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Assaultive adolescents: family decision-making parameters.
Family Process
|March 1, 1983
Summary
Families with aggressive teenagers exhibit distinct decision-making patterns compared to families with non-violent adolescents. These families show less group agreement and reduced influence for sons in choices, with mothers dictating decisions more frequently.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Family Studies
- Criminology
Background:
- Family dynamics significantly influence adolescent behavior.
- Understanding decision-making processes is crucial for addressing youth violence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare family decision-making styles between families with violent adolescents and those with normal adolescents.
- To identify specific interactional patterns associated with adolescent aggression.
Main Methods:
- A pilot study was conducted comparing two groups: families with a violent adolescent and families with a normal adolescent.
- An unrevealed differences family interactional test was employed to assess decision-making processes.
Main Results:
- Families with violent adolescents demonstrated less overall group agreement in decision-making.
- Mothers in families with violent adolescents dictated decisions more frequently.
- Adolescent sons in families with violent teenagers had less influence on family choices.
- Specific disagreements were noted between mothers and violent sons regarding activity choices.
Conclusions:
- Family decision-making styles differ significantly when an adolescent exhibits violent behavior.
- These findings suggest that altered family interactional patterns may be linked to adolescent aggression.
- Further research is warranted to explore the implications for intervention strategies for assaultive youths.