Teenage Violence Toward Parents as an Adaptation to Family Strain: Evidence From a National Survey of Male Adolescents

• NCJ Number: 178362
• Journal: Youth and Society Volume: 30 Issue: 4 Dated: June 1999 Pages: 416-444
• Author(s): Timothy Brezina
• Date Published: 1999
• Length: 29 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: A revised version of a paper presented at the 1997 meetings of the American Society of Criminology, San Diego, Calif.

Annotation

In this study, longitudinal data from a national survey of male adolescents were analyzed to test the assumption that child aggression represents a functional response to family strain.

Abstract

Certain strain and social-learning theorists contend that child-to-parent violence is a functional response to family adversity (or strain). In particular, these theorists suggest that child-to-parent aggression can be understood partly as an attempt to cope with negative influences by parents or other family members. Furthermore, violent responses may work for children, since parents may change their abusive behaviors in response to the violent behavior of their children. In the current study, longitudinal data from a national survey of male adolescents were analyzed to test the assumption that child aggression is a functional response to family strain. To test for a reciprocal relationship between parental and child aggression, analyses were conducted with data from the first and second waves of the Youth in Transition survey. The survey was initiated in the fall of 1966. During the first wave of data collection, personal interview and questionnaire data were obtained from 2,213 male youths as they were entering the 10th grade clustered in 87 schools. A second wave of data was collected from 1,886 of the youths approximately 1.5 years later, when they were completing the 11th grade. The survey contains several measures relevant to the current study, including measures of parental aggression (slapping) directed at the respondent and measures of the respondent's own aggressive behavior directed at his parents. Consistent with theoretical accounts, the results show a reciprocal relationship between parental and child aggression, characterized by countervailing effects. Although aggression by parents (slapping) tends to foster aggression on the part of the male adolescent child, aggression by the male adolescent child tends to deter the assaultive behavior of parents. Implications for criminological theory, research, and the control of violent behavior are discussed. 1 table, 2 figures, 12 notes, and 56 references