Have parents or peers greater influence on adolescents ? Do these two forms of influence contradict each other ? This problem is known as the parent-peer conflict. Three approaches of this problem are confronted: 1) the situational hypothesis of the parent-peer conflict; 2) the theory of youth centrism; and 3) the theory of Youniss and Smollar on the different types of relations that adolescents have with parents and peers. The results are based upon a survey among 2837 adolescents. The situational hypothesis of the parent-peer conflict is confirmed; in some domains parents are the more influential, in other domains peers. The theory of Youniss and Smollar is not confirmed on one point: only the relation father-adolescent is characterised by unilateral parental authority, this is not the case for the relation mother-adolescent. Parental and peer support both have positive effects on school performance. These forms of social support interact differently in youth centrists and adult centrists. For youth centrists peer support has positive effects on school performance when parental support is absent, for adult centrists peer support has added positive effect in conjunction with parental support.
Abstract