Pattern of Parent-Child Relationships and Its Influence on Adolescent : An Applied Study on Saudi Family in Jeddah

This Study aimed to discover the patterns of parent-child relationships, the effect of these relationships on adolescents and the effect of some democratic values (freedom, dialogue, discussion) and dictatorial ones (deprivation, ostracism, condescends and corporal punishment) on the personality of adolescents and their ability to adapt to society. In order to achieve this goal, the researcher relied on numerous sociological theories, the most prominent of which are the symbolic interaction theory and role theory. She also used the sociological survey methods. The field study was conducted on a sample comprising of  400 male and female subjects taken from a random chosen number of schools, namely forty intermediate and secondary public and private schools. Numerous conclusions were reached, most important of which is that there are other reasons that drive adolescents to social isolation but yet bear no relationship to the family and the parents' prohibition of their children from going out and staying out late with friends.. In addition, it has also been found that there is a negative effect on children whose parents use corporal punishment on them. Above all, it has been shown that when parents help their children choose books, magazines and scientific films, this has the positive effect of raising the children's educational level. The study has also revealed that the more parents respected their children's opinions and suggestions, the less the children felt angry towards their parents.