Parental attitudes as perceived by adolescents who apply the aggressive, avoidant, and task-oriented strategies in situations of conflict

Abstract

The goal of the study was to compare parental attitudes (as perceived by adolescents) with regard to the coping strategies applied by adolescents in situations of social conflict (aggressive, avoidant, task-oriented). Plopa’s Parental Attitude Scale (Skala Postaw Rodzicielskich, SPR) and the Questionnaire for Coping Strategies in Parents in Situations of Social Conflict (Kwestionariusz strategii radzenia sobie rodziców w sytuacji konfliktu społecznego, KSRwSK) by D. Borecka-Biernat were used in the study. The empirical studies were conducted in middle schools on a sample of 893 participants (468 girls and 425 boys), aged 13 to 15. In the light of the conducted research, it has been concluded that appropriate parental attitudes, filled with emotional warmth, acceptance, and support, accompanied by respect for the adolescent's independence, allow young people to apply the constructive (task-oriented) strategy, that facilitates effective resolution of conflict. Moreover, an analysis of the research material has indicated that a destructive (aggressive, avoidant) way of reacting to emotional tension in situations of social conflict is shaped by inappropriate parental attitudes, characterized by high expectations and lack of a balanced emotional bond. It appears that the obtained information may constitute a theoretical guide for parenting strategies that might help shape an individual able to cope with conflict in a mature way.