Adolescents' Perceptions of Privacy Invasion in Reaction to Parental Solicitation and Control

• NCJ Number: 224866
• Journal: Journal of Early Adolescence Volume: 28 Issue: 4 Dated: November 2008 Pages: 583-608
• Author(s): Skyler T. Hawk; William W. Hale III; Quinten A.W. Raaijmakers; Wim Meeus
• Date Published: November 2008
• Length: 26 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study investigated whether active parental monitoring strategies contributed t adolescents’ feelings of privacy invasion.

Abstract

Results found that adolescents might interpret parental solicitation and control negatively. Issues of privacy and information control probably will arise in most adolescent-parent relationships, and renegotiating these boundaries likely contributes to the development of realistic expectations about adolescent autonomy and disclosure. The results also suggest that parents who have highly positive interaction with adolescents should use overt, steadfast disclosure rules with caution. Parents who trust their adolescents to disclose voluntarily and responsibly might consider making this good faith explicitly known, and contemplate the use of information-gathering strategies that afford teenagers a sense of control in sharing aspects of their personal lives. The data specifically supports the following: that lower quality adolescent-parent interactions were associated with less parental solicitation and control; levels of parental solicitation remained consistent over time, but parental control decreased with age; females reported more solicitation and control over the 2-year period, and males reported stronger reductions in control; parents consistently requested information but reduced overt rules about disclosure for males; the decline in control was modest, however, and major reductions might not occur until later in adolescence; and additionally, perceived invasion was higher in the lower quality group. These findings suggest an association between higher privacy boundary turbulence and lower relationship satisfaction, although the direction of these influences is still unclear. Parental control was not associated with later invasion perception in this group, however, and solicitation showed only a modest relationship. Data were collected from 307 Dutch adolescents. Tables, figures, notes, references