Teenage Violence Toward Parents as an Adaptation to Family Strain

Certain strain and social learning theorists contend that child-to-parent violence represents a functional response to family adversity (or strain). In particular, these theorists suggest that child-to-parent aggression can be understood partly as an attempt to cope with negative treatment by parents or other family members. Furthermore, violent responses may work for children, allowing them to terminate such treatment. In this study, longitudinal data from a national survey of male adolescents are analyzed to test the assumption that child aggression represents a functional response to family strain. Consistent with theoretical accounts, the results indicate a reciprocal relationship between parental and child aggression, characterized by countervailing effects. Although aggression by parents (slapping) tends to foster aggression on the part of the male adolescent child, aggression by the male adolescent child tends to deter the assaultive behavior of parents. Implications for criminological theory, research, and the control of violent behavior are discussed.