Abstract

This study attempts to identify the factors which have an influence on the conflict resolution strategies a child employs with his/her peers by focusing on the relationship between a child's conflict resolution strategy and parent-child communication as well as ego-resilience. This study analyzed 557 sixth graders from elementary schools in Seoul and Incheon. The scales of measurement used were parent-child communication scale (Barnes & Olson, 1982), ego-resilience scale (Block & Kremen, 1996), and child's conflict resolution strategies scale (Bae, 2000). The results of this study are as follows; 1) Girls seemed to engage in more open communication with their mothers than boys and the boys were inclined to use dominating strategies more frequently than girls. 2) The result of correlations analysis showed positive correlation between open communication with parents and ego-resilience, and negative correlation between problem communication with parents and ego-resilience. Open communication with parents was positively correlated with compromising-integration strategies while ego-resilience showed positive correlation with compromising- integration strategies, avoiding strategies, and dominating strategies. 3) The results of multiple regression analysis showed that compromising-integration strategies are influenced by ego-resilience, open communication with parents, and problem communication with fathers. Avoiding strategies are influenced by ego-resilience, and open communication with fathers. Obliging strategies are influenced by problem communication with fathers, ego-resilience, and open communication with fathers. Dominating strategies are influenced by ego-resilience, open communication with fathers, and problem communication with parents. Concluding from these observations, ego-resilience and open communication with fathers seem to be highly correlated with conflict resolution strategies a child could employ. In addition, ego-resilience seems to have more influence on the conflict resolution strategies than parent-child communication. Also, communication with fathers seemed more influential compared to communication with mothers. Therefore, additional attention should be paid to the children in order to allow them opportunities to develop ego-resilience and intensive educational courses should be offered to the parents to encourage open communication with their children. (Korean J Str Res 2008;16:271∼280)

• Keywords: Parent-child communication, Ego-resilience, Conflict resolution strategies in children's friendship