Skip to main content
Log in

Attitudes toward authority of adolescents under family supervision

  • Articles
  • Published:
Child and Youth Care Forum Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Child protection measures result in a change in who is an authority figure in the family receiving child protection intervention. Parents and children are often opposed to these changes in authority and intervention and have to get used to the new power balance. Attitudes toward parental and professional authority affect the quality of the relationship between court-appointed family supervisor and client. Recent research has shown that adolescents’ attitudes toward authority in general have changed. The topic of this study is how adolescents under family supervision view authority. The questions examined are: What motivates adolescents to obey their parents? How does this compare to their motivations for obeying the family supervisor? Interview data regarding adolescents’ future parenting style preferences are presented and directions for further research in this area are suggested.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Baumrind, D. (1973). The development of instrumental competence through socialization. In A. Pick (Ed.),Minnesota Symposium on Child Psychology no. 7, 3–46. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bryman, A., & Cramer, D. (1990).Quantitative data analysis for social sciences. London/New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dijkman, T., & Terpstra, J. (1991).Jeugd en Gezag. Een onderzoek naar gezagsrelaties op school, in dienst en op het werk. Nijmegen: Instituut voor toegepaste sociale wetenschappen. (Dutch)

    Google Scholar 

  • Drayer, P. (1990).Seksuele traumatisering in de jeugd: gevolgen op lange termijn van seksueel misbruik van meisjes door verwanten. Amsterdam: SUA. (Dutch)

    Google Scholar 

  • DuBois-Reymond, M. (1993). Pluraliseringstendenzen en onderhandelingsculturen in gezin.Amsterdams Sociologisch Tijdschrift, 19, 113–144. (Dutch)

    Google Scholar 

  • Elias, N. (1978).The civilizing process: The history of manners. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eppink, A. (Ed.).(1986).Kind-zijn in twee culturen. Jonge Marokkaanse en Turkse kinderen in Nederland. Deventer: Van Loghum Slaterus. (Dutch)

    Google Scholar 

  • French, J., & Raven, B. (1960). The bases of social power. In D. Cartwright & A. Zander (Eds.),Group dynamics: Research and theory (pp. 607–623). Evanston/New York: Row, Peterson & Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoffman, M. (1984). Parent discipline, moral internalization, and development of prosocial motivation. In E. Staub, D. Bar-Tal, J. Karyloski, & J. Reykowski (Eds.),Development and maintenance of prosocial behavior (pp. 117–137). New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jonkers, J. (1995). De gevolgen van de herziening van de maatregel van ondertoezichtstelling van minderjarigen voor uitvoerend werkers. In H.v.d. Bosch (Ed.),De nieuwe o.t.s. uitgelegd voor de gezinsvoogd (pp. 11–30). Utrecht: VEDIVO. (Dutch)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kapteyn, P. (1980).Taboe, macht en moraal in Nederland. Amsterdam: Synopsis. (Dutch)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaufman, J., & Zigler, E. (1987). Do abused children become abusive parents?American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 57, 186–192.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kohlberg, L. (1981).The philosophy of moral development: Essays on moral development, Vol. I. San Francisco: Harper and Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Komen, M. (1995). Gehoorzaamheid en zelfcontrole. Ontwikkelingen op het terrein van de justitiële kinderbescherming, gezinnen en jeugdcrimina liteit.Tijdschrift voor Criminologie, 37, 22–42. (Dutch)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuipers, L. (1994). Zorg dat je later niet een ander zijn hok hoeft schoon te maken. Klasse-en seksespecifieke boodschappen van ouders aan kinderen.Amsterdams Sociologisch Tijdschrift, 21, 85–99. (Dutch)

    Google Scholar 

  • McDonald, G. (1982). Parental power perceptions in the family: The influence of adolescent characteristics.Youth and Society, 14, 3–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nijnatten, C. van (1995).Het gezicht van gezag. Visies op gezagsrelaties. Amsterdam: Boom/Meppel. (Dutch)

    Google Scholar 

  • Pinto, D. (1990).Interculturele communicatie: drie stappen methode voor het doeltreffend overbruggen en managen van cultuurverschillen. Houten: Bohn, Stafleu, Van Loghum. (Dutch)

    Google Scholar 

  • Smetana, J. (1988). Adolescents’ and parents’ conceptions of parental authority.Child Development, 59, 321–335.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smetana, J. (1993). Conceptions of parental authority in divorced and married mothers and their adolescents.Journal of Research in Adolescence, 3, 19–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smetana, J., & Asquith, P. (1994). Adolescents’ and parents’ conceptions of parental authority and personal autonomy.Child Development, 65, 1147–1162.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stierlin, H. (1977).Psychoanalysis and family therapy, selected papers. New York: Jason Aronson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swaan, A. de (1988).In care of the state: Health care, education, and welfare in Europe and the USA in the modern era. Cambridge: Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tisak, M. (1986). Children’s conceptions of parental authority.Child Development, 57, 166–176.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tisak, M., & Tisak, J. (1990). Children’s conceptions of parental authority, friendship, and sibling relations.Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 36, 347–367.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wel, F. van (1994). “I count my parents among my best friends”: Youths’ honds with parents and friends in the Netherlands.Journal of Marriage and the Family, 56, 835–843.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

van Nijnatten, C. Attitudes toward authority of adolescents under family supervision. Child Youth Care Forum 26, 279–290 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02589420

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02589420

Keywords

Navigation