J Adolesc Res

Family socialization, which includes parental control and support, plays an important role in reducing the likelihood of adolescent involvement in conflict. This study examined the strategies that urban parents living in neighborhoods with high crime rates suggest to help their adolescent children avoid or deescalate conflict. Data come from 48 African American parent/adolescent dyads recruited through the youths' middle school. Dyads responded to three video-taped scenarios depicting youth in potential conflict situations. Qualitative methods were used to identify 11 strategies parents suggested to help youth avoid or deescalate conflict. Although the majority of parents advocated for non-violent solutions, these same parents described situations in which their child may need to use violence. These findings have important implications for family-focused violence prevention programs.K24 HD052559/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United StatesP20 MD000165/MD/NIMHD NIH HHS/United StatesU49 CE000728/CE/NCIPC CDC HHS/United States2015-12-30T00:00:00Z26726283PMC469647