S.2.2.3. ATTITUDE TO AUTHORITY BY ADOLESCENTS FROM DIFFERENT RACES
6.3. DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
Nothing compares to the tough, demanding job of being a parent. And nothing beats its rewards. But sometimes, things can go wrong. Divorce, substance abuse, financial
pressures, peer pressure and other sad realities can conspire to tear families apart. All too often the children are the victims who are left confused, perplexed and torn apart.
The emotional tenderness of boys, especially, is often overlooked - as if being male somehow means less heartbreaks. But of course, boys are generally no more and no less emotionally resilient than girls.
Boys' Town, Tongaat is filled with boys who have shed more than their fair share of tears. These are youngsters who have faced great personal difficulties and need all the support they can get. This is vital if they are to leave their past behind and face the future with optimism.
The study conducted at Boys' Town, Tongaat, revealed the following:
Although some of the boys grew up in a stable environment, the community in which
they lived was rife with drug-taking and rebellious youth. These boys allowed themselves to be negatively influenced. They turned to crime, fought with others in school and refused to be disciplined.
The adolescents' attitude to their parents varied , depending on parenting styles, from authoritarian on one extreme to permissive on the other extreme. The fact that they are all in Boys' Town, Tongaat, however, indicates that they have defied authority in one form or another.
Twenty-two of the boys (more than 50% of the sample population) were in Boys' Town, Tongaat, because they had been uncontrollable in their previous environments. They had had no fear and/or respect for the authority at home and/or school.
Adolescents interviewed believed that parents should have taken a greater interest in their lives and laid down rules. This echoes the findings of Smetana ( 1 988) who reported very high acceptance by adolescents that parents should make rules.
The adolescents reported that because of a lack of control by parents, they joined the wrong friends, started ' drinking and drugging' and defied authority. They believed that if parents had been stricter about their activities and choice of friends this would not have happened. Tisak, Tisak and Rogers ( 1 994) had similar findings with adolescents in Mid-western United States.
Generally however, the adolescents at Boys' Town, Tongaat, viewed the mother figure as authoritarian and the father figure as authoritativelflexible.
However adolescents in grades 6-9 viewed both mother andfather figures in a more favourable way (authoritative/flexible) than adolescents in grade 1 0- 1 2 who viewed mother andfather figures as permissive. This finding is consistent with some American and Australian studies
(Levy,200 1 ) that have indicated that attitudes towards authority become more unfavourable with increasing age, specifically during high school. If this is due to peer influence, then it correlates with the study done by Tyson (2002) with adolescents in Australia and the Eastern Cape in South Africa, where the influence of peers was clearly evident in the shaping of attitude.
The black and Indian adolescents viewed mother andfather figures as more
authoritative/flexible and the white and coloured adolescents viewed mother andfather figures as more permISSIve.
When either the mother or father had a grade 1 2 or less than a grade 1 2 qualification the mother figure was viewed as being more permissive. The father figure was viewed more as authoritative/flexible when the mother had a grade 1 2 or less than a grade 1 2 qualification but permissive when father had a grade 1 2 or less than a grade 1 2 qualification.
Mother was considered permissive ( I response more than authoritative/flexible) and father was
considered authoritative/flexible when mother had a post matric qualification. Both mother and father were considered authoritativelflexible when father had a post matric qualification. A
higher parental academic background appears to have a positive influence on attitude to authority.
The mother figure from single and nuclear families was considered equally permissive and authoritativelflexible. The father figure was viewed as authoritarian in single families and permissive in nuclear families. This contrasts with Nijnatten's study ( 1 997) that showed that adolescents with single or both parent guidance do not subscribe to a negative view of authority.
In extended families mother was permissive and father was authoritativelflexible. In foster
family structures both mother and/ather were seen as authoritativelflexible.
In Boys' Town, Tongaat, 27 (71 %) of the adolescents come from families where the average household income ranges from RO -R3 000. In Tyson's study in the Eastern Cape (2002), the deprivation factor was held accountable for the delinquent behaviour. The deprivation factor therefore cannot be ruled out as having influenced the adolescents' attitude to authority.
However, it should be noted that the scores for the parenting styles for each of the categories, namely grade of adolescents, race of adolescents, parental academic background and family structure were so close. This could be because the 38 adolescents were subjected more or less equally to the various parenting styles or they are confused about their parents' parenting styles because it fluctuated.
Since coming to Boys' Town, Tongaat, there has been a noticeable change in the adolescents. From a life of doom and gloom, hopelessness and ever-changing rules they have a purpose and goals. They have come to appreciate the strict rules at Boys' Town, Tongaat. It gives their lives structure. Within this structure they have started to build meaning. They are assisted by the staff at Boys' Town, Tongaat, who monitor their progress and assist with remedial teaching. The academic support that the adolescents receive motivates the boys to strive harder to overcome cognitive and emotional handicaps.
The nurse on duty (the surrogate mother) is available to put a plaster on a cut, to take their temperature or just to listen to a few gripes. Some of the adolescents have attention deficit problems. Medication, as prescribed by a physician, is a significant source of support for alleviating many of the acute symptoms, and helping to keep the boys in school.
The social workers deal with all their social problems. The adolescent is given immediate attention. The philosophy of Boys' Town, Tongaat, is that the longer the problem exists
without intervention, the more chronic and resistant to treatment it becomes.
The principal (the father figure) co-ordinates the progress of each adolescent.
The adolescents at Boys' Town, Tongaat, are in a system that is condusive to their holistic development. They are encouraged to perform academically and on the sports field. An annual awards function is held to motivate the boys further. Top achievers and consistent workers are recognised.
The Social Skills programme that they are all involved in is continuous throughout the year. The basic skills that they have been taught, like ' greeting skills' and 'anger management' have allowed for their emotional growth. Many of them are already respected members of their community.