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Protective Factors for Adolescent Violence against Authority

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 August 2013

Izaskun Ibabe ,
Joana Jaureguizar  and
Peter M. Bentler
Izaskun Ibabe*
Affiliation:
Universidad del País Vasco / Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU) (Spain)
Joana Jaureguizar
Affiliation:
Universidad del País Vasco / Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU) (Spain)
Peter M. Bentler
Affiliation:
University of California (USA)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Izaskun Ibabe. Department of Social Psychology and Behavior Sciences Methodology. Universidad del País Vasco. Avda. Tolosa, 70. 20018. Donostia-San Sebastián (Spain). Phone: +34-943015691. Fax: +34-943015670. E-mail:izaskun.ibabe@ehu.es
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Abstract

Both the family and school environments influence adolescents’ violence, but there is little research focusing simultaneously on the two contexts. This study analyzed the role of positive family and classroom environments as protective factors for adolescents’ violence against authority (parent abuse and teacher abuse) and the relations between antisocial behavior and child-to-parent violence or student-to-teacher violence. The sample comprised 687 Spanish students aged 12-16 years, who responded to the Family Environment Scale (FES) and the Classroom Environment Scale (CES). Structural Equation Modeling was used to test our model of violent behavior towards authority based on Catalano and Hawkins’ Social Developmental Model (1996). Perceived family cohesion and organization showed an inverse association with parent abuse, suggesting that a positive family environment was a protective factor for the development of violence against parents. Family and classroom environments had direct effects on adolescents’ violence against authority, and antisocial behavior showed a mediating effect in this relationship. The model accounted for 81% of the variance in violence against authority. As family environment was a better predictor of violence against authority than school environment, intervention efforts to reduce rates of adolescent violence should focus on helping parents to increase family cohesion and to manage conflictive relationships with their children.

Keywords

child-to-parent violenceteacher victimizationantisocial behavior
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 16 , 2013 , E76
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2013 

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Footnotes

This research was supported by a grant from the Universidad del País Vasco Spain (EHU06/95) to the first and second authors, and a grant from NIDA (5K05DA000017-32) to the third author. The first author would like to thank the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles, for their hospitality during her sabbatical visit, which greatly facilitated the completion of this manuscript.

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