This research proposes the relationship between family functions and conflict resolution strategies among peers recognized by adolescents of single-parent families. Both family functions and conflict resolution strategies among peers recognized by ado...
This research proposes the relationship between family functions and conflict resolution strategies among peers recognized by adolescents of single-parent families. Both family functions and conflict resolution strategies among peers recognized by adolescents of single-parent families are studied, respectively, and the correlation between these two variables are also investigated. A set of questionnaires has been posed to adolescents of single-parent families who are in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd scholastic years of high schools in Seoul.
The results of this research are summarized with respect to research subjects as follow.
Firstly, the score of family functions recognized by adolescents of single-parent families is positive : mean 2.90 in total score 4.00. Girls recognize conflict resolution which is one of sub-categories of family functions better than boys do. This indicates that being a single-parent family gives negative effect to girls than boys. Adolescents of single-mother families recognizes family functions better than of single-father families. Adolescents of single-parent families recognize family functions more positively as they meet the other parents who are not currently bringing them up more frequently, and as they are more satisfied with their current living. However, scholastic year, the cause and the period of being single-parent families do not show significance in recognizing family functions.
Secondly, adolescents of single-parent families generally utilize avoiding, dominating, obliging and integrating-compromsing strategies. These adolescents show difference in utilizing conflict-avoiding strategy with respect to the cause of having been a single-parent family. Adolescents of single-parent families by living separately tend to choose more conflict-avoiding strategies than those by death of parents. However, there is no significance of conflict-resolution strategies with respect to gender, scholastic years, types of single-parent families, frequency of meeting the other parent who are not bringing them up, satisfaction with living, nor period of deficit.
Thirdly, there are correlations between family functions and conflict-resolution strategies among peers recognized by adolescents of single-parent families. Communication which is sub-variable of family functions has a strong positive-correlation with integrating-compromsing strategies which are sub-variables of conflict-resolution. This means that the more effectively is communication among members of single-parent families performed, the more maturely can conflicts among peers be resolved. A conflict-avoiding strategy has negative-correlations with a role function and an emotional participation. Obliging strategy has positive-correlations with communication and general functions. Dominating strategy has a positive-correlation with communication, and a negative-correlation with a role function.
It can be concluded that the genders of both parents and adolescents of single-parent families have significance : single-fathers have more difficulty in showing appropriate and persistant emotional reaction than single-mothers do, and girls are affected more negatively by deficit than boys are. The more appropriately do adolescents of single-parent families communicate with family members, the more maturely can they resolve conflicts among peers. It is needed to improve communication in single-parent families since adolescents can make friends and resolve conflicts among them maturely with affirmative communication. Therefore, this research insists that family programs in which single-parents and their children can participate should be introduced in schools and local communities.