Adolescentes que agreden a sus padres. Un análisis descriptivo de los menores agresores

Abstract

According to the data provided by Fiscalía General del Estado (Spanish National Prosecution Service), in our country, the phenomenon of violence towards parents is becoming increasingly significant. However, an in-depth research of the reference population has not yet been carried out, thus conditioning the lack of interventions in this issue. In the present study, all the relevant sociodemographic variables are examined in a sample of 97 young people up to 21 years old and 194 parents who visited the Clínica Universitaria de Psicología UCM during the years 2007 to 2009. The results, obtained by means of semi-structured clinical interviews, are clearly congruent with previous research of the this type of aggressive behaviour (both physical and verbal in 52.6% of all cases) and the association between violence and variables such as poor school adjustment (76.2%). The data are also partially congruent with minors’ gender (70.1% are males) and age (70% from 13 to 17 years). In contrast, our data do not coincide either in the predominant disorder (Oppositional Defiant Disorder) or in the consideration of the mother as main victim (43.3% of the victims are both the parents, most of whom are married).