This paper is aimed at discussing the research article that throws light on the cross-cultural aspects of family violence. The researchers focus on the factors influencing the resilience of adolescents to domestic abuse. The sample of the study includes students representing four countries.
It is possible to say that this research does not show cross-cultural differences among the participants. Cultural background is not included as one of the dependent variables. This is the main limitation that should be considered.
The study carried out by Wassilis Kassis, Sibylle Artz, and Stephanie Modenhauer (2013) is aimed at examining the cross-cultural aspects of family violence. In particular, the authors focus on the factors that affect the resilience of adolescence to domestic abuse.
The sample of this study includes 5,149 teenagers from such countries as Spain, Germany, Slovenia, and Austria (Kassis et al., 2013, p. 37). Moreover, the researchers focus on the influence of such factors as socio-economic status of the family, gender, migration experience, self-esteem of a child, alcohol consumption in the family, parenting style, and other independent variables (Kassis et al., 2013, p. 45).
In order to collect the data, the scholars used a statistical survey which was filled by adolescents. The authors’ findings indicate that socio-economic status of the family does not influence the level of a teenager’s resilience to family violence (Kassis et al., 2013, p. 55).
Thus, this study does not support the assumption according to which income level and social status shape children’s response to domestic abuse. More attention should be paid to the presence of adults who can support teenagers. Furthermore, there are factors that can undermine the resilience of a person. Much attention should be paid to the influence of such factors as alcohol and drug abuse, aggression of teachers, and peer pressure. These are the main results derived by the authors.
It is possible to mention several issues involved in this research. The title of this study suggests that the research is supposed to examine cross-cultural dimensions of family violence. Admittedly, the authors select the subjects representing different countries. Nevertheless, they do not explain how the cultural background of families affects the behavior of parents and the experiences of adolescents.
Thus, the readers cannot understand whether culture is one of the factors that should be considered. This is one of the limitations that should be taken account. Additionally, it is possible to mention that the researchers examined only the opinions of teenagers. Nevertheless, by studying the views of parents, one can better understand the way in which families are affected by domestic violence.
This approach can make the study less biased. Apart from that, the authors do not explain how the subjects were selected. In this case, one should clearly explain why they were chosen among others. This is one of the problems that should not be overlooked.
Overall, these issues can be addressed. In particular, it is important to identify the relevant cultural factors that can influence domestic abuse and resilience of children. For instance, one should consider gender roles or assumptions about the education of children (Matsumoto, 2001).
In this way, one can demonstrate whether culture is one of the significant factors influencing families (Matsumoto, 2001). Moreover, it is important to select only families affected by domestic violence. Certainly, this approach to sampling is more time-consuming, but it is important for the validity of the study. These are the main suggestions that can be offered.
Reference List
Kassis, W., Artz, S., & Modenhauer, S. (2013). Laying Down the Family Burden: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Resilience in the Midst of Family Violence. Child & Youth Services, 34(2), 37-63.
Matsumoto, D. (2001). The Handbook of Culture and Psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press.