PARENTS SOCIAL PROBLEM-SOLVING STRATEGIES IN FAMILIES WITH AGGRESSIVEAND NONAGGRESSIVE BOYS

This study examines the differences in social problem-solving strategi es among parents of aggressive and non-aggressive boys. The subjects w ere the parents of 27 aggressive boys (27 mothers and 18 fathers) and of 28 non-aggressive boys (26 mothers and 20 fathers). Social problem- solving strategies were assessed from subject descriptions of six soci al problems arising in the daily lives of the adolescents. The results showed that the parents of both the non-aggressive and aggressive boy s helped their sons to solve social problems, but the parents of the a ggressive boys were more likely to be indifferent and punishment orien ted. The role of the fathers was crucial. They were active in the fami lies with non-aggressive boys, while the mothers were passive, but pas sive in the families with aggressive boys, while the mother had a supe rvising role. The solutions suggested by the fathers of the non-aggres sive boys were more in number and focused on improving the social prob lem-solving skills of the son, i.e., the fathers discussed the problem s, advised and helped their sons to solve them more than the fathers o f the aggressive boys. It may be suggested that fathers' social proble m-solving strategies and parental roles are of importance in the devel opment of children's social behavior. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.