their child about sex accounted for 9.9% of the variation in positive communication attitudes about sex. Positive communication attitudes, female parent, minority ethnicity, frequency of seeing a billboard about sex, frequency of seeing a TV PSA about sex, and frequency of hearing radio PSAs about sex accounted for 12.3% of the variation in parental intentions to talk to their child about sex during the next month.

CONCLUSIONS

Exposure to each component of this mass media campaign was associated with parents recently having talked to their adolescent children about sex and intentions to talk to their children during the next month.

Conflict and conflict resolution: parent and young teen perceptions

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this preliminary study was to describe a novel approach to examine the thinking of parents and young teens about conflict and conflict resolution in their relationship. The novel approach was that teens and parents were asked to solve, in focus groups, a hypothetical conflict situation without, and then with, a structured conflict resolution guide.

METHODS

Two focus groups were conducted. The resulting data were analyzed with use of content analysis from a sample of 8 parent-young teen dyads. The young teens and their parents participated separately from one another in the focus groups.

RESULTS

Data demonstrated that the young teens (a) thought parents or siblings initiated most disagreements and that such disagreements were routine, and (b) handled conflict with their parents by trying to prevent it. If a conflict ensued, they used emotion, aggression, cooling off, accepting some of the blame, or submission to resolve it. Parents viewed the disagreements as (a) representing their struggles with their role as a parent or (b) opportunities to instill a sense of intrinsic responsibility in their child. Parents used the strategies of setting clear expectations, parental authority, negotiation, cooling down, and feedback to solve disagreements with their teenage children.

DISCUSSION

We concluded that these parents and young teens do not use a systematic method of solving disagreements but that with structured guidance, the parents and teens were able to resolve conflicts.

Struggling to understand: the experience of nonsmoking parents with adolescents who smoke

Smoking among adolescents is a major public health concern. Most parents would not want their children engaged in this risk-taking behavior. Although a majority of parents of smokers are themselves smokers, many are nonsmokers. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to understand what nonsmoking parents experience due to their adolescent children 's smoking behavior. The purposive sample consisted of 25 parents. The interview data generated the theory that nonsmoking parents struggle to understand their adolescents' smoking. They experienced four stages: discovering the smoking, facing the problem, reflecting, and waiting it out. Their experience can be examined from a stress paradigm. Programs are needed that provide parents with the knowledge and skills required for effective prevention and intervention strategies.

Associations among family adaptability and cohesion, interparental conflict, and tactics used during young adults' conflict with parents

The current study examined the association among characteristics of the marital relationship, family environment, and young adults' conflict interactions with parents. Reports from 124 17- to 20-yr.-olds indicated tactics used during conflicts with parents were associated with perceived magnitude of interparental conflict and family cohesion. Further, reports of frequency of conflict with parents were associated with young adults' use of aggressive conflict tactics. The current study indicates how young adults' perceptions of family adaptability and cohesion moderated the association between perceptions of interparental conflict and their reports of using aggressive tactics during conflict with parents. Findings are discussed in terms of implications of the associations among the marital relationship, family environment, and young adults' relationships with parents.