Family communication strategies: an adolescent perspective / Estratégias de comunicação familiar: a perspectiva dos filhos adolescentes

Good levels of family health are associated with an effective communication among family members. Using this perspective, this article aims to evaluate the adolescent strategies to communicate with their parents. 35 elementary school students, between the ages of 12 and 15 years old, participated as volunteers in this study. The students were divided into 5 groups and investigated through the focal group technique. Two meetings were performed with each group, the meetings were taped and transcribed afterwards. The content analysis resulted in 3 thematic lines, divided into 14 clear categories teenagers use to communicate with their parents. Among other things, the students revealed to choose the most appropriate moment to talk about difficult issues, such as school failure. The parents humor is also considered when choosing the right moment.