[Significance of parent-child relations for development of moral reasoning in adolescence: a study of psychiatrically disordered adolescents]. / Die Bedeutung der Eltern-Kind-Beziehung für die Entwicklung des Moralischen Bewusstseins in der Adoleszenz: Eine Studie mit psychisch gestörten Jugendlichen.

In accordance with structural-developmental theory in the tradition of Piaget and Kohlberg, moderate amounts of conflict between adolescents and their parents should influence the sociomoral development of the adolescents in an optimal way. The same hypothesis is compatible with a social-constructivistic approach (Youniss, Keller, Haan, Miller), which emphasizes the role of communicative processes in the development and validation of moral rules. The results of our empirical study with 43 severely mentally disturbed adolescents aged 14 to 19 years indirectly confirm this hypothesis. Adolescents with moderate amounts of family conflict reached a higher stage in moral reasoning than those with either very severe problems or only minor problems with their parents. In an additional analysis we investigated the relation between the severity of the conflicts and the emotional attachment of the adolescent to his or her parents. Our data indicate that moderate problems in the interaction between child and parents are associated with a family atmosphere that seems to facilitate the development of an integrated personality and identity. A balanced coexistence of separateness and connectedness offers the young person the best chance to develop and clearly communicate his or her own point of view and to solve interpersonal problems by reaching a consensus that takes into account the needs and interests of the other family members.

Dissocial behaviour and the formation of moral judgement in adolescence.

The examination of moral judgement under the aspects of judgement competence and of judgement performance has achieved an important result in connection with an analysis of the biographical context of dissocial adolescents above all in the area of the décalage of the moral judgement. Whilst the global level demonstrates no relationship to dissocial behaviour, the connection between dissocial behaviour and décalage, the difference between global and the highest reached level, between global stage and competence stage is significant. The thus characterized imperilment of the coherence of the ego corresponds with the result found in psychotic adolescents of a distinct décalage as sign of a distinct disactualisations weakness (Reinhard 1990a) and presents proof of Rauchfleisch's (1981) thesis, which moves dissocial adolescents to the proximity of borderline disturbances and just as with psychoses diagnoses an imperilment of the ego coherence at the sight of massive splitting tendencies. The peculiarities of existential mastering found over and above--liability of mood and evasion--correspond with the results found previously in a larger random test of dissocial adolescents (Reinhard 1988b). Further connections between moral judgement and forms of existential mastering should be gone into elsewhere (Reinhard 1991).

Subcultural styles in adolescence.

Young peoples' protest against conditions in society as a whole is increasingly carried out by way of provocative style formations, i.e. on the symbolic-expressive level. The intellectual conflict, as it still occurs partially in alternative movements, seems to lose its attractiveness amongst the young people. By means of a critical reflection of the dominant concept "culture" and of the predominant cultural significance patterns an attempt is made at deciphering subcultural styles (mods, teds, punks, etc.) as a symbolic form of criticism and rejection towards the prevalent order. The class-specific subcultural style formation is discussed as well as the role of the mass mediae in reference to their spread over all walks of life, internationalization and social collection. Young peoples' subcultures can be seen in their creating and trying-out of alternative standards of living as important orientation helps for the development of a collective and personal identity. This function gains particular significance considering the psychological concept of adolescence as being a particularly vulnerable phase in man's biographic course and the problematic position of modern industrial society discussed from the sociological side under the catchword "Colonialization of the life world (Lebenswelt)" (Habermas 1981).