The aim of the study was to explore adolescents’ perceptions of their parents’ behaviors that inhibited or facilitated adolescents’ self-disclosures to them. Four focus groups with 16 girls and 16 boys from Croatia (13—14 year olds) were conducted. Results indicate that adolescents perceive their self-disclosures to be influenced by a variety of specific parental actions and reactions in disclosure-related situations. According to adolescents’ views, not only can parents hinder adolescent’s disclosure by unfavorable reactions, but they can also prompt the adolescent to disclose by behaving in certain manner. Identified parental behaviors and emotional states (labeled as ‘‘inviters’’, ‘‘inhibitors’’, ‘‘negative reactions’’, and ‘‘positive reactions’’) are discussed in terms of contemporary perspectives on optimal parenting based on children’s psychological needs and children’s rights.
Blodgett Salafia, E.H., Gondoli, D.M., & Grundy, A.M. ( 2009). The longitudinal interplay of maternal warmth and adolescents’ self-disclosure in predicting maternal knowledge. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 19, 654-668.
2.
Buhrmester, D., & Prager, K. ( 1995). Patterns and functions of self-disclosure during childhood and adolescence. In K. Rotenberg (Ed.), Disclosure processes in children and adolescents (pp. 10-56). London : Cambridge University Press.
3.
Cozby, P.C. ( 1973). Self-disclosure: A literature review. Psychological Bulletin, 79, 73-91.
4.
Creswell, J.W. ( 2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed method approaches. London: Sage Publications.
5.
Crouter, A.C., Bumpus, M.F., Davis, K.D., & McHale, S.M. (2005). How do parents learn adolescents’ experiences? Implications for parental knowledge and adolescent risky behavior . Child Development, 76, 869-882.
6.
Csikszentmihalyi, M., & Larson, R. ( 1984). Being adolescent: Conflict and growth in the teenage years. New York: Basic.
7.
Darling, N., Cumsille, P., Caldwell, L.L., & Dowdy, B. ( 2006). Predictors of adolescents’ disclosure to parents and perceived parental knowledge: Between- and within-person differences. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 35, 667-678.
8.
Derlega, V.J., & Grzelak, J. ( 1979). Appropriateness of self-disclosure. In G. J. Chelune (Ed.), Self-disclosure: Origins, patterns, and implications of openness in interpersonal relationships (pp. 151-176). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
9.
Finkenauer, C., Engels, R.C.M. E., & Meeus, W. ( 2002). Keeping secrets from parents: Advantages and disadvantages of secrecy in adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence , 2, 123-136.
10.
Frijns, T., Finkenauer, C., Vermulst, A.A., & Engels, R.C.M.E. (2005). Keeping secrets from parents: Longitudinal associations of secrecy in adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 34, 137-148.
11.
Greene, K., Derlega, V.J., & Mathews, A. ( 2006). Self-disclosure in personal relationships. In A. Vangelisti (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of personal relationships (pp. 409-427). New York: Cambridge University Press.
12.
Grolnick, W.S., Beiswenger, K.L., & Price, C.E. ( 2008). Stepping up without overstepping: Disentangling parenting dimensions and their implications for adolescent adjustment. In M. Kerr, H. Stattin, & R. C. M. E. Engels (Eds.), What can parents do? New insights into the role of parents in adolescent problem behavior (pp. 213-257). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.
13.
Grolnick, W.S., Deci, E.L., & Ryan, R.M. ( 1997). Internalization within the family: The self-determination theory perspective. In J. E. Grusec & L. Kuczynski (Eds.), Parenting and children’s internalization of values: A handbook of contemporary theory (pp. 135-161). New York: Wiley.
14.
Hargie, O., & Dickson, D. ( 2004). Skilled interpersonal communication: research, theory and practice (4th ed.). London : Routledge.
15.
Hawk, S.T., Hale, W.W., Raaijmakers, Q.A.W., & Meeus, W. ( 2008). Adolescents’ perceptions of privacy invasion in reaction to parental solicitation and control. Journal of Early Adolescence, 28, 583-608.
16.
Hoppe, M.J., Wells, E.A., Morrison, D.M., & Gillmore, M.R. (1995). Using focus groups to discuss sensitive topics with children. Evaluation Review, 19, 102-114.
17.
Jacobson, K.C., & Crockett, L.J. (2000). Parental monitoring and adolescent adjustment: An ecological perspective. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 10, 65-97.
18.
Jourard, S.M. ( 1971). Self-disclosure: An experimental analysis of the transparent self. NYWiley-Interscience.
19.
Kalliopuska, M. ( 2008). Personality variables related to shyness. Psychological Reports, 102, 40-42.
20.
Keijsers, L., Frijns, T., Branje, S.J.T., & Meeus, W. ( 2009). Developmental links among parenting practices, adolescent disclosure, and delinquency: Moderation by parental support. Developmental Psychology, 45, 1314-1327.
21.
Kerr, M., & Stattin, H. ( 2000). What parents know, how they know it, and several forms of adolescent adjustment: Further support for a reinterpretation of monitoring . Developmental psychology, 36, 366-380.
22.
Kerr, M., Stattin, H., & Trost, K. ( 1999). To know you is to trust you: Parents’ trust is rooted in child disclosure of information. Journal of Adolescence , 22, 737-752.
23.
Kuczynski, L., & Parkin, M. ( 2006). Agency and bidirectionality in socialization: Interactions, transactions, and relational dialectics. In J. E. Grusec & P. Hastings (Eds.), Handbook of Socialization (pp. 259-283). New York: NY Guilford.
24.
Marshall, S.K., Tilton-Weaver, L.C., & Bosdet, L. ( 2005). Information management: considering adolescents’ regulation of parental knowledge. Journal of Adolescence, 22, 633-647.
25.
Miller, L.C., Berg, R.L., & Archer, R.L. ( 1983). Openers: Individuals who elicit intimate self-disclosure . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44, 1234-1244.
26.
Pećnik, N. ( 2007). Towards a vision of parenting in the best interests of the child. In M. Daly (Ed.), Parenting in contemporary Europe: a positive approach (pp. 15-36). Strasbourg Cedex: Council of Europe Publishing.
27.
Petronio, S. ( 2007). Translational research endeavors and the practices of communication privacy management. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 35, 218-222.
28.
Purcell, S.E. ( 2008). The parent-adolescent relationship, adolescents’ disclosure to parents, and adolescent substance use. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering, 68, 4842-4842.
29.
Rosenthal, D.A., Efklides, A., & Demetriou, A. ( 1988). Parental criticism and young adolescent self-disclosure: A cross cultural study. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 17, 25-39.
30.
Rotenberg, K.J. ( 1995). Disclosure processes: an introduction. In K. J. Rotenberg (Ed.), Disclosure processes in children and adolescents (pp. 1-9). London: Cambridge University Press.
31.
Ryan, R.M., & Deci, E.L. ( 2000). Self-Determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development and well-being. American Psychologist , 55, 68-78.
32.
Smetana, J.G., & Metzger, A. ( 2008). Don’t ask, don’t tell (your mom and dad): Disclosure and nondisclosure in adolescent-parent relationships. In M. Kerr, H. Stattin, & R.C.M.E. Engels (Eds.), What can parents do? New insights into the role of parents in adolescents’ problem behavior (pp. 65-87). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.
33.
Smetana, J.G., Metzger, A., Gettman, D.C., & Campione-Barr, N. (2006). Disclosure and secrecy in adolescent-parent relationships. Child Development, 77, 201-217.
34.
Snoek, D., & Rothblum, E. ( 1979). Self-disclosure among adolescents in relation to parental affection and control patterns. Adolescence, 14, 333-340.
35.
Soenens, B., Vansteenkiste, M., Luyckx, K., & Goossens, L. ( 2006). Parenting and adolescent problem behavior: An integrated model with adolescent self-disclosure and perceived parental knowledge as intervening variables. Developmental Psychology, 42, 305-318.
36.
Stattin, H., & Kerr, M. ( 2000). Parental monitoring: A reinterpretation. Child development, 71, 1072-1085.
37.
Strauss, A., Corbin, J. ( 1998). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory, procedures and techniques (2nd ed.). London : Sage Publications.
38.
Tilton-Weaver, L., Kerr, M., Pakalniskeine, V., Tokic, A., Salihovic, S., & Stattin, H. ( 2010). Open up or close down: How do parental reactions affect youth information management?Journal of Adolescence, 33, 333-346.
39.
Tilton-Weaver, L.C., & Marshall, S.K. (2008). Adolescents’ agency in information management. In M. Kerr , H. Stattin, & R.C.M.E. Engels (Eds.), What can parents do? New insights into the role of parents in adolescent problem behavior (pp. 11-41). Chichester : John Wiley & Sons.
40.
Trost, K., Biesecker, G., Stattin, H., & Kerr, M. ( 2007). Not wanting parents’ involvement: Sign of autonomy or sign of problems? European Journal of Developmental Psychology , 4(3), 314-331.
41.
Wilkinson, S. ( 2003). Focus groups. In J. A. Smith (Ed.), Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods (pp. 184-204). London: Sage Publications.
