| Conflicts are inevitable in social life. Parent-adolescent conflict is particularly high in early adolescence. Although conflicts contribute to the development of the autonomy and independency of the adolescent, too many conflicts can cause problem behavior. It is therefore important to cope adequately with conflicts. I will examine the link between adolescents? and their parents? use of conflict resolution styles and adolescent problem behavior. I assume that conflict resolution of both individuals is important and that specific combinations of styles contribute more to problem behavior than others. Furthermore, I will examine how conflict resolution styles of adolescents with parents and friends change during adolescence. Since the adolescent-parent relationship will become more egalitarian during adolescence, this will affect the way adolescents and parents resolve their conflicts. How are these changes related to conflict resolution with friends? Do changes in conflict resolution in parent-adolescent relationship lead to changes in conflict resolution in friendship relations, or do experiences in more equal and symmetrical friendship relations lead to subsequent changes in parent-adolescent relationships? Finally, the intergenerational transmission of conflict resolution will be examined: Is the way parents resolve their conflicts related to the way adolescents resolve their problems with friends? |
