Adolescent Psychology
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Transcript Adolescent Psychology
Adolescent Psychology
Chapter 8: Families
Lecture 2
Emerging Adult Relationship with Parents
Generally improves when they leave home
Psychologically closer
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More autonomous/less struggle
Continued parental support…
Separation without “cutting off ”
Problems with “cutting off ”
Living arrangements
Leaving home “on time” – more securely attached (21/23)
“returners”
Strategies for parents & emerging adults
Sibling Roles
• Approximately 80% of American adolescents have 1+ siblings
• Conflict, helping, teaching, fighting, playing, support, rivals,
teammates
• What do siblings spend their time talking about?
• Three important characteristics of sibling relationships to consider:
• Emotional quality of the relationship
• + and • Familiarity & intimacy of the relationship
• Know each other well!
• Considerable variation in sibling relationships
Siblings
Parental favoritism – 65 – 70%
Self-esteem & sadness
Socialization
High sibling conflict
Parental ineffectiveness
Antisocial bx & peer relationships
Depression vs. social competence
Siblings & Birth Order
• Birth order linked to
• Individual characteristics
• Siblings’ relationships with each other
• Firstborns
• More adult oriented; Helpful, conforming; Anxious; Self-controlled
• Less aggressive than their siblings
• What are later-borns like?
• Can occupy so many different sibling positions.
• Overall, usually enjoy better relations with peers than firstborns
• Last-borns run the risk of becoming overly dependent – “the baby”
• Middle-borns: more diplomatic, role of negotiator, “scapegoat”
• Do you think Birth Order is important? Why?
“Family” in a Changing Society
Divorced Families
Stepfamilies
Working Parents
Adoption
Gay Male & Lesbian Parents
Culture
Divorced Families
Changed dramatically in U. S. & many other countries in the late 20th century
Increased 60s – 70s; declined since 80s
40% born to married parents will experience divorce
Adolescents’ Adjustment in Divorced Families
Show poorer adjustment than their counterparts in non-divorced families
Academic problems and /or drop out of school
Externalized problems /Internalized problems
Less-competent intimate relationships; Become sexually active at an earlier age
Drug related problems; Associate with antisocial peers
Lower self-esteem (Conger & Chao, 1996; Hetherington, 2005; Hetherington & Kelly,
2002).
Emotional Problems & Divorce
Adolescents & Divorce
Should parents stay together for the sake of their children?
Unhappy marriage can be harmful to well-being of children.
Diminished resources can be harmful to children.
Marital conflict may have negative consequences for children & adolescents in the
context of marriage or divorce
Family processes matter a great deal!
• When the divorced parents have a harmonious relationship & use authoritative
parenting better adjustment of adolescents (remember co-parenting)
• Secure attachment also matters
Adolescents & Divorce
• Individual Adolescent Risk Factors
• Age of onset of the divorce
• Adolescent’s adjustment prior to the divorce
• Personality & temperament
• Developmental status
• Gender
• Custody
• Relocation
• SES – decrease in income, increased work, etc.
Stepfamilies
Steady increase of remarriages involving children in recent years
Stepfamily structure
Stepfather
Stepmother
Blended or complex
Stepfamilies Types – Relationship Patterns (Bray, Berger, & Boethel,1999)
Neo-traditional: both adults want family; 3-5 years look like intact family
Matriarchal: mother runs family, stepfather is bystander; may have “turf ” issues
Romantic: unrealistic expectations divorce
Stepfamilies & Adolescent Adjustment
• Boundary ambiguity makes adjustment difficult
• Who is in/out of the family
• Who is performing/ responsible for certain tasks in the family system
• Early adolescence is an especially difficult time for the formation of
a stepfamily (Bray & Kelly, 1998).
Working Parents
• What matters for adolescent development is the nature of
parents’ work rather than whether one parent works outside the
home (Clarke-Stewart, 2006).
• Self-Care/Latchkey Adolescents
• Typically do not see their parents from the time they leave for school in the
morning until about 6:00 or 7:00 P.M.
• Some have negative experience
Adoption
Social & legal process by which a parent-child relationship is established
between persons unrelated at birth.
• Changes in adoption practice in last several decades of 20th century
Substantial decrease in the number of healthy, non-Latino White infants
have become available for adoption.
Other prospective adoptive parents began considering adopting foster
children
Changes characterize adoptive parents
Adopted children & adolescents often show more psychological &
school-related problems than non-adopted children (Brodzinsky & others,
1984).
Adoption
• Keys to effectively parenting adopted adolescents very similar to
those for effectively parenting biological adolescents:
• Be supportive & caring
• Be involved & monitor the adolescent’s behavior & whereabouts
• Be a good communicator
• Help the adolescent learn to develop self-control
Gay & Lesbian Parents
• 1 million + GLB parents in U.S. today
• Important to consider sexual identity of parents at the time of a
child’s birth or adoption (Patterson, 2002).
• Few differences in children & adolescents growing up with gay
fathers & lesbian mothers (Patterson, 2006; Patterson & Hastings, 2007).
• Adjustment
• Sexual orientation
• Mental health
• Peer relationships
Gay & Lesbian Parents
Culture & Ethnicity
• Cross-Cultural Comparisons
• Cultures vary on a number of issues involving families.
• Most common pattern was a warm & controlling style; neither
permissive nor restrictive
• Love and moderate parental control
• In some countries, authoritarian parenting continues to be widely
practiced (Rothbaum & Trommsdorff, 2007)
• There are trends toward greater family mobility
• Migration
• Commuting
• Mother’s employment
• Fewer extended family members nearby
Ethnicity & Parenting
• Ethnic minority families differ from non-Latino White American
• In their size
• Structure & composition
• Reliance on kinship networks
• Level of income & education (Harwood & Feng, 2006; Nievar & Luster, 2006).
• Large & extended families are more common
• AA & Latino children interact more with grandparents, aunts, uncles,
cousins, & more distant relatives (McAdoo, 2006).
• Ethnic minority adolescents are more likely to come from low-income
families (Magnuson & Duncan, 2002; McLoyd, Aikens, & Burton, 2006; Parke & Buriel,
2006).
• Single-parent families are more common among AA & Latinos
What can parents do?
Competent adolescent development is most likely to happen when
adolescents have parents who:
show them warmth & respect
demonstrate sustained interest in their lives
recognize & adapt to their changing cognitive & socio-emotional development
communicate expectations for high standards of conduct & achievement
display authoritative, constructive ways of dealing with problems & conflict.
Families, Adolescents, & Social Policy
School, cultural arts, religious/youth organizations, & health-care
involve parents in activities with adolescents
develop ways to engage parents & adolescents in activities they both enjoy
Professionals (teachers, psychologists, nurses, physicians, etc.)
work with the individual adolescent
Also, increase the time they spend interacting with the adolescent’s family
Employers
workplace policies now reserved only for the parents of young children
flexible work schedules, job sharing, telecommuting, & part-time work with benefits
free parents to spend more time with their teenagers.
Community institutions (businesses, schools, & youth organizations)
providing after-school programs-- such programs for adolescents are rare
More high-quality, community-based programs for adolescents
after- school, weekend, & vacation time periods
Additional Resources
National Stepfamily Resource Center
www.stepfamilies.info
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America www.bbbsa.org
Your Book Online!
http://www.mhhe.com/santrocka13e