EMOTIONAL COMMUNICATION IN FAMILIES OF ADOLESCENTS WITH ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOUR

This empirical study focuses on adolescents who have faced a variety of negative factors, such as a high need for approval, antisocial attitudes, strong peer influence, and a tendency to take risks. These adolescents are also characterised by low levels of acceptance from parents and peers, as well as high levels of frustration and low self-control. Comparison of emotional communications in the families of the study participants was carried out using the nonparametric Mann-Whitney test. The results show that adolescents with addictive behaviour are more often criticised by elders in their families, and the emotional reactions of children remain unnoticed by parents. A sense of helplessness, a ban on expressing emotions, and other dysfunctional parental attitudes contribute to the fact that adolescents begin to use addictions as a way to compensate for emotional deficits.