Adolescents' Perceptions of Family System Characteristics, Parent-Adolescent Dyadic Behaviors, Adolescent Qualities, and Adolescent Empathy

Preteens Talking to Parents: Perceived Communication and School-Based Aggression

“…Thus, the focus of counseling becomes resolving parent-child conflict by addressing the causes rather than the outcomes of such relational problems. Further, those treatment approaches that focus on the strengths of families tend to be more successful in teaching adolescents appropriate social skills (Henry & Sager, 1996). Juhnke (2000) suggested that school violence prevention should be a collaborative effort of teachers, administrators, school counselors, parents, additional family members, and community leaders.…”

“…Parent training should emphasize increasing effective communication and family cohesion, while child social skills training should include information regarding the risks of associating with deviant peers (Cashwell & Vacc, 1996). Communication skills training for adolescents also should include such elements as active listening, perspective taking, and empathy building (Henry & Sager, 1996).…”

Personal Stories of Empathy in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood

“…Although empathy during childhood has been widely documented (Eisenberg et al, 2006;Eisenberg & Strayer, 1987), only a few researchers have explored the ways in which parents or family systems influence the development of empathy during adolescence (Goldstein & Michaels, 1985;Henry, Sager, & Plunkett, 1996;Koestner, Franz, & Weinberger, 1990;Soesnens, Duriez, Vansteenkiste, & Goossens, 2007).…”

“…Parental support is a parenting dimension characterized by the transmission of positive affect through praise, encouragement, warmth, and physical affection (Henry et al, 1996). Supportive parents are described as warm, sensitive and involved in their children's lives.…”

“…Youth who perceive their mothers and fathers as demonstrating high levels of support are more likely to show higher levels of concern for others. A study conducted by Henry et al (1996) assessed adolescents' perceptions of family system variables and their relation to empathy in adolescence. Youth who perceived their parents as supportive scored higher on measures of emotional empathy.…”