Association of fathers' satisfaction and perception of family with participation in family life and prosocial behavior of adolescents

Abstract

The purpose of the paper was to examine whether the father's family experience transfers to the behavior of the adolescent in the family and then to the socially desirable behaviors of the adolescent. The aim of the paper was to examine how the father's experience of family functioning and family satisfaction directly and indirectly, through adolescent participation in family life, contribute to the prosocial behavior of adolescents. The sample consisted of 178 children and their fathers who participated in the two-wave study. Children evaluated their prosocial behavior and participation in family life in the second wave, and fathers assessed family functioning and family satisfaction in the first wave. The results showed that the father's positive perception of family functioning and higher satisfaction with family life are associated with more prosocial behavior and greater participation in family life among adolescents. The father's positive family experience contributes to a higher level of adolescent participation in family life, which then contributes to the more prosocial behavior of adolescents. The results confirm the existence of a significant and indirect contribution of the family to adolescent behavior as well as the transfer of emotions and behaviors in the family and other systems.