With respect to the teen years, parental relationships and parents’ authority over their children decreases in relation to that of their children’s peers. This is due to the increased time that children spend with their peers. The parent must now exercise even more authority through persuasion than they did earlier. However, it is good to know that most adolescents share their parents’ values, and most prefer to talk about conflict rather than use outright anger and rejection to resolve a problem. Conflicts with parents at this time seem to centre around matters of taste, which may reflect larger issues of control. Related Links Adolescent Psychology |