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Research Papers

The phenomenon of adolescents placing pressure on their parents

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Pages 15-33 | Received 24 Apr 2013, Accepted 02 Sep 2013, Published online: 03 Apr 2014
 

Abstract

Objective

Parents are under pressure from their adolescent children if they, contrary to their own convictions, are compelled to bend rules or adapt decisions to submit to the demands of their children. The objective of this investigation was to determine which factors contribute to this phenomenon.

Method

The sample comprised 177 adolescents and their parents in the Mpumalanga province. Variables taken into account were individual factors (gender, age and personality of parents and adolescents); factors related to the family (family structure, working circumstances of parents, family relationships and birth order position of adolescents); developmental factors (identity formation of adolescents); and wider contextual factors (peer pressure during adolescence).

Results

From the parents’ side factors such as self-concept, personality and parent–adolescent relationship explained almost 62% of the variance in the pressure that parents experience. Only one prominent adolescent factor could be identified, namely adolescent–parent relationship (seen from the adolescents’ side).

Conclusion

The results indicate that the pressure which parents encounter from their adolescent children is associated with parental variables rather than adolescent variables. Adolescents do not deliberately plan to place their parents under pressure, but factors on the parents’ side create such a situation.

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