Ekonomik Güçlük, Eşler Arasındaki Çatışma ve Ergenlerin Problem Davranışları: Bir İzleme Çalışması

The main purpose of the study was to examine the indirect role of conflict tactics (negotiation, psychological aggression and physical assault-injury) between mothers’ reports of economic hardship (economic strain, negative life events, and financial concerns) and adolescents’ internalization and externalization behaviors with one-year longitudinal study. The study was done with 171 married mothers aging between 28-60 years and who have children ages between 11-16 years. Economic Hardship Index, Conflict Tactics Scale and Child Behavior Checklist were used. The results of the study showed that perceived economic strain positively predicted negotiation between couples, whereas financial concerns positively predicted both negotiation and psychological aggression. Furthermore, while psychological aggression positively predicted internalization and externalization behaviors; physical assault-injury positively predicted externalization behaviors. In addition, psychological aggression had an indirect role between economic pressure and adolescents’ internalization and externalization behaviors, and also between financial concerns and adolescents’ internalization and externalization behaviors. It was showed that families’ economic conditions were associated with marital relationship and adolescents’ problem behaviors indirectly. Therefore, the results of the current study supported Family Stress Model on Turkish culture by indicating important findings and showed that economic situations of families affected family dynamics.