Family Relationship as Predictors of Parent-Adolescent Conflict: the Case of Gulele Sub-City
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Date
2009-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to explore family relationship as predictors of parent-adolescent
conflict within and across gender of parents and of adolescents. Specifically, attempts were made to
examine perceived parental behaviors (i.e., support, monitoring, and punitiveness), autonomy from
parents, and conformity to parental expectations as predictors of adolescents' perception of parentadolescent
conflict. Two hundred-twenty seven (108 males and 119 females) randomly selected
adolescent students of Gulele sub-city participated in the study. Data were collected using
adolescents' self-report on measures of parental behaviors, autonomy from parents and conformity
to parental expectations, and on parent-adolescent conflict. Results of multiple regression analyses
revealed that adolescents' perceived fathers' support appeared negatively and significantly to predict
adolescents' perception of parent-adolescent conflict in reference with males but not significant for
females. Perceived mothers' support was found to be significant and negative predictor adolescents'
perception of parent-adolescent conflict in reference with girls but insignificant for boys. [n addition,
most of the findings of adolescents' perceived parents' monitoring appeared to decrease perceived
parent-adolescent conflict but not significant. On the other hand, fathers' punitiveness was found to
be a positive and significant predictor of parents' conflict with adolescent males but not significant
for adolescent females. Similarly, perceived mothers' punitiveness was found to be a positive
predictor of parents' conflict with adolescent girls but insignificant for boys. Perceived autonomy
from fathers was a negative and significant predictor of parents' conflict with adolescent girls but
not significant for boys. In addition, perceived autonomy from mothers was found to decrease
adolescents' perception of parent-adolescent conflict in reference with girls but insignificant for
boys. Adolescents' perceived conformity to parents' expectations was a negative predictor of
perception of parent-adolescent conflict but not significant. It was concluded that patterns of family
relationship as predictors of parent-adolescent conflict was different as a function of gender of
parents and of adolescents. Finally, recommendations were forwarded based on the findings of the
study
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Keywords
Adolescent Conflict