Topics of Conflict Between Parents and Young Adolescents

Abstract

ISSUES AND PURPOSE. Parents often examine and question interactions with their young teen and may ask the advice of healthcare professionals. Topics, frequency, and intensity of conflicts between young adolescents and parents were therefore examined. DESIGN AND METHODS. A descriptive survey using the 44‐item Issues Checklist (Robin, 1975) with 163 parent and young adolescent (ages 11–14) dyads. RESULTS. Parents and teens were congruent about their reports of the topics, frequency, and intensity of conflict. Discussion of the topics generally was not angry. Mothers reported the greatest quantity of issues. Potentially sensitive topics such as substance use, dating, and sex were rarely approached by either parent or young adolescent. Sociodemographic characteristics did not distinguish or were not associated with IC scores. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. Conflict is a common component of the parent‐young adolescent relationship. Families with children entering adolescence can expect conflict about issues that recur but usually are not that “hot.“ Anticipating topics may put conflict in perspective. Nurses help families resolve conflicts associated with day‐to‐day conflicts as a first step toward opening up larger, potentially sensitive topics.

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

“…It is difficult to tell from most studies how much parents talked with their children and the type and extent of content. However, similar to some of the parents in this study, it was noted in other studies that parents did not talk often about smoking with their adolescent children [17, 18]. Like many of the parents in this study, it seems that the main focus of any communication about smoking was on health effects, although expectations or warnings not to smoke, financial cost, and peer pressure were addressed in some cases [19–22].…”

Conflicts Between Young Adolescents With Type I Diabetes and Their Parents

“…Two subjects were eliminated from all analysis because of extreme responses for frequency of discussion, resulting in the final sample reported here. After these two subjects were eliminated, the frequency of discussion ranged from 1 to 160 times in the past 4 weeks, similar to the nondistressed population (Reisch et al, 2000).…”

“…Highest and lowest endorsed items, median frequency of discussion, and mean intensity of discussion were calculated using spss statistical software version 11.5. This study used the same methods as the Reisch et al study (2000) in order to make comparisons with their nondistressed sample. Two subjects were eliminated from all analysis because of extreme responses for frequency of discussion, resulting in the final sample reported here.…”

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

“…For example, Resnick et al [10] found that family connectedness and parental disapproval of intercourse and contraception were associated with delay of sexual intercourse. Other studies have found that adolescents' perception of their parents' attitudes toward adolescent sexual behavior and the quality of the relationship with the parent(s) are associated with adolescents' sexual behaviors [4,[13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. McNeely et al [20] recently reported that mothers' disapproval of their daughters engaging in sex was associated with later initiation of sex.…”

“…However, the quality of the parent-child communication is key to adolescents understanding their parents' values concerning sexual behavior. Research suggests that parents talk to their children less often than may be necessary for youth to understand clearly how their parents feel about adolescent sexual behavior and contraception [19].…”