The role of communication in resolving conflics between parents and chlidren. A case study of Katondo community in Kabwe district - Zambia

Conflicts between parents and children have been in existence front time in memorial. Communication strategies are important in all relationships. However, communication plays an essential role in family functioning during the growth of a child, and a good parent and child relationship cannot be sustained without open and healthy communication (Xia et al. 2004). Research indicates that the main educator and influence in the lives of our children are their parents and guardians (ACE Bulletin June 2004). Communication strategies can be verbal, nonverbal or visual. Integrating all the strategies together usually helps parents and children understand each other and eliminate conflicts in their households. Therefore, the study set out to investigate the actual role communication plays in parent-child conflicts.
The survey was conducted in Katondo community of Kabwe. A total of 102 respondents were selected, from 51 systematically selected households. 10 participants were selected for a Focus Group Discussion. The goal was to investigate the role of communication in resolving conflicts between parents and children. 1 specifically set out to find out the knowledge on communication strategies and conflict among parents and children, to determine the types of communication strategies between parents and children, to investigate the role of communication on conflicts between parents and children and finally to establish the challenges faced by parents and children on communication for conflicts resolution. The results of the study indicated that the targeted sample comprised of more males than female participants and they were all between 12 to 50 years of age. Educated but the majority was more illiterate. There were a significant number of non-biological families of step children and parents but the majority was from biological families.
The survey discovered that communication played a moderate role in resolving conflicts between parents and their children. Parents had full knowledge on family conflicts and communication strategies whilst children understood conflicts but had partial knowledge on communication strategies. This was revealed from scores obtained from interviews and the focus group. The results of the survey revealed that before, during or after a conflict, the parent's strategy to communicate their standing was by silencing the situation and saying the last word. Children showed or communicated their reactions to conflicts by staying calm or listen to what their parents said.
The study concluded that the majority of respondents came from households practicing conformity. Results from the survey interviews showed that the parents and children felt communication neither solves nor escalate their conflicts. From the focus group the result made it clear that parent and children felt communication played a moderate role in resolving their conflicts. The survey discovered two major challenges "negative communication" and "differences personal interests". Others included hostility, criticism attacks, lack of respect and defensiveness. The study concluded that communication strategies were not intentionally practiced was or non-existent in many scenarios in sample. Conflicts between parents and children were an on-going phenomenon. Communication strategies were only applied to avoid a conversation. Parents were hostile and did not offer their children a chance to express themselves in any way. Children were holding on to grudges and resorted to disrespectful behaviour because they could not air their feeling to parents. Therefore, communication played a moderate role in

many scenarios in sample. Conflicts between parents and children were an ongoing phenomenon. Communication strategies were only applied to avoid a conversation. Parents were hostile and did not offer their children a chance to express themselves in any way. Children were holding on to grudges and resorted to disrespectful behaviour because they could not air their feeling to parents. Therefore, communication played a moderate role in resolving conflicts between parents and their children because it only silenced situations. Therefore, the researcher recommended customary and civil rights training on family communication strategies in resolving conflicts. Generally parents were advised to offer a listening ear to their children and children should apply respectful communication strategies to their parents in resolving conflicts.