Adolescent to Parent Violence

• NCJ Number: 81767
• Journal: Urban and Social Change Review Volume: 15 Issue: 1 Dated: Special issue (Winter 1980) Pages: 8-14
• Author(s): C P Cornell; R J Gelles
• Date Published: 1982
• Length: 7 pages
• Grant Number(s): MH 27557
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Corporate Author: University of Rhode Island
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: This paper was presented at the annual meetings of the American Society of Criminology, November 12, 1981, Washington, D.C.

Annotation

Findings are presented from a study that examined the rate and patterns of violence by adolescents against their parents.

Abstract

Data were obtained from interviews with a nationally representative sample of 608 families with at least one child age 10 to 17 living at home. This sample was part of a larger sample of 2,143 families interviewed as part of a comprehensive study of family violence. Interviews were conducted with the mother in 315 families and with the father in 293 families. Abuse was measured through self-report on five violence items from the Conflict Tactics Scales believed to place the parent at risk of being injured. Indexes measured the form and frequency of violence by adolescents against their parents. Findings indicate that 2 1/2 million parents are struck at least once by their adolescent children, and almost 900,000 of these parents are victimized by severe violence. The modal type of adolescent-to-parent violence would appear to be older sons striking and abusing their mothers. The rate of severe violence for sons increases for each age group from 10 to 17, while the rate for girls declines. In comparing violence by adolescents toward parents with other types of family violence, the only factor in common is that the presence in a household of one form of violence is related to the occurrence of other types of violence. The absence of a relationship between family stress and violence towards parents does not rule out the hypothesis that stress is an important aspect of adolescent violence. The survey only examined stress experienced by parents. Had there been a measure of stress experienced by adolescents, the expected relationship might have been found. Future research in this area should explore the social situational aspects of violent children. Tabular data, 18 references, and 3 footnotes are provided.