Parents' social problem-solving strategies in families with aggressive and non-aggressive girls

Abstract

This study examined the differences in social problem-solving strategies between the parents of aggressive and non-aggressive girls. The subjects were the parents of 26 aggressive 12- and 13-year-old girls (24 mothers and 13 fathers) and of 32 non-aggressive girls (32 mothers and 24 fathers). Social problem-solving strategies were assessed from the mothers' and fathers' descriptions of six social problems arising in the daily lives of their daughters. The results showed that the mothers of the aggressive girls scored higher on reprimanding and on indifference than the mothers of the non-aggressive girls, who discussed the problems with their daughters more. When the family system formed by both of the parents was treated as one unit, differences in the frequencies of social problem-solving strategies between the families of the aggressive and non-aggressive girls were also found. The parents of the aggressive girls advised their daughters on solving social problems typically (i.e., more often than the chance level) only if they directly asked for help. The mothers typically did not discuss the problems,vith their daughters or try to solve the problems themselves but more often diverted the responsibility to some persons outside of the home. The fathers were typically indifferent. In other words, these girls were often left without help from their parents. On the other hand, in the families with non-aggressive girls, indifference, avoiding discussion, and diverting responsibility were atypical strategies (i.e., more rare than the chance level). These results emphasize the role of the mothers, and especially the meaning of the family system, in predicting girls' aggressiveness.