NCJ Number
75664
Journal
Family Therapy Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Dated: (1979) Pages: 21-26
Date Published
1979
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This paper describes a triangular combination of family relationships in which conflicting attitudes of parents can cause antisocial behavior in susceptible adolescents.
Abstract
An example of this situation, termed the resonating parental bind (RPB), is a family where the mother was lonely and overprotective of her children, while the father was withdrawn and domineering. The oldest son was considering leaving home, while the youngest had begun to commit delinquent acts. In RPB, the parents are in open conflict regarding control of the adolescent, and each conveys contradictory injunctions to the child. This situation develops gradually over a period of years, and in the early stages the adolescent may find it easier to play off one parent against the other. As the intensity of the disagreements increases, the youth may first shift allegiance from one parent to the other and finally become angry and frustrated from being placed in an impossible bind by the constant introduction of conflicting messages from the parents. At this point, any change in the parental relationship, such as therapy or separation, can cause the angry adolescent to erupt with a rage that goes beyond family boundaries into delinquent activities. This misconduct will bring the family back into its familiar alignment. The mechanism of RPB should be explained to parents so that they do not terminate therapy when adolescent behavior temporarily worsens. After the parents are aware of the dysfunctional communication process, the therapist attempts to engage them in Gestalt-oriented therapy by externalizing feelings of anger. The sessions evolve into a laboratory for the exploration, discovery, and use of healthy emotional transactions. During this phase, the adolescent may need individual counseling in order to develop cognitive concepts of reality and encourage the appropriate identity struggle without resorting to old patterns of rebellion. A diagram of the RPB relationship and four references are provided. (Author abstract modified)