Child Parent Relations

908 Words4 Pages
The relationship between a child and parent is much different than that of two friends, however these relationships may be more connected than one may think. It is obvious that a parental figure plays a crucial role in the development of a child. This makes the parent-child relationship so critical. The child’s nurturer has major control over the child’s behavior, development, personality, and also their friendships. Researchers Maja Dekovic and Wim Meeus studied, “Peer relations in adolescence: effects of parenting and adolescents’ self-concept”. Their research provides evidence of parent-adolescent relationship and adolescent-peer relationship being intertwined. Dekovic and Meeus’ study provides evidence that adolescents who have a closer relationship with their parents show to have a better relationship with their friends and themselves. The sample of this research were 508 adolescents between the ages of 12 to 18. 245 of the respondents were females and were 254 males. The parent sample consisted of 502 mothers and 467 fathers between the ages of 30 to 65. The adolescents were surveyed about their relationship and attachment with their peers but also their parents. The questionnaire also asked questions about the adolescents self-concept. The research came to show that a low level of closeness and rapport in a parent-adolescent relationship and low supervision of the child leads the adolescent to spend more time with their peers. In contrast, adolescents that have a better relationship with their parents also have a good relationship with their peers. Adolescents that do not have a close relationship with their parents spend more time with their peers. These children however, do not have as good of a relationship with their peers as adolescents close with their parents. Research found, “The differences between these two groups of children were found in the
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