Afrikaans: Huwelike in die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing word tans met radikale veranderings gekonfronteer. Beraders en terapeute word gekonfronteer met middeljarige huweliksmaats wat met verskeie probleme presenteer wat hulle huweliksverhouding beïnvloed. Dikwels het die egpaar kinders in die fase van adolessensie wat soms ook ‘n bron van konflik is, Die huweliksverhouding van die ouers moet egter op een of ander manier, hetsy positief of negatief, beïnvloed word deur die fase van adolessensie van die kinders, maar inligting in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks oor hierdie invloed kon nie opgespoor word nie. <-p> Die navorsingsprobleem is geformuleer op grond van die gesin wat deur twee veranderinge, naamlik die fase van adolessensie en die fase van die vroeë middeljare terselfdertyd beweeg. Hierdie tydperk in die gesin word ook aan 'n hoë egskeidingsyfer in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks herken. Dit is baie moeilik om die aanvang en beëindiging van die fase van adolessensie kronologies volgens In ouderdom te onderskei. Hierdie lewensfase het sy eie unieke individuele aanvang- en beeïndigingstyd vir elke adolessent. Die adolessente fase word in twee periodes verdeel. Dit blyk dat laat adolessensie (vanaf 15/16 jaar tot volwassenheid) 'n meer komplekse periode is as vroeë adolessensie (11 jaar tot 15/16 jaar) vanweë die meer gevorderde ontwikkelinge in die laat periode. Daar is 'n beduidende ooreenkoms dat die fase van adolessensie soortgelyk is as die fase van die vroeë middeljare aangesien beide deur seksuele- en identiteitskrisisse gaan, rolverdeling, emosionele aanpassing, herassessering van waardes- en finansiele probleme ervaar. Nes die fase van adolessensie kan daar teoreties na verskeie ouderdomme verwys word as poging om die middeljare af te baken. Hierdie Iewensfase kan egter ook nie in 'n presiese kronologiese ouderdom afgebaken word nie. Die literatuur dui aan dat die huweliksbevrediging van die egmaats in die fase van die vroeë middeljare wel meer negatief beïnvloed kan word deur die fase van adolessensie. Die doeI van hierdie ondersoek is om verkennende navorsing uit te voer na die invloed wat die fase van adolessensie op die huweliksbevrediging van die ouers in hulle vroee middeljare het. Die kwantitatiewe navorsingsproses is gevolg in die navorsing, alhoewel navorsingsmetodes uit beide die kwantitatiewe- en kwalitatiewe benaderings gebruik is. 'n Navorsingsvraag is soos volg geformuleer: Wat is die invloed wat die fase van adolessensie op die huweliksverhouding van die middeljarige ouers het? Die vraag was deur middel van die verkennende navorsingsontwerp en met behulp van gestandaardiseerde skale (kwantitatiewe data-insamelingsmetode) en aangesig-tot-aangesig onderhoude (kwalitatiewe data¬ihsamelingsmetode) ondersoek. Die kwantitatiewe data se resultate bestaan uit die verwerking van die respondente se biografiese gegewens, asook die gestandaardiseerde skale vir huwelikstevredenheid, -gesinsverhouding en ¬ouergesindheid. Die kwaltitatiewe data se resultate bestaan uit die verwerking van die aangesig-tot-aangesig onderhoude. Aile kwalitatiewe asook kwantitatiewe data het 'n ooreenkomstige antwoord op die navorsingsvraag verskaf. Hierdie data het aangedui dat die adolessent wel die ouers se huweliksverhouding beduidend meer negatief as positief beïnvloed. Verdere navorsing deur middel van in-diepte gevallestudies, asook navorsing met gesinne waar die adolessent in of die vroee of in die laat adolessensie is, word aanbeveel. English: Marriages within the South-African context are currently being confronted with radical changes. Counselors and therapists' are regularly being confronted with middle age marital partners who present with problems that have an effect on the marital relationship. In most cases, the marital couple has children in the phase of adolescence who are at times a source of conflict. The marital relationship of the parents is affected either positively or negatively through the children who are in a phase of adolescence, although information in the South-African context could not be found. The research problem is being formulated on the basis that these families are experiencing two changes at the same time, namely; the phase of adolescence and the phase of the early middle years. During this period, the family is also exposed to a high divorce rate in the South-African context. It is very difficult to separate the beginning and the end of the phase of adolescence on a chronological age. This life phase has it own unique individual beginning and end for each adolescent. The phase of adolescence can be divided into two periods. It seems that late adolescence (from 15/16 years to adulthood) is a more complex period compared to the early adolescence (11 years to 15/16 year), due to the more advanced development in the late period. There is a recognizable similarity between the phase of adolescence and the phase of early middle years because both phases are exposed to sexual- and identity crises, role changes, emotional adaptation, re¬assessment and problems regarding values and finances. Just like the phase of adolescence it is difficult to divide the middle years into specific age groups. It is therefore very difficult to add a precise chronological division to it. The literature shows that the marital satisfaction of marital couples who are in their early middle years is influence in a more negative way by the phase of adolescence. The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of the phase of adolescence on the marital satisfaction of the parents. The quantitative research process was followed during the research, however research methods from both the quantitative¬and the qualitative approaches were used. The research question was formulated as follow: What is the influence of the phase of adolescence on the marital satisfaction of the middle age parents. The question was researched by explorative research designs, by methods of standardized scales (quantitative data) and face-to-face interviews (qualitative data). The results of the quantitative data consist of analyzing the respondent's biographical information as well as the standardized scales for marital satisfaction, family relations and parental attitudes. The results of the qualitative data consist of the interpretation of the face-to-face interviews. All the quantitative- and qualitative results had a similar outcome in terms of the research question. This data proven that the adolescents influence their middle age parents marital satisfaction, more negatively than positively. Future research with in-depth case studies as well as research with families where the adolescents are either in the early or late stages of adolescence is proposed. / Dissertation (MA (Social Work))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted