Article Analysis

Article Analysis: Transitions in family structure and adolescent well-being

In this article, Spruijt explored the relationships between perceived family processes (parental bonding and parental discipline styles) and adolescent emotional and behavioural adjustment among a sample of youth. Data were used from the Utrecht Article of Adolescent Development (USAD), a article of developments in the life course of young people during the 1990s. Results are presented from over 2,500 respondents between 15 and 24 years of age. Their parents were also interviewed on a number of topics. Transition in family structure after marital problems, divorce, and remarriage does appear to have significant long-term effects on a number of adolescent well-being variables. Structural equation modelling was used to further assess the relationships between perceptions of family life and the outcome variables. It was concluded that adolescent perceptions of family processes form a coherent and integrated network with implications for behavioural and emotional adjustment.

Given the challenges posed by the adolescent years (Spruijt, 1995), it is hardly surprising that teenagers have been earmarked as a group at risk for problem behaviour and emotional distress ( Hendry, Shucksmith, Love, & Glendinning, 1993). Family environment is acknowledged to be of critical importance when considering the behavioural and emotional well-being of adolescents (see also Bahr, 1991; Downey and Noller). The present research investigates the extent to which adolescents' perceptions of parental bonding and parental discipline styles are related to their levels of self-reported delinquency and general emotional adjustment.

We analyzed from the article that the family, as the primary source of socialisation, has been consistently implicated in the emotional adjustment of adolescents. What appears most influential in shaping adolescent outcomes is family process (e.g. conflict, cohesiveness, etc.) rather than family structure (Borrine, Handal, Brown, & Searight, 1991). For instance, longitudinal research by Newcomer and Udry (1987) showed that family disruption rather than family structure was instrumental in altering adolescents' transitions to sexual intercourse. In addition, high self-esteem and a general sentiment of satisfaction with life have been shown to be related to family health (Baumrind, 1991), effective familial communication (Adams and Spruijt), family cohesion (Bell & Bell, 1982) and familial stability (Noller & Callan, 1991). Likewise, elevated levels of psychological distress have consistently been found to be associated with evidence of conflictual and enmeshed families ( Biggam; Burt; Mohr; Noller and Slater).

The parental bond (Parker, Tupling, & Brown, 1979) has been shown to be of particular relevance in the understanding, prediction and possible prevention of various adolescent problems. Parker and colleagues identified care (suggesting care/involvement vs indifference/rejection), and overprotection (suggesting control/overprotection vs encouragement of independence) as the most salient dimensions of parenting. Adolescents who display strong attachment to their parents are less likely to participate in delinquent acts than their less intimately attached counterparts (Le Blanc, 1992).

Also we analyzed that the families of violent offenders and sexual offenders have consistently shown high levels of negative affect and low levels of positive affect, suggesting that these families are characterised by low bonding (Blaske, Borduin, Henggeler, & Mann, ...