Family functioning and aggression among Spanish adolescents. Examining the roles of family cohesion, family flexibility, family communication and family satisfaction

Abstract

The main purpose of this research was to determine the relationship between family functioning and aggression among Spanish adolescents. A sample of 1,196 adolescents between 14 and 18 years old (50 per cent female) were selected from twenty-three educational centres, ten university degrees and eighteen specific juvenile facilities. The Buss and Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ), and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES IV Package) were administered. In regard to results, adolescent hostility was the dimension of aggression most strongly related to poor family functioning. The family functioning risk factors for aggression were disengagement, chaos and rigidity, while family communication was an essential protective factor. Enmeshment did not correlate significantly with aggression but became an aggression risk factor in late adolescence. The family functioning variable most related to adolescent aggression in multi-problematic families was disengagement, while it was the absence of rigidity among adolescent offenders. The results are discussed considering the cultural context, concluding the importance of Spanish parents combining affection and leadership, and enhancing positive family communication.