Conflict Resolution Styles in ParentAdolescent Relationships and Youth Problem Behavior Muriel D' va

1
Conflict Resolution Styles in Parent-Adolescent
Relationships and Youth Problem BehaviorMuriel
D. van Doorn, Susan J. T. Branje, Wim H. J.
MeeusDepartment of Child and Adolescent Studies,
Utrecht University, The Netherlands
Introduction
Results
Interactions
Conflicts are very common in the
parent-adolescent relationship and are
particularly frequent in early adolescence.
Although conflicts contribute to the development
of autonomy and independence, too many conflicts
have been related to problem behavior. Whether
conflicts are functional or dysfunctional depends
to a certain extent on how these conflicts are
handled in the relationship in which they occur
(Collins Laursen, 1992). Until now a
limited number of studies has examined the
association between adolescent conflict
resolution and adolescent delinquency, showing
that adolescents who use attack, display of anger
and impulsiveness report higher levels of
delinquency (Jaffee DZurilla, 2003 Rubenstein
Feldman, 1993). Adolescents who use withdrawal
or avoidance also report higher levels of
delinquency. Positive, effective problem solving
of adolescents was found to be related to lower
levels of adolescent delinquency (Tucker, McHale,
Crouter, 2003). Not only the conflict
resolution style adolescents use in conflicts
with their parents, but also the conflict
resolution styles their parents use in these
conflicts might be important for adolescents
adjustment. Although two studies reported that
low levels of effective conflict resolution by
mothers have been found to be related to
adolescent delinquency (Borduin, Henggeler,
Hanson, Pruitt, 1985 Klein, Forehand,
Armistead, Long, 1997), others failed to find
significant relations between specific conflict
resolution styles of parents and adolescent
delinquency (Jaffee DZurilla, 2003). The
interdependence and bidirectionality in the
adolescent-parent relationship suggest that
specific combinations of conflict resolution
styles used by adolescents and parents should be
examined. When adolescents use certain conflict
resolution styles, this will evoke certain
conflict resolution styles from parents, and vice
versa, and these combinations of styles will have
consequences for adolescent psychosocial
adjustment. The demand-withdraw pattern,
characterized by one persons demand and the
other persons withdrawal, is frequently
investigated in the martial relationships.
Recently, this pattern of conflict resolution has
been investigated in the parent-adolescent
relationship and was found to be related to
related to adolescent problem behavior (Caughlin
Malis, 2004). In this study, the
demand-withdraw pattern is measured by the
interaction of conflict engagement by one person
and withdrawal by the other.
Figure 1 Adolescent conflict engagement x Father
withdrawal (Demand-withdraw)
Hierarchical regression analyses were
performed, for the adolescent-father and
adolescent-mother relationship separately.
The main effect of conflict engagement of
adolescents was qualified by the level of
withdrawal of fathers. Following up this
interaction revealed that higher conflict
engagement of adolescents was associated with
more delinquency especially for higher withdrawal
of fathers.
Table 1. The Relation between Adolescents and
their Parents Conflict Resolution Styles and
Delinquency
High levels of withdrawal of fathers might
resemble disengagement and perhaps even a
permissive or laissez-faire discipline style.
Moreover, withdrawing fathers might not monitor
and supervise their adolescents well. These
parenting practices have already been associated
with adolescent delinquency.
Figure 2 Adolescent withdrawal x Father positive
problem solving
This interaction revealed that higher withdrawal
of adolescents was related to more delinquency in
particular for higher positive problem solving of
fathers.
A possible explanation for this finding is that
the issues fathers and adolescents argue about
are mostly centered on performance in school and
disobedience. When adolescents are withdrawing
from conflicts on such important topics and thus
clearly dont want to discuss and resolve the
conflict, adolescents might need more authority
from fathers. Negotiation from fathers may be
less appropriate in this situation.
Note. A Adolescent F Father M Mother. p lt
.05. p lt .01.
Sex of adolescents was significantly related
to delinquency, indicating that adolescent boys
had higher levels of delinquency than adolescent
girls. Conflicts were positively related to
delinquency, meaning that adolescents who
experienced more conflicts with fathers and
mothers had higher levels of delinquency.
Conflict engagement of adolescents in conflicts
with fathers was positively related to adolescent
delinquency, but this effect was qualified by the
level of fathers withdrawal (see Figure 1).
Compliance of adolescents was negatively related
to delinquency, indicating that more compliance
of adolescents in conflicts with fathers was
associated with less delinquent behavior of
adolescents. There was one additional significant
interaction found for the adolescent-father
relationship, that is withdrawal of adolescents
by positive problem solving of fathers (see
Figure 2). The conflict resolution styles of
adolescents in relationship with mothers did not
contribute significantly to the variance
explained in delinquency (see Table 1). Although
there were no main effects, a significant
interaction was found between conflict engagement
of adolescents and conflict engagement of mothers
(see Figure 3).
Participants
Participants in this study came from the
family sample of the CONAMORE longitudinal study
(CONflict And Management Of RElationships Meeus
et al., 2004). The sample consisted of 323
adolescents (48.3 boys, mean age 13.3) and
their parents. Most adolescents were Dutch (98.7
) and lived with both parents (97.8 ).
Figure 3 Adolescent conflict engagement x Mother
conflict engagement
Conflicts with fathers and mothers were
measured using the Interpersonal Conflict
Questionnaire (Laursen, 1993). Adolescents had to
rate on a 5-point Likert scale how often, ranging
from never to often, they have had an argument or
fight with father and mother for 34 issues over
the past seven days. The items covered topics
such as homework, not doing what you are asked
to do and manners. Conflicts resolution
styles were measured by a Dutch adaptation of
Kurdeks Conflict Resolution Style Inventory
(CRSI, Kurdek, 1994). Four conflict resolution
styles were distinguished and rated on a 5-point
Likert scale ranging from never to always
Conflict engagement being verbally abusive,
getting very angry and losing self-control
Positive problem solving making compromises,
and discussing the problem effectively
Withdrawal avoiding the problem, avoid talking
and becoming distant Compliance not defending
your own opinion and giving in too easily.
Delinquency was measured by a 16-item
questionnaire (Baerveldt, Van Rossem, Vermande,
2003), measuring minor offences. Adolescent were
asked to indicate on a 4-point scale ranging from
never to four times or more how often they had
shown certain forms of delinquent behaviors
during the last 12 months. Sample items were
stolen a bike, deliberately broken something
at street, started a fire, and used drugs.
Measurements
Higher conflict engagement of adolescents was
associated with more delinquency especially when
mothers used more conflict engagement.
This interaction might be seen as a mutually
hostile style. Obviously, getting angry and
loosing self-control is not a very effective way
to resolve conflicts, especially not when both
interaction partners are involved in such
behaviors.
Conclusions
To conclude, conflict engagement and
compliance in the adolescent-father relationship
contributed to adolescents levels of
delinquency. In the adolescent-father and
adolescent-mother relationship, conflict
engagement was qualified by a conflict resolution
style of parents, indicating that the conflict
resolution styles of their parents matter as
well. In other words, the interactions of styles
by adolescents and parents contributed most
importantly to adolescent delinquency. These
results imply that future research should focus
on the combinations of conflict resolution styles
of adolescents and parents rather than on the
conflict resolution styles of adolescents and
parents alone.
Society for Research in Child Development,
Atlanta, Georgia, April 7th-10th Correspondence
m.d.vandoorn_at_fss.uu.nl