Parental Attitudes Perceived by Adolescents, and Their Tendency for Violence and Affecting Factors

Abstract

Parental attitude is an important factor for adolescents to establish healthy–unhealthy relationships with their environment and to develop a tendency for violence. This study was performed to determine parental attitudes perceived by high school students and their tendency for violence and the affecting factors. This cross-sectional correlational study was conducted with 2,000 high school students. Data were collected by a questionnaire, Parental Attitude Scale, and Violence Tendency Scale. In the study, it was found that mean scores of the students for democratic attitude were higher than protective or authoritarian attitudes. Factors such as grade level, age, sex, education level of the parents, family type, income level, number of siblings, birth order, state of being exposed to domestic violence, and tendency for violence affected perceived parental attitude. It was also determined that violence tendency of the students was at a moderate level, and students who were studying at higher grades, who were among an older age group in parallel to grade level, who were males, whose mothers were employed, whose fathers had less than an primary education, whose incomes were less than the expenses, and who experienced domestic violence showed more tendency for violence. In addition, it was determined that tendency for violence decreased as democratic parental attitudes perceived by the students increased, and tendency for violence increased as protective and authoritarian attitude increased. It is recommended to plan regular family training programs to inform families about the relationship between family attitude and tenancy for violence, to strengthen the communication between parents and children, and to support and improve parenting skills of the parents.