Dissertation (Ed.D.)--Boston University, 1983 / The purpose of this study was to determine if a 12-week course would result in increased parental awareness and improved perceptions of parental behavior. The format included child development information and group problem solving of parent-child conflict dilemmas. A pre/post control group design was used with equivalent voluntary groups. The statistical techniques employed to analyze the data were the analysis of covariance and the t-test for correlated samples. The treatment group consisted of 11 parents and their 16 children while the control group comprised 11 parents and their 14 children. The Newberger (1977) Parental Awareness Scale (PAS) was administered to both sets of parents subsequent to the program and to the treatment group parents four months later. A modified version of the Schaefer (1965) Children's Reports of Parental Behavior Inventory (CRPBI) was administered to the parents and children of both groups. Analysis of the results of the PAS indicated that parents in the treatment group significantly increased their levels of parental awareness upon termination of the program (p<.03) and made further significant gains following a four month hiatus (p<.05). The results of the modified CRPBI indicated that parents perceived themselves as improving in their behavior to a significant level (p<.05) upon completion of the program but did not make likewise gains when retested four months later. The children of the parents of both groups failed to perceive improved behavior on the part of their parents. These results tentatively indicate that cognitive-structural growth can occur over time when the original stimulus conditions which facilitated it have been removed. It also appears that cognitive-developmentally oriented parent intervention is conducive to such growth. [TRUNCATED]

In my thesis, I studied patterns of associations between the quality of parent-child relations and components of parent-child conflict in families with preadolescent children from European Canadian families, as well as recent immigrant families of Chinese and Eastern European backgrounds. A sample of 96 provided the data, which I organized in three parts. Part 1 examined associations between the quality of parent-child relations and confrontation in parent-child conflicts. 277 children and parents from 96 families participated (i.e., 96 children, 96 mothers, and 85 fathers). Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to predict children's and parents' confrontation in conflicts at the parent-child dyadic level. In all models, the parent-child relationships variables (i.e., lower levels of egalitarian warmth and higher levels of power assertive parenting strategies) jointly predicted each family member's confrontation in conflicts over and above the contribution of the cultural differences. Few interactions were found. These results suggest that there are general principles governing the interface between family relationships and parent-child conflicts that transcend culturally specific socialization practices in these groups. Part 2 investigated associations between children's and parents' English knowledge, use and preference for the host or native language, and the quality of parent-child relationships and conflict negotiation in the Chinese and Eastern European immigrant families. 183 family members participated: 64 children, 64 mothers and 55 fathers. Participants independently filled out questionnaires on parent-child relationship and assessments of English knowledge and use. The results demonstrated that (1) children's English knowledge is related to warm and egalitarian relationships with their parents; (2) children's use and preference for using English at home is related to the quality of children’s relationship and conflict negotiation with mothers but not with fathers; and (3) contrary to expectations, parents' knowledge of English and the gap between parents’ and children’s English knowledge was not associated with the quality of parent-child relationships in the first years of families' adaptation to Canada. Part 3 examined associations between frequencies of conflict components with particular focus on actual and desired conflict outcomes within individually reported conflicts in parent-child dyads from the three cultural groups. Ninety two children and mothers and 75 fathers provided diary accounts of parent-child conflicts, reporting on types of conflicts, conflict outcomes, their individual satisfaction with conflict endings and any aspects of conflict that they would have changed in retrospect. Moreover, each respondent reported on their dyadic partner’s typical use of conflict strategies across daily disputes. The participants reported 1406 conflicts over a period of two weeks. Several interesting patterns of findings emerged: First, very few cultural differences emerged; rather, similar frequencies of reported conflict issues and outcomes were found across the three cultural groups. Second, preadolescent children and parents appear to have different views on which conflict components are associated with frequency of particular outcomes. Mothers' views of conflict endings are more frequently related to the nature of conflict issues than children's and fathers' views. Preadolescent children, being generally dependent on their parents, are less often likely to experience control over how conflicts should be resolved; however, they have clear views on how specific conflict issues should be resolved. More specifically, children often wished to submit when they often argued with their parents about obligations but expressed wishes to yield in retrospect less often when they argued over activities of their personal choice. In turn, mothers were less likely to compromise when they often argued over obligations and were more often likely to do so when they disagreed with their children over children's personal interests. Fathers, however, may expect to exert control regardless of the conflict issue that is being negotiated and appear satisfied when they often won. Third, conflicts over children's misbehavior appeared to be particularly salient for parents but not for their children. Parents reported more conflicts over children's misbehavior than their children did, such conflicts were related to frequencies of reported standoffs, parents were often dissatisfied and desired more often changes for constructive negotiation by both sides of parent-child dyads than their children did. Children, on the other hand, often chose not to report conflicts related to their misbehavior, which likely showed self-serving biases in disclosing their own transgressions. Fourth, children's and parents' desires for a change in reported conflicts in retrospect often did not challenge but re-affirmed patterns of actual conflict outcomes, which likely suggests that in preadolescence certain conflict sequences are relatively well established. Finally, the findings presented in Part 3 are among the first to provide evidence of links between frequencies of conflict issues, intensity of disagreements, actual and desired outcomes in parent-child dyads from three cultural groups. This multicultural study contributes to the existing literature (1) by substantiating the generality of interrelations between major qualities of parent-child relationships, (2) by providing evidence of the relations between children's and parents' English knowledge and the quality of their relationships and conflict negotiation in the earlier phases of acculturation, and (3) by providing a nuanced presentation of children's and parents' views on how they resolve conflicts on a daily basis. These evaluations provide an integrated picture of how preadolescents view and assess as well as are being viewed and assessed by their parents on important relationships matters.

In my thesis, I studied patterns of associations between the quality of parent-child relations and components of parent-child conflict in families with preadolescent children from European Canadian families, as well as recent immigrant families of Chinese and Eastern European backgrounds. A sample of 96 provided the data, which I organized in three parts. Part 1 examined associations between the quality of parent-child relations and confrontation in parent-child conflicts. 277 children and parents from 96 families participated (i.e., 96 children, 96 mothers, and 85 fathers). Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to predict children's and parents' confrontation in conflicts at the parent-child dyadic level. In all models, the parent-child relationships variables (i.e., lower levels of egalitarian warmth and higher levels of power assertive parenting strategies) jointly predicted each family member's confrontation in conflicts over and above the contribution of the cultural differences. Few interactions were found. These results suggest that there are general principles governing the interface between family relationships and parent-child conflicts that transcend culturally specific socialization practices in these groups. Part 2 investigated associations between children's and parents' English knowledge, use and preference for the host or native language, and the quality of parent-child relationships and conflict negotiation in the Chinese and Eastern European immigrant families. 183 family members participated: 64 children, 64 mothers and 55 fathers. Participants independently filled out questionnaires on parent-child relationship and assessments of English knowledge and use. The results demonstrated that (1) children's English knowledge is related to warm and egalitarian relationships with their parents; (2) children's use and preference for using English at home is related to the quality of children’s relationship and conflict negotiation with mothers but not with fathers; and (3) contrary to expectations, parents' knowledge of English and the gap between parents’ and children’s English knowledge was not associated with the quality of parent-child relationships in the first years of families' adaptation to Canada. Part 3 examined associations between frequencies of conflict components with particular focus on actual and desired conflict outcomes within individually reported conflicts in parent-child dyads from the three cultural groups. Ninety two children and mothers and 75 fathers provided diary accounts of parent-child conflicts, reporting on types of conflicts, conflict outcomes, their individual satisfaction with conflict endings and any aspects of conflict that they would have changed in retrospect. Moreover, each respondent reported on their dyadic partner’s typical use of conflict strategies across daily disputes. The participants reported 1406 conflicts over a period of two weeks. Several interesting patterns of findings emerged: First, very few cultural differences emerged; rather, similar frequencies of reported conflict issues and outcomes were found across the three cultural groups. Second, preadolescent children and parents appear to have different views on which conflict components are associated with frequency of particular outcomes. Mothers' views of conflict endings are more frequently related to the nature of conflict issues than children's and fathers' views. Preadolescent children, being generally dependent on their parents, are less often likely to experience control over how conflicts should be resolved; however, they have clear views on how specific conflict issues should be resolved. More specifically, children often wished to submit when they often argued with their parents about obligations but expressed wishes to yield in retrospect less often when they argued over activities of their personal choice. In turn, mothers were less likely to compromise when they often argued over obligations and were more often likely to do so when they disagreed with their children over children's personal interests. Fathers, however, may expect to exert control regardless of the conflict issue that is being negotiated and appear satisfied when they often won. Third, conflicts over children's misbehavior appeared to be particularly salient for parents but not for their children. Parents reported more conflicts over children's misbehavior than their children did, such conflicts were related to frequencies of reported standoffs, parents were often dissatisfied and desired more often changes for constructive negotiation by both sides of parent-child dyads than their children did. Children, on the other hand, often chose not to report conflicts related to their misbehavior, which likely showed self-serving biases in disclosing their own transgressions. Fourth, children's and parents' desires for a change in reported conflicts in retrospect often did not challenge but re-affirmed patterns of actual conflict outcomes, which likely suggests that in preadolescence certain conflict sequences are relatively well established. Finally, the findings presented in Part 3 are among the first to provide evidence of links between frequencies of conflict issues, intensity of disagreements, actual and desired outcomes in parent-child dyads from three cultural groups. This multicultural study contributes to the existing literature (1) by substantiating the generality of interrelations between major qualities of parent-child relationships, (2) by providing evidence of the relations between children's and parents' English knowledge and the quality of their relationships and conflict negotiation in the earlier phases of acculturation, and (3) by providing a nuanced presentation of children's and parents' views on how they resolve conflicts on a daily basis. These evaluations provide an integrated picture of how preadolescents view and assess as well as are being viewed and assessed by their parents on important relationships matters.

Parent-offspring conflict theory (POCT) has been underutilized by researchers interested in family relationships. The goal of these three manuscripts is to help remedy this problem.Manuscript one presents POCT in its original formulation and more recent developments. The theory is described and explained and four topical areas of human development are discussed in terms of how POCT has been applied and how the theory can help inform future research.Manuscript two tests hypotheses derived from POCT about mother-adolescent conflict. This study showed that coresidence with a younger half sibling significantly incremented conflict between mothers and their children. This effect was not explained by SES, maternal depression, number of children in the household, or stepfather presence. In addition, children in younger half sibling households demonstrate elevated levels of conflict compared to families with a younger full sibling indicating that this effect is not an artifact of coresidence with a younger sibling. Presence of a younger half sibling also partially mediated the relationship between biological parental disruption and mother-child conflict.Manuscript three sought to extend on the findings from manuscript two by examining how different family contexts affect trajectories of mother-child conflict across adolescence. A piecewise growth model was implemented to estimate linear conflict trajectories from early to mid and from mid to late adolescence. Results indicated that conflict tends to increase from early to mid adolescence but remain constant from mid to late adolescence, that biological parental disruption did not differentiate trajectories of conflict, nor did living with a stepfather. In addition, despite a large difference in regression coefficients between families with and without a younger half sibling, younger half sibling status did not differentiate conflict trajectories from early to mid adolescence. Families did differ in their trajectories from mid to late adolescence with younger half sibling families showing a reduction in conflict over this time period. Inclusion of family level covariates effectively nullified all significant results. Results are discussed in the context of parent-offspring conflict theory. It is concluded that a larger sample with more diverse family types is needed to achieve sufficient power for additional analyses and future research.

The impact of parents' marital conflict and parent-child conflict on the adjustment of children is well documented. Given the theoretical and empirical data to support a relationship between experiencing interparental and parent-child conflict during childhood and later conflict in romantic relationships, it is important to investigate the potential mechanisms that operate in this relationship. Thus, the present study sought to investigate the extent to which attributions of conflict mediate the relationship between experiencing interparental and parent-child conflict and later conflict in a romantic relationship. Results were based on the responses of emerging adults (190 males and 473 females) enrolled in psychology courses at a large southeastern university. Compared to males, females reported experiencing lower levels of permissive parenting, as well as higher levels of interparental psychological aggression, maternal emotional availability, attachment with mothers and peers, and overt violence in their current romantic relationships. Consistent with extant research, significant correlations were found among interparental conflict, parent-child conflict, attributions of conflict, parenting style, emotional availability of parents, attachment, and conflict with current romantic partners. Regression analyses (for males and females separately) suggested that different types of interparental and parent-child conflict predict greater hostile attributions and greater levels of conflict with current romantic partners. Although attributions of conflict predicted conflict with current romantic partners, conflict attributions did not mediate the relationship between family conflict and conflict with current romantic partners. These findings emphasized the importance of research investigating the long-term cognitive and emotional effects of family conflict and violence in order to provide a context for understanding the development of risk and resilience factors for relationship violence.

Introdução: A precocidade da iniciação do uso de substâncias psicoativas (SPAs) por adolescentes é uma preocupação constante, visto que pode aumentar o risco de dependência futura, além de estar associada a uma série de comportamentos de risco, como acidentes, violência sexual e participação em gangues. Neste sentido, a literatura indica que a família pode atuar como fator de risco e/ou proteção e/ou prevenção da iniciação desse uso. Entretanto, especificidades dessa interação ainda necessitam estudos, especialmente na adolescência. Objetivo: Caracterizar a relação entre o perfil de consumo de SPAs, as dimensões da coparentalidade (cooperação, conflito e triangulação) e do conflito pais-filhos em problemas emocionais e de comportamento em adolescentes. Método: Estudo explicativo, de caráter quantitativo e de corte transversal. De uma amostra de N=126 adolescentes estudantes de escolas públicas com idade entre 12 e 18 anos incompletos. Utilizou-se na coleta de dados os seguintes instrumentos: Questionário sócio-biodemográfico, Escala de avaliação da coesão familiar (Faces III), Escala de Conflito Pais-filho (ECPF), Escala de Coparentalidade para Pais e Adolescentes (CI-PA), Inventário de Auto Avaliação de Jovens de 11 a 18 anos (YSR, Youth Self-Report) e o ASSIST (Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test). Os dados foram analisados por meio do programa estatístico SPSS, considerando o nível de significância de 5% (p≤0,05), através de análises descritivas e inferenciais. Resultados: Constatou-se que quase metade (49,2%) dos adolescentes pesquisados indicou já ter feito uso de álcool e 8,7% de tabaco. Constatou-se que o uso de álcool correlacionou-se a conflitos com a mãe relacionados a “sair a noite” (r=0,289; p<0,001). O uso de maconha correlacionou-se com conflito com o pai relacionado ao “uso de drogas” (r=0,582; p<0,001). Também observou-se que o uso de maconha pelo adolescente estava correlacionado a maior intensidade do conflito com pai, caracterizado por “discutir intensamente ou gritar” (r=0,538; p<0,001) e “bater ou atirar coisas um no outro” (r= 0,912; p<0,001). Os preditores mais robustos para o consumo de álcool pelos adolescentes foram as variáveis relacionadas ao pai. Observou-se que a cooperação coparental do pai foi negativa, sendo protetora para consumo de álcool. Enquanto a intensidade do conflito do adolescente com o pai e o conflito coparental do pai com a mãe revelaram-se positivos. Conclusão: Em conjunto, esses resultados sugerem que existe relação entre uso de SPAs e problemas familiares. Além disso, podem indicar que a família que exerce a coparentalidade com coerência tem função de proteção para problemas emocionais e de comportamentos em adolescentes, bem como do uso de SPAs. / Introduction: The early initiation of psychoactive substances (PAS) use by adolescents is a constant concern, since it increases the risk of future dependence, being also associated with several risk behaviors, such as accidents, sexual violence and gang involvement. In this sense, the literature indicates that the family can act as a protection and / or prevention factor from this early use. However, specificities of this interaction still require studies, especially in adolescence. Objective: To characterize the relationships among the consumption profile of PAS, the dimensions of coparenting (cooperation, conflict and triangulation) and parent-child conflict in psychological symptoms and emotional and behavioral problems in adolescents. Method: explanatory, quantitative and cross-sectional study. From a sample of N = 126 adolescent students from public schools aged between 12 and 18 incomplete years. The following instruments were used in the data collection: Socio-biodemographic questionnaire, Family Coevaluation Scale (Faces III), Parent-Child Conflict Scale (PCCS), Coparenting Inventory for Parent and Adolescents (CI-PA), Youth Self-Report (YSR) and ASSIST (Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test). Data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical program, considering the significance level of 5% (p≤0.05). Results: It was found that almost half (49.2%) of the adolescents surveyed indicated they had already used alcohol, while 8.7% had consumed tobacco. Alcohol use was correlated with conflicts with the mother over "go out at night" (r = 0.289, p <0.001). Marijuana use correlated with father-related conflict over "drug use" (r = 0.582, p <0.001). Adolescent marijuana use was also correlated with a higher intensity of conflict with the father, characterized by "loudly arguing or yelling" (r = 0.538, p <0.001) and "hitting or throwing things at each other" (r = 0.912, p <0.001). The most robust predictors of adolescent alcohol consumption are the variables related to the father. It was observed that father's coparenting is negative, being protective for alcohol consumption. While the intensity of the adolescent's conflict with the father and the coparental conflict between father and mother are positive. Conclusion: These results altogether suggest that there is a relationship between the use of PAS and family problems. They also may indicate that the family that exercises coparenting with coherence has the function of protecting adolescents from psychological and behaviors problems, as well as from the use of PAS.

The purpose of this study was to obtain cross-cultural insights into the family dynamics of Korean-Canadians during their transitions as immigrants, by asking six Korean-Canadian mothers about the family conflicts they had with their children, that were of an intercultural nature. The methodology consisted of a qualitative research design, informed by a post-positivist epistemological viewpoint. In semi-structured interviews, six Korean-Canadian mothers spoke at length about what triggered their Intercultural-Intergenerational conflict with their adolescent children, about how they responded to such conflicts, and about how they saw these conflicts in terms of their children’s cultural adaptation/identity. Audiotapes of the interviews were transcribed, then coded and categorized according to principles of thematic analysis and grounded theory. To ensure authenticity, reflexivity was built into all stages of the research. From the categories analyzed, there emerged six general triggers of conflict, (such as the adolescents’ style of communicating with their mothers, or the mothers’ attitudes to their children’s “culture shedding”); five general ways in which the mothers tended to respond to conflict (from emotional outbursts to attempts at adjusting); and three measures of what, for the mothers, constituted satisfactory adaptation, by the children, to the host culture (success in school, retention of Korean identity, and the ability to cope with any racism that they might encounter). The study concludes with some suggestions for a more sophisticated social work praxis, and for service provision that reaches beyond a purely economic understanding of immigrants’ problems, as the findings speak to a high degree of complexity in a shifting immigrant demographic.

The purpose of this study was to obtain cross-cultural insights into the family dynamics of Korean-Canadians during their transitions as immigrants, by asking six Korean-Canadian mothers about the family conflicts they had with their children, that were of an intercultural nature. The methodology consisted of a qualitative research design, informed by a post-positivist epistemological viewpoint. In semi-structured interviews, six Korean-Canadian mothers spoke at length about what triggered their Intercultural-Intergenerational conflict with their adolescent children, about how they responded to such conflicts, and about how they saw these conflicts in terms of their children’s cultural adaptation/identity. Audiotapes of the interviews were transcribed, then coded and categorized according to principles of thematic analysis and grounded theory. To ensure authenticity, reflexivity was built into all stages of the research. From the categories analyzed, there emerged six general triggers of conflict, (such as the adolescents’ style of communicating with their mothers, or the mothers’ attitudes to their children’s “culture shedding”); five general ways in which the mothers tended to respond to conflict (from emotional outbursts to attempts at adjusting); and three measures of what, for the mothers, constituted satisfactory adaptation, by the children, to the host culture (success in school, retention of Korean identity, and the ability to cope with any racism that they might encounter). The study concludes with some suggestions for a more sophisticated social work praxis, and for service provision that reaches beyond a purely economic understanding of immigrants’ problems, as the findings speak to a high degree of complexity in a shifting immigrant demographic.

Introdução: A precocidade da iniciação do uso de substâncias psicoativas (SPAs) por adolescentes é uma preocupação constante, visto que pode aumentar o risco de dependência futura, além de estar associada a uma série de comportamentos de risco, como acidentes, violência sexual e participação em gangues. Neste sentido, a literatura indica que a família pode atuar como fator de risco e/ou proteção e/ou prevenção da iniciação desse uso. Entretanto, especificidades dessa interação ainda necessitam estudos, especialmente na adolescência. Objetivo: Caracterizar a relação entre o perfil de consumo de SPAs, as dimensões da coparentalidade (cooperação, conflito e triangulação) e do conflito pais-filhos em problemas emocionais e de comportamento em adolescentes. Método: Estudo explicativo, de caráter quantitativo e de corte transversal. De uma amostra de N=126 adolescentes estudantes de escolas públicas com idade entre 12 e 18 anos incompletos. Utilizou-se na coleta de dados os seguintes instrumentos: Questionário sócio-biodemográfico, Escala de avaliação da coesão familiar (Faces III), Escala de Conflito Pais-filho (ECPF), Escala de Coparentalidade para Pais e Adolescentes (CI-PA), Inventário de Auto Avaliação de Jovens de 11 a 18 anos (YSR, Youth Self-Report) e o ASSIST (Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test). Os dados foram analisados por meio do programa estatístico SPSS, considerando o nível de significância de 5% (p≤0,05), através de análises descritivas e inferenciais. Resultados: Constatou-se que quase metade (49,2%) dos adolescentes pesquisados indicou já ter feito uso de álcool e 8,7% de tabaco. Constatou-se que o uso de álcool correlacionou-se a conflitos com a mãe relacionados a “sair a noite” (r=0,289; p<0,001). O uso de maconha correlacionou-se com conflito com o pai relacionado ao “uso de drogas” (r=0,582; p<0,001). Também observou-se que o uso de maconha pelo adolescente estava correlacionado a maior intensidade do conflito com pai, caracterizado por “discutir intensamente ou gritar” (r=0,538; p<0,001) e “bater ou atirar coisas um no outro” (r= 0,912; p<0,001). Os preditores mais robustos para o consumo de álcool pelos adolescentes foram as variáveis relacionadas ao pai. Observou-se que a cooperação coparental do pai foi negativa, sendo protetora para consumo de álcool. Enquanto a intensidade do conflito do adolescente com o pai e o conflito coparental do pai com a mãe revelaram-se positivos. Conclusão: Em conjunto, esses resultados sugerem que existe relação entre uso de SPAs e problemas familiares. Além disso, podem indicar que a família que exerce a coparentalidade com coerência tem função de proteção para problemas emocionais e de comportamentos em adolescentes, bem como do uso de SPAs. / Introduction: The early initiation of psychoactive substances (PAS) use by adolescents is a constant concern, since it increases the risk of future dependence, being also associated with several risk behaviors, such as accidents, sexual violence and gang involvement. In this sense, the literature indicates that the family can act as a protection and / or prevention factor from this early use. However, specificities of this interaction still require studies, especially in adolescence. Objective: To characterize the relationships among the consumption profile of PAS, the dimensions of coparenting (cooperation, conflict and triangulation) and parent-child conflict in psychological symptoms and emotional and behavioral problems in adolescents. Method: explanatory, quantitative and cross-sectional study. From a sample of N = 126 adolescent students from public schools aged between 12 and 18 incomplete years. The following instruments were used in the data collection: Socio-biodemographic questionnaire, Family Coevaluation Scale (Faces III), Parent-Child Conflict Scale (PCCS), Coparenting Inventory for Parent and Adolescents (CI-PA), Youth Self-Report (YSR) and ASSIST (Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test). Data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical program, considering the significance level of 5% (p≤0.05). Results: It was found that almost half (49.2%) of the adolescents surveyed indicated they had already used alcohol, while 8.7% had consumed tobacco. Alcohol use was correlated with conflicts with the mother over "go out at night" (r = 0.289, p <0.001). Marijuana use correlated with father-related conflict over "drug use" (r = 0.582, p <0.001). Adolescent marijuana use was also correlated with a higher intensity of conflict with the father, characterized by "loudly arguing or yelling" (r = 0.538, p <0.001) and "hitting or throwing things at each other" (r = 0.912, p <0.001). The most robust predictors of adolescent alcohol consumption are the variables related to the father. It was observed that father's coparenting is negative, being protective for alcohol consumption. While the intensity of the adolescent's conflict with the father and the coparental conflict between father and mother are positive. Conclusion: These results altogether suggest that there is a relationship between the use of PAS and family problems. They also may indicate that the family that exercises coparenting with coherence has the function of protecting adolescents from psychological and behaviors problems, as well as from the use of PAS.

Introdução: A precocidade da iniciação do uso de substâncias psicoativas (SPAs) por adolescentes é uma preocupação constante, visto que pode aumentar o risco de dependência futura, além de estar associada a uma série de comportamentos de risco, como acidentes, violência sexual e participação em gangues. Neste sentido, a literatura indica que a família pode atuar como fator de risco e/ou proteção e/ou prevenção da iniciação desse uso. Entretanto, especificidades dessa interação ainda necessitam estudos, especialmente na adolescência. Objetivo: Caracterizar a relação entre o perfil de consumo de SPAs, as dimensões da coparentalidade (cooperação, conflito e triangulação) e do conflito pais-filhos em problemas emocionais e de comportamento em adolescentes. Método: Estudo explicativo, de caráter quantitativo e de corte transversal. De uma amostra de N=126 adolescentes estudantes de escolas públicas com idade entre 12 e 18 anos incompletos. Utilizou-se na coleta de dados os seguintes instrumentos: Questionário sócio-biodemográfico, Escala de avaliação da coesão familiar (Faces III), Escala de Conflito Pais-filho (ECPF), Escala de Coparentalidade para Pais e Adolescentes (CI-PA), Inventário de Auto Avaliação de Jovens de 11 a 18 anos (YSR, Youth Self-Report) e o ASSIST (Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test). Os dados foram analisados por meio do programa estatístico SPSS, considerando o nível de significância de 5% (p≤0,05), através de análises descritivas e inferenciais. Resultados: Constatou-se que quase metade (49,2%) dos adolescentes pesquisados indicou já ter feito uso de álcool e 8,7% de tabaco. Constatou-se que o uso de álcool correlacionou-se a conflitos com a mãe relacionados a “sair a noite” (r=0,289; p<0,001). O uso de maconha correlacionou-se com conflito com o pai relacionado ao “uso de drogas” (r=0,582; p<0,001). Também observou-se que o uso de maconha pelo adolescente estava correlacionado a maior intensidade do conflito com pai, caracterizado por “discutir intensamente ou gritar” (r=0,538; p<0,001) e “bater ou atirar coisas um no outro” (r= 0,912; p<0,001). Os preditores mais robustos para o consumo de álcool pelos adolescentes foram as variáveis relacionadas ao pai. Observou-se que a cooperação coparental do pai foi negativa, sendo protetora para consumo de álcool. Enquanto a intensidade do conflito do adolescente com o pai e o conflito coparental do pai com a mãe revelaram-se positivos. Conclusão: Em conjunto, esses resultados sugerem que existe relação entre uso de SPAs e problemas familiares. Além disso, podem indicar que a família que exerce a coparentalidade com coerência tem função de proteção para problemas emocionais e de comportamentos em adolescentes, bem como do uso de SPAs. / Introduction: The early initiation of psychoactive substances (PAS) use by adolescents is a constant concern, since it increases the risk of future dependence, being also associated with several risk behaviors, such as accidents, sexual violence and gang involvement. In this sense, the literature indicates that the family can act as a protection and / or prevention factor from this early use. However, specificities of this interaction still require studies, especially in adolescence. Objective: To characterize the relationships among the consumption profile of PAS, the dimensions of coparenting (cooperation, conflict and triangulation) and parent-child conflict in psychological symptoms and emotional and behavioral problems in adolescents. Method: explanatory, quantitative and cross-sectional study. From a sample of N = 126 adolescent students from public schools aged between 12 and 18 incomplete years. The following instruments were used in the data collection: Socio-biodemographic questionnaire, Family Coevaluation Scale (Faces III), Parent-Child Conflict Scale (PCCS), Coparenting Inventory for Parent and Adolescents (CI-PA), Youth Self-Report (YSR) and ASSIST (Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test). Data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical program, considering the significance level of 5% (p≤0.05). Results: It was found that almost half (49.2%) of the adolescents surveyed indicated they had already used alcohol, while 8.7% had consumed tobacco. Alcohol use was correlated with conflicts with the mother over "go out at night" (r = 0.289, p <0.001). Marijuana use correlated with father-related conflict over "drug use" (r = 0.582, p <0.001). Adolescent marijuana use was also correlated with a higher intensity of conflict with the father, characterized by "loudly arguing or yelling" (r = 0.538, p <0.001) and "hitting or throwing things at each other" (r = 0.912, p <0.001). The most robust predictors of adolescent alcohol consumption are the variables related to the father. It was observed that father's coparenting is negative, being protective for alcohol consumption. While the intensity of the adolescent's conflict with the father and the coparental conflict between father and mother are positive. Conclusion: These results altogether suggest that there is a relationship between the use of PAS and family problems. They also may indicate that the family that exercises coparenting with coherence has the function of protecting adolescents from psychological and behaviors problems, as well as from the use of PAS.