Adolescent-parent attachment from family completeness point of view in the Žilina region
INTRODUCTION
The family background is not always stable. We point out the need to strengthen the resilience of the family, which is a protective factor in the social development of each member. We examine the differences in educational activities in a complete and incomplete family in more detail in the methodological part of the paper. If a child lives in a complete family, it does not mean that he is less at risk. In this context, Tisovičová (2007, p. 19) states that "a family in which there are relatively good marital relations, but the parents cannot successfully manage their educational tasks, can have a negative impact on the child." The consequence of an insecure, pathological parent-child/adolescent relationship is "deprivation damage" due to the deprivation of maternal interaction. It is an individual motivational alienation, to which a child has reached in a deprived situation. It is a psychological state manifested by certain behavior. However, this behavior can persist into adolescence and even into adulthood. Desirable parental behavior can be described as "emotionally warm". "Hyperprotective parental behavior" and "rejecting parental behavior" are considered undesirable.
In the beginning, we consider it necessary to mention some specifics of the adolescent age, which according to Vágnerová (2012) is associated with the age from 10 to 10 years and according to Končeková (2010) with the age from 12 to 20 years. This is a period in which there is a complex transformation of the personality, not only on a physical level, but also on a psychological and social level. Adolescence is the period of the so-called "peak of childhood" (Říčan, 2004), in which the physical and psychological components of personality are established (Končeková, 2010).
The process of growing up can be viewed from the perspective of various theories, such as psychoanalysis (meaning of sexual maturation, disruption of personality balance, intellectualization), psychosocial theories (Erikson's model of epigenetic development, search for one's own identity) and social learning theory (development of abilities and skills, life roles, rules). The period of adolescence may not be attractive for every individual due to the fact that it is too demanding and associated with responsibility as well as many threats. This fact could be included in the issue of the so-called "psychosocial moratorium", which Erikson developed in detail in his works. Říčan also talks about the so-called "cult of immaturity and rejection of adulthood" in connection with this period. (In Vágnerová, 2012). Due to the above facts, it can be assumed that the assessment of remembered parental behavior in this period may not reflect reality and may be influenced by the current unstable mood of the personality, which is related to the period of adolescence - adolescence.
1 THEORETICAL BASES
An overly caring and protective mother (hyperprotective) is emotionally dependent on her child – often at the expense of her other relationships and needs. The result can be the building of a codependent bond from which the adolescent cannot naturally leave into adulthood ("false separation"). The protective attitudes of hyperprotective mothers can complicate the natural emergence of conflicts, which are considered important separation steps. Similar clinical observations about the causes of addiction have been noted in anxious mothers. It is likely that a woman with an increased tendency to experience anxiety, which compensates for increased care, can paradoxically discourage this care for the child at the same time (the feeling of being overwhelmed by the mother's anxiety) and at the same time instill in him a sense of obligation that he can never leave the mother and stop caring for her. (Hajný, 2008).
According to Hajného (2008), a dismissive as if an absent and distant father does not represent a safe relationship for the child, in which he should try to get involved. He thus remains in a strong relationship with his mother. The father, who traditionally represents the mediator between the safety of the family (the mother) and the surrounding world and its demands, is absent and thus cannot "take the child out" of the family circle.
Vaillant (in Kalina et al. 2008) investigated family relationships and the risk of addiction. It has not been confirmed that an excessively warm and caring relationship between the mother and the child prevents the development of addiction. The child's relationship with the father proved to be significant. A less than warm and problematic relationship between the child and the father was found in families where the children later developed addiction.
Inappropriate family upbringing from the point of view of parental behavior can be characterized in various ways, namely extreme demands on the child (permanent tension), emotional overload (too many expressions of love lead to emotional superficiality), too low demands (emotional superficiality; inattention; excessive care; passive compliance), incorrect social emphasis on the child (pampering, which results in dissatisfaction and maladjustment), complete emotional surround (excessive parental affection), complete freedom, inappropriate emotional environment (rejection). (Werner in Tisovičová, 2007). The child and his development are also influenced by parental attitudes, which shape his behavior in the process of socialization. Faulty parental attitudes keep the child dependent and in constant tension. These undesirable attitudes are the result of the parent's hostile, controlling, rejecting, overprotective and perfectionistic behavior.
Pružinská (2005) points out the importance of the process of attachment and care of the parents (caregivers) for the child. In this case, attachment and care in the relationship between a child and a parent (caregiver) are protective factors that help the child (adolescent) maintain intellectual potential, develop a conscience, orient themselves in their own perceptions, think logically, manage stress and frustration, overcome fear and anxiety, reduce jealousy, create interpersonal relationships in the future, rely on themselves and be self-confident.
The parenting style and level of communication in the family is also related to the typology of the family. Matoušek (2013) described "family diagnoses" based on the typology of the family system, which contains elements of pathology, i.e. an indirect connection with the child's personality and a disturbed relational family bond. The typology consists of: "perfectionist families" (neurotic, introverted, repressive, anxious); "self-centered families" (split, prestigious, cold,); "inadequate families" (externally dependent families, immature, inadequate, childish); "antisocial families" (deviant, delinquent, impulsive, aggressive). Negative experiences with relational bonds, together with negative and stressful emotions in the family system, are stored in the activation mechanisms of the genetic structure (epigenetics) and are thus sold from generation to generation. (Fries in Ruppert, 2011). According to Hušvétyová and Schuller (2004), the style of family upbringing determines the behavior and survival of an individual in the later period.
When overcoming family crises and problems, according to Špatenková et al. (2004) important her entrenched coping strategies. Preparedness for possible problems in family coexistence and their early detection is a prevention of deepening of undesirable elements. Intervention is carried out through preventive programs and rehabilitation of the family. In case of deeper breakdowns, crisis intervention methods are used, which helps the family system cope with the temporary loss of balance.
According to Bowlby (1951), the direct tool of the methodological approach in the field of relational attachment and parental behavior is "primary socialization and family upbringing", the content and nature of which form the basis of personality. In essence, it is the degree of emotional saturation or lack of saturation (emotional saturation or emotional deprivation), respectively the creation of emotional bonds. These findings are proven empirically. (In Nakonecny, 2009).
Research shows that the type of attachment between mother and child established in childhood is further developed than the caregiving style in the family, which continues. Thus, it tends to persist in the following years as well. The child's behavior is unconsciously influenced by this type of relational bond, while it also shapes his assumptions for certain interactions that can stabilize favorable development or confirm unfavorable patterns of behavior. (Hašto, 2005). The parenting style and level of communication in the family is also related to the typology of the family. Parental attitudes also influence the child and its development, which shape behavior in the process of socialization. "Wrong parental attitudes keep the child dependent and in constant tension. In this context, we can mention hostile, controlling, rejecting, overprotective and perfectionistic attitudes." (Tisovičová, 2007, p. 19).
Hušvétyová, Schuller (2004, p. 8) state that: "the style of family upbringing affects not only the present behavior and experience of pubescents, but is a determinant of many personality characteristics in adulthood."
Pathogenic parental behavior is also related to the parenting style, which adversely affects the child's development and his relationship with other people in the future. Preventive activities and the prevention of disharmonic relationship disorders can also be seen in the participation of a social worker in the field of reconciling parenthood and the mother's career. It also includes early detection of deprivation, frustration, or the syndrome of an abused, abused, and neglected child in "at-risk" families, which are characterized by pathogenic parental behavior.
Neglecting parents do not have sufficient competence for the parental role or do not have sufficient motivation for parenting. Children who are often neglected are so passive, apathetic, inconspicuous and inexpressive that they cannot interest their parents. Children are often disadvantaged and thus do not meet their parents' expectations. (Vágnerová, 2008).
2 METHODOLOGICAL BASES
The aim of the research was to identify and analyze the occurrence of hyperprotectiveness, rejection and emotional warmth in complete and incomplete families based on remembered parental behavior and its perception by adolescents in the Žilina Region. The research sample consisted of one hundred and fourteen adolescent respondents studying at a gymnasium, secondary vocational school and secondary vocational school in the Žilina region, who testified about parental practices and their influence on their personality.
The socio-demographic composition of the respondents based on the basic anamnesis also includes data on gender, age, the school they attend, as well as information on the completeness or incompleteness of the family, the age of the parents, or the number of siblings. The results of the research are presented from the statements of 80 women (70%) and 34 men (30%) aged between 15 and 18 years. 9.4% of respondents were 15 years old and the same number of 16-year-old respondents. 0.9% of respondents (N=1) were 17 years old; 18 years 66.1% of respondents (N=70) and 19 years 14.2% of respondents (N=15). 79.3% of respondents (N=88) came from complete families, and 20.7% of respondents (N=23) came from families that became incomplete (and thus risky) due to separation, divorce, or the death of a parent. The average age of the mother was 43.0 years and the average age of the father was 45.8 years. 105 respondents, making up 92.9% of the entire research group, had 1-6 siblings, while 53.6% of the participants also had older siblings. A positive surprise was the low number of single-parent families and respondents who had one of their parents die. The total number of completed questionnaires was 114, but in eight cases the respondent did not state his age.
The research method used was the abbreviated E.M.B.U. questionnaire. The questionnaire that was used in the implementation of the research was aimed at the retrospective evaluation of perceived and remembered parenting behavior. It is a shortened version of the original 81-item E.M.B.U. questionnaire. with 15 subscales and two additional questions regarding the consistency and strictness of parenting behavior.
Short questionnaire E.M.B.U. it consists of 23 questions grouped into 3 subscales: rejection, emotional warmth, and hyperprotectiveness. The respondents answered the questions separately for the father and separately for the mother on a 4-point Likert scale: it never occurred ("no, never"), it could occur, but it was exceptional ("yes, but rarely"), it occurred quite often ("yes, often"), it always happened ("yes, most of the time"). Individual items from s-E.M.B.U. the questionnaire can also be used as part of an interview for the purpose of finding out anamnesis.
The reworded questions for ascertaining the "usual" biographical anamnesis on the parents' perceived and remembered parenting behavior were organized into three items based on the subjective statements of the respondents. The first item was "rejection". The questions were formulated to find out: annoyance, anger of the parent for no reason; disproportionate punishment, criticism in the presence of others; underestimating; lack of affection; favoring a sibling, but also shaming. The second item was "hyperprotectiveness," which consisted of questions asking whether parents were overly protective; whether they asked for explanations under normal circumstances; whether they often forbade what is permitted in others; whether they evoked feelings of guilt; whether they were overly concerned about the child's safety; whether they interfered with all the child's activities or whether they had strict rules and took control over routine matters. The third area of statements was "emotional warmth". The questions asked whether the respondents' parents praised them; whether they created a stimulating educational environment; whether they took a reasonable interest in the child; whether they motivated, educated and supported free time activities; whether they were encouraging and showed their love; whether they were gentle and warm; as well as whether the respondents were proud of their success.
2.1 INTERPRETATION OF THE RESULTS
The socio-demographic composition of the respondents based on the basic anamnesis includes data on gender, age, the school they attend, as well as information on the completeness or incompleteness of the family, the age of the parents, or the number of siblings.
The results of the research are presented from the statements of 80 women (70%) and 34 men (30%) aged between 15 and 19 years. The age distribution of the respondents who testified about the remembered educational parenting behavior based on their memories is shown in Table 2, while 38 students from the gymnasium, 38 from the secondary vocational school and 38 from the secondary vocational school took part in the survey. 88 (79.3%) respondents came from complete families. Twenty-three respondents (20.7%) came from families that became incomplete (and therefore risky) due to separation, divorce, or the death of a parent.
The average age of the mother was 43.0 years and the average age of the father was 45.8 years. 105 respondents, making up 92.9% of all probands in the set, had 1-6 siblings, while 53.6% of probands also had older siblings. A positive surprise was the low number of single-parent families and respondents who had one of their parents die.
The original unabridged questionnaire of the E.M.B.U. was tested by Periss et al. (1980) on a healthy population of 152 subjects, consisting of 73 young soldiers, 57 medical students, 15 students, and the rest staff. It was a sample of 108 men and 44 women. The analysis of the items of the first half showed similar average values, while in the second half the authors already observed significant differences between the scores assigned to fathers and mothers. In general, fathers were found to score higher on items related to strictness, punishment, and low involvement, while mothers scored higher on items related to involvement and affection. (In Poliaková, Mojžišová, Hašto, 2007).
The research was aimed at finding out the connections between the type of parental educational behavior and the completeness of the family. Based on the statements of the respondents, we found that emotional warmth prevails the most, then hyperprotectiveness and the least rejection, which was a positive finding for us also from the point of view of the functioning of the family system, which forms the basis of the personality of the child as well as the adolescent in adulthood. We investigated the relationship between mothers' and fathers' hyperprotectiveness. The results showed that mothers are more hyperprotective than fathers.
Chart 1 Hyperprotectiveness of mothers and fathers
We obtained the hyperprotective score by summing the points from the questions related to hyperprotectiveness in the s-E.M.B.U. questionnaire. Analysis using the Wilcoxon test showed that the difference in hyperprotectiveness between both parents is statistically significant (p<0.001). The bars show the arithmetic mean and the error bars correspond to the standard error of the mean. An asterisk indicates a statistically significant difference.
The importance of hyperprotectiveness as a negative factor in personality development appears in the research of Parkes, who focused on non-endogenous depression and found a specific style of parental behavior that can be considered a risk factor for the development of depression. Risky behavior was a combination when the mother or father was hyperprotective, strongly controlling, interfering, not allowing the child to develop its own autonomy, together with lower emotional warmth (In Hašto, 2005).
To determine the degree of rejection, we used questions related to annoyance, unreasonable anger, which negatively affects the child and causes him feelings of guilt and inferiority. Questions investigating rejection were also based on the areas of parents' behavior towards siblings compared to the respondent, as well as punishment for small things, as well as whether the respondent subjectively felt underestimated. We hypothesized that fathers would be more dismissive than mothers. The difference between maternal and paternal rejection scores was not confirmed (Wilcoxon test: p = 0.829, Chart 2).
Chart 2 Rejection scores between mothers and fathers
We quantified rejection as the sum of points from the rejection questions in the s-E.M.B.U. questionnaire. The difference was not statistically significant (Wilcoxon test: p = 0.829). The bars show the arithmetic mean and the error bars correspond to the standard error of the mean.
The main interest of the research was the relationship between family completeness and hyperprotectiveness, rejection and emotional warmth on the part of parents. In the first phase, we evaluated this relationship together for both parents, in the next step we focused on evaluating this relationship separately for mothers and fathers. When comparing the relationship between family completeness and hyperprotectiveness of both parents, we did not find a statistically significant relationship (Mann-Whitney test: p = 0.286, chart 3 - left columns). However, we found a significant difference when evaluating the relationship between family completeness and parental rejection (Mann-Whitney test: p<0.001, graph 3 - middle columns).
From the point of view of children from single-parent families, we determined whether parents from single-parent families are more emotionally warm than parents of children from single-parent families (Mann-Whitney test: p=0.006, graph 3 - right columns). The sum of the scores for both parents for that area. An asterisk indicates a statistically significant difference, and bars and error bars indicate the arithmetic mean and standard error of the mean.
Chart 3 Comparison of complete and incomplete families from the point of view of hyperprotectiveness, rejection and emotional warmth of both parents
Furthermore, we separately observed hyperprotectiveness in complete and incomplete families in comparison of mothers and fathers. The statistical evaluation showed a significant difference between both parents, both in the group of children coming from a complete family, and among those who came from an incomplete family. (Wilcoxon test: for complete families - p<0.001, for incomplete families - p=0.006). An asterisk indicates a statistically significant difference, and bars and error bars indicate the arithmetic mean and standard error of the mean.
Graph 4 Hyperprotectiveness of fathers and mothers in complete and incomplete families
Hyperprotectiveness of mothers, fathers compared to the completeness and incompleteness of the family - no significant differences were noted. No significant differences were observed in the hyperprotectiveness of both mothers and fathers in those who formed a complete family compared to those who were part of an incomplete family. (Mann-Whitney test: mothers - p=0.061, fathers - p=0.856).
When evaluating the relationship between mothers' and fathers' rejection and family completeness, we found only a difference between fathers' rejection - fathers from incomplete families were more rejecting (Mann-Whitney test: p=0.001). However, this difference was not observed in mothers (mothers' rejection did not differ by family completeness; (Mann-Whitney test: p=0.138). Maternal and paternal rejection were surprisingly comparable in complete (Wilcoxon test: p=0.921) and incomplete families (Wilcoxon test: p=0.721). Asterisk indicates statistically significant difference, bars and error bars abscissas indicate arithmetic mean and standard error of the mean.
Graph 5 Refusal by mothers and fathers compared in complete and incomplete families
At the end of the analysis, we focused on emotional warmth on the part of both parents. Statistical tests showed a significant difference in the comparison of emotional warmth of mothers and fathers in complete and incomplete families with greater warmth of mothers compared to fathers (Wilcoxon test: for complete families - p<0.001; for incomplete families - p=0.009). Fathers' emotional warmth was much more affected by family completeness than mothers' emotional warmth (Mann-Whitney test: p =0.990 for mothers, p <0.001 for fathers).
We present an approximation of the individual results in graph 6, where we compare the emotional warmth of mothers and fathers from complete and incomplete families. An asterisk indicates a statistically significant difference, and bars and error bars indicate the arithmetic mean and standard error of the mean.
Graph 6 Comparison of the emotional warmth of fathers and mothers in complete and incomplete families
CONCLUSION
The research carried out proved the connection between parents' educational behavior and the completeness or incompleteness of the family. Complete families are more stable and emotionally warm, compared to families that are not complete. Mothers are more overprotective than fathers. When comparing in terms of the completeness of the family, differences were found in the rejecting behavior of the parents. Parents living in single-parent families are more rejecting than parents living in full-parent families. Parents living in a single-parent family are less emotionally warm than parents living in a full-parent family. It is also evident that a mother living in a single-parent family is more hyperprotective than a mother living in a full-parent family. Fathers had the same results. Fathers living in an incomplete family are more dismissive than fathers from a complete family. In a comparison of the emotional warmth of the father and the mother in the complete family, it is obvious that the mothers are more emotionally warm than the fathers. A significant difference was also noted in relation to a father from a single-parent family, who is less emotionally warm than a father living in a full-parent family.
The basis of a full-fledged life in childhood, adolescence, but also in adulthood is the completeness of the family, as well as an emotionally warm type of parental behavior, which is passed on to its descendants through the transgenerational transmission process. The relationship between a child and a parent is the basis of healthy psychological development in the future, while the type of parental education is also important. Based on parental attitudes, the basics of his personality are instilled in the child. The basis of personality is the family and the process of socialization, which is mediated to the child by the parent's educational behavior. Disruption in the form of absence of parental behavior, or hyperprotective or rejecting parenting can be threatening for the further development of the child's personality. Family structure, inculcated values, psychosocial support, but also motivation and will are also related to educational activities. All of these are basic prerequisites for healthy psychosocial development, which is essential for a full life. We think that it is necessary to devote increased interest to the mentioned issue on the part of social workers, but also the general professional and lay public. This brings to our attention the fact that the completeness of the family directly affects the healthy bio-psycho-social-spiritual development of the personality.
In conclusion, we consider it important to emphasize the limits of the research. One of the limitations of the research is the non-representativeness of the selected research sample, on the basis of which it is not possible to generalize the research results for the overall population of adolescents in the Slovak Republic. Another limitation of the research is also the regional focus of the research, which may not reflect the reality from the point of view of several regions as a whole.
Author: PhDr. Michaela Dávidová, PhD. Glossary of Abbreviations
s-E.M.B.U - abbreviated method of quantitative research for the study of remembered parenting behavior; Swedish acronym for Egna Minnen Beträfande Uppfostran; ("My memories of upbringing") - my memories of how I was brought up.
Anamnesis - finding out the causes of the disorder, disease, situation. Deprivation – a state of serious long-term failure to satisfy vital psychological and social needs (stimulation, security, relationships, recognition); chronic unmet needs; deficiency on a psychological level. Disharmony - discord. Epigenetics – the genetic makeup of family patterns and experiences passed down from generation to generation. Frustration - a psychological state caused by obstacles that threaten or make impossible the fulfillment of a certain need, desire, wish. Hostility – a hostile, aggressive attitude towards oneself or another person; tendency to harm another person; hostility. Hyperprotectiveness – excessive, increased care; inadequate protection. Neurotic - related to neuroticism, a neurotic disorder characterized by emotional instability of the personality and anxiety. (Hartl, Hartlová, 2010). Pathogenic – causing a certain type of pathology, abnormality, disorder or disease. Protective - protective. Resilience - resistance, tenacity, flexibility.
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