The 5 Types Of Conflicts In Adolescence (within The Family Context)
Raising and educating a teenager can be a complex process, to the point that many parents need to seek professional help to improve in this type of tasks and responsibilities.
This is so, among other things, because during adolescence the probability of conflicts arising between parents and children greatly increases: we are in a transition stage between childhood and adulthood in which discrepancies occur between the roles that each one must occupy in the family, and also young people stop trying to look like their parents.
In this article we will review the main types of conflicts associated with adolescence in the field of family and upbringing
These are the most important sources of conflict in the context of raising adolescents.
1. Generational conflicts
These types of conflicts with adolescents appear due to the simple fact of being part of a cultural reality slightly different from the one their parents have internalized. That is, due to the historical, social and technological development of society, Adolescents adopt values and principles that are not central to the generation of their elders and this can predispose to the appearance of conflicts (far beyond the political).
2. Conflicts of authority
They appear from tensions originated in resistance to the approach of rules and limits imposed by parents. Accepted “truths” are called into question.
In any case, in this type of conflict it is easy for it to play an important role in the set of roles associated with the idea of the good child and in general the expectations of what each person should do from their position in the family. . In cases like this, problems of disagreement may arise, especially taking into account that adolescence is the stage of life characterized by rebellion: young people stop having their fathers and mothers as references and begin to look almost only at those their age or slightly older
3. Conflicts of parental overprotection
These conflicts arise from tensions and difficulties due to parental resistance to accepting the son’s new condition as an adolescent in the process of becoming an adult. Young people demand the right to autonomy or progressive emancipation from their parents and demand recognition that they are at a different stage of development. But on the other hand, parents reach this stage after many years of having the safety and protection of a child as a priority, and it is difficult to change their mentality.
Thus, the key here is in the process of self-affirmation of adolescents, as individuals with their own criteria, their preferences, their ways of organizing their free time, etc. Are tensions in the relationship between parents and children derived from the adolescent’s effort to break with those relationship styles associated with the childhood stage
4. Conflicts derived from other conflicts
Conflicts can be “inherited” or bridged from other previous sources of conflict. For example, an argument between a father and mother can spill over into the relationship between one of them and their teenager, or fights at school can fuel arguments at home. Therefore to understand them It is important not to limit ourselves to analyzing them as isolated phenomena: They are surrounded by a broader context.
We must not forget that not all conflicts arise due to a clash of totally or partially opposing interests. Sometimes everything arises from a failure in the exchange of information: misunderstandings, ambiguities that are interpreted in a biased and pessimistic way, etc. Once the communication failure has occurred, from that spark a fight of egos arises that leads the young person or the parent to justify their initial hostile attitude, and from there the conflict can escalate.
Of course, previous problems such as lack of trust, fear or personal insecurities fuel this type of conflict and facilitate its appearance.
Do you want to train in conflict management with adolescents?
As in everything, it is possible to train conflict management skills in the family environment and, particularly, applied to the upbringing and education of adolescents. In this sense, there are courses dedicated to teaching the theory and practice of this skill set.
In European Coaching School We have several training programs in areas such as emotional management, communication skills or conflict management from a leader or mediator role. Among them, you may be interested in the Specialization in Adolescents and Families, a 100% online course lasting 30 hours aimed at coaches, psychologists and/or educators and healthcare personnel. For more information, please contact us.
