The Comparative Study on the Parent-Child Relations in the Adolescents' Cases of Problem Behavior, between Japan and Korea

Abstract

　　To find relationships between the adolescents' tendency toward problem behavior and their parent-child relations, interview data of 246 adolescents' cases in Japan and Korea were reviewed. The outcomes of this comparative study across both countries are followings:

　1. As to the age distribution of identified cases, Japanese subjects showed the peak at 15 years old, while Koreans did at 16 years old.

　2. Although there were more male subjects than female in both countries, female ratio was slightly higher in Japan than in Korea.

　3. When comparing the types of adolescents’ problem behavior between both countries, “school refusal” was rated very high in Japan, whereas “delinquency” was the highest in Korea.

　4. Almost subjects (about 80%) of both countries were bred in a normal family. However, the ratio of fatherless/motherless children was higher in Korea (12.1%) than in Japan (7.6%).

　5. There was significant deference of socio-economic level of their families between both countries. Japanese cases involved more upper class families, while Korean cases did more lower class families.

　6. As to the fathers' attitude toward their children, there were significant differences between both countries. Japanese fathers interfered less in their child's living affairs than Korean fathers did, and Korean fathers were more despotic than Japanese.

　7. As to the mothers’ attitude toward their children, there were significant deferences in the categories of “protection” and “non-interference” between both countries. Japanese mothers were more protective, and Korean mothers were more non-interfering than their respective counter parts.

　8. As to children’s attitude toward their fathers, the biggest difference was in the categories of “escape”, “rebel”, and “dependence”. Japanese subjects tended to be more offensive to and dependent on their fathers, while Korean subjects tended to be escaping from and rebellious to their fathers.

　9. As to children’s attitude toward their mothers, the differences were big in the categories of “rebel”, “attack”, and “intimacy”. Japanese subjects were more rebellious and offensive, and Korean subjects were more intimate with their mothers.