A parent-effectiveness program to improve parent-adolescent relationships
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Date
2002
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Abstract
The present research was motivated by the researcher's observation of an increase in the rate of juvenile delinquency (especially among those children who are from 12 years to 18 years) in the Kwa-Dlangezwa location of Kwa-Zulu Natal. Examples of anti-social behaviour that adolescents participate in are car hijacking, drug addiction, cigarette smoking, house breaking or burglary, shoplifting, robbery, murder, sexual immorality and school dropout or truancy.
The aims of the study were to identify the causes of adolescent problems that could be addressed by parents and health professionals, empower individual parents by developing effective parenting skills in workshops, improve adolescents' positive perception of communication with parents, evaluate workshops with regard to parents' perceptions of their improved parenting skills, and to evaluate adolescents' perceptions of their parents' improved skills. It was hypothesized that parent-effectiveness program would help to identify the causes of adolescent problems, the program would significantly empower parents by improving parent-adolescent communication and the program would result in effecting parenting and decreased adolescents' negative behaviour. Improvements in parent skills and parent adolescent communication were assessed over two assessments i.e. pre-test and post-test. A survey was used to determine the causes of adolescents' problems and the communication or relationship between parents and adolescents.
The following psychological measures were used: biographic inventory for parents, program evaluated interview guide, need analysis questionnaire and parenting skills-rating scale.
The program consisted of meetings with the group of parents and adolescents at weekly intervals over a period of six weeks. The group was comprised of educated and professional parents. The parent effectiveness program improved parent-adolescent relationships. Parents also explored ways to express warmth and love towards their
adolescents. Parents of adolescents evaluated the program helpful for their adolescent children. They all wished that the program could continue.
Limitations of the study were that the sample size for both survey and parent effectiveness group was small and biased in terms of female representation. A longer follow up would have helped determine program sustainability.
Description
A dissertation submitted for the degree: Master of Arts in the Department of Psychology University of Zululand, 2002.
Keywords
Parent and teenager, Conflict of generations, Interpersonal relations in adolescence, Adolescent problems