Die ontwikkeling van riglyne vir die bemagtiging van ouers vir 'n beter verhouding met hulle adolessente kinders

Abstract

This article focuses on the development of guidelines to empower parents with adolescent children to have a better relationship with their adolescent children. A qualitative research method within the context of intervention research was followed to develop the guidelines. Three major themes and some sub-themes were identified from two focus groups with the parents and two focus groups with the adolescents. The main themes are parent-adolescent relationships, conflict and communication. Sub-themes include characteristics of a good relationship, time spend together, times of crisis, reasons for conflict, resolving conflict, effectiveness of conflict, aspects of good communication, coping with sensitive issues and dealing with unacceptable friendships. Empowerment involves the process of increasing personal, interpersonal, or political power so that individuals, families and communities can take action to improve their situations. The Strengths perspective subscribes to the notion that people have a reserve of abilities that can be expressed. When this reserve of inner power is enhanced, individuals, families or communities develop their potential, mastery and self-actualization. To empower the parents with adolescent children it is necessary for a practitioner helping the family to understand how to focus on the present and to incorporate a vision of the future in the guideline developed for parents with adolescent children. The integration of empowerment mandates parents with adolescent children, to move towards emphasizing strengths and to create solutions that incorporate elements of social action to improve their situations.