Conceptualizing Parent-Adolescent Conflict: Applications From Systems and Attachment Theories

This article describes how parent-adolescent conflict can be conceptualized from a systems-based attachment model. This conceptualization shifts the focus of conflictual interactions from blaming the parent or the adolescent to viewing the conflict as an attempt to re-establish security needs of the adolescent. Case examples are provided to illustrate how various types of insecure behaviours (including suicidal ideation) may be manifested in adolescence. (36 refs)