Family Violence: A Review of the Dysfunctional Behavior Patterns

Sieglinde A. Saenger Published: 2000 Copyright 2000 Sieglinde A. Saenger

Table of Contents
About the Author Abstract Family violence: A Review of the Dysfunctional Behavior Patterns Works Cited

About the Author

Sieglinde Saenger is a resident of Natchitoches in Louisiana since 1996. The Mailing address is: 412 Jefferson Street Natchitoches, Louisiana 71457 Electronic mailSiggy4590@yahoo.com Sieglinde Saenger is a German national. She was raised in post war Germany and the concepts of poverty, family violence and substance abuse are not new concepts to her. At the age of fourteen, she graduated from the Martin Luther High School. Prior to her graduation, she worked full-time in a sewing factory to support her family financially. In 1992 she relocated to the United States with her second husband when his tour of duty expired in Europe. After her second divorce in 1995, she experienced the hardships of many abused immigrant women including unemployment and insufficient services for immigrants on the local level. Her childhood experiences as well as her negative experience with local service providers in Louisiana led her to pursue and achieve a BSW at Northwestern State University of Louisiana. With English as her second language, she graduated in December 2001 on the Dean's Honors list for the Liberal Arts College after completing an internship with the Office of Community Services. Her major professor and mentor, Claudia Triche, Head of the Social Work Department at Northwestern State University can be reached at triche@alpha.nsula.edu. Her Phone number is 318-357-6593. Ms. Sanger is a member of the NSAW, and is currently a candidate for the M.Ed. degree at the University. Her goal is to help abused immigrant women and children, and find solutions and services for people who fall through the crack of mainstream society. The attached paper is an original research project, written December 2000, and was presented at the 19th Annual BPD Conference in November of 2001.

Abstract
This Study examines family violence and the commonality of mental illness and other psychological problems experienced by the victims. A contrast of historically accepted violent behavior and gender role indifference is reviewed. The importance of external causalities within the victim's environment is discussed from an ecological point of view. Family violence is one of the main causes of serious health and psychological problems for all individuals involved in such an environment. Violence is an ongoing dysfunctional pattern of physical, emotional, and psychological abuse inflicted by the perpetrator. It is demonstrated that violent acts have livelong damaging effects on the victim's mind, body and soul. From an ecological point of view, family violence is a by-product of today's social, economic and political structure. Social Services across the United States need to understand family violence in its entire context including the problems of poverty, unemployment and substandard living condition that accompany them.

Family violence: A Review of the Dysfunctional Behavior Patterns

Violence within the family has received an increasing amount of attention from the media in recent years. Millions of families worldwide experience the devastating effects of violence within their own family setting. This is perhaps related to society's past stereotypes of women and their role inside the family. This stereotype is still imminent in today's society. The wife's role is seen to be of less significance and therefore she is viewed as having less personal value. This power struggle between husband and wife is an ongoing process and a reliable predictor of family violence. Each year, millions of women and children are the primary objects of psychological, physical, sexual and emotional abuse by someone they know. A great number of victims die of injuries inflicted by the perpetrator. Others are permanently traumatized by what they have witnessed and/or personally experienced in the privacy of their homes. Children living a in a violent environment and unstable living conditions are victims of unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances including poverty, unemployment, drug and alcohol abuse, and/or mental illness of one or both parents. Social workers specialized in this kind of scenario need to be aware of the importance of different treatment techniques for each individual involved in this matter. It is also necessary that workers in the helping profession use a wide range of knowledge and skills on the micro, mezzo, and macro level within the system. The worker's primary focus should consider the client's personal needs, resource availability, cultural diversity, empowerment, as well as any other of the client's strengths. When working with dysfunctional families, the success and the outcome of each individual case rests on the

responsibility of the caseworker, the agency, the community as well as the client. Violence is not just a family matter; it affects "us all" (Perry, 1997, p. 1). Family violence is not a new concept in today's society, but the reporting of violent acts in families is relative new. Violence in any form always has been a natural occurrence of any culture. Of all Western industrialized nations, the United States is viewed as one of the most violent place to live (Rudo & Powell, 1996, p. 1). Each year, millions of women as well as children experience the crucial torment of "homicide, rape, physical assault, sexual exploitation, neglect and abduction" by someone they trust (Reno, Holder, Fisher, Robinson, Brennan & Turman, 1999, p. 6) Innocent children are the ones who suffer the most due to their "size, age and dependency status" (Reno, Holder, Fisher, Robinson, Brennan & Turman, 1999, p. 6). In the United States alone, there were 4.1 million cases of family violence reported and were subject of criminal investigation. About six million children experience some kind of abuse or neglect in this country alone (Rudo & Powell, 1996, p. 1, p. 2). About 2.4 million individuals are clinical diagnosed with PTSD each year including victims and witnesses of violent events. (McNew & Abell, 1995, p. 115). Statistics show that violent crime incidents increased by fifty one per cent including murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Homicide alone is the second leading cause of death in the United States. The number of children involved in these types of crimes is on the raise. (Marans, Berkman & Cohen, 1996, p. 2). Any form of violence significantly affects the victim and the witness of such brutal acts. In his thesis, Incubated in Terror, Perry (1997, p. 3) states that, "most destructive violence does not break bones, it breaks minds" and "emotional violence does not result in the death of the body, it results in death of the soul". Domestic violence is not just a matter of two people interacting inappropriately; it includes all family members living in the same household. How well a family can function depends on the role each member occupies and accepts within the family structure. Historically, punishing the wife physically was a man's right by law. The husband had the authority to discipline his wife as well as children for their lack of obedience and lack of respect. The husband was entitled to beat his wife with a stick or threaten and frighten her in concern for her "well-being". The British common law altered the husband's power by creating the "rule of thumb", which allowed men to beat the wife with a "stick no thicker than his thumb". In 1824, the Mississippi Supreme court ruled that the state had no right to interfere in acts of private matters and the husband's right to exercise physical punishment (Hart 1991, p.1). In dysfunctional families, the husband sees himself as the absolute individual power within the family system. He strongly believes that his

position as the only breadwinner of the family grants him the right to exercise control of all aspects of the family life and over all individuals living in the same household. Forte, Franks, Forte, and Rigsby (1996) believe that there is a significant difference in "role- taking" between the oppressive batterer and the victimized partner (p. 60). In a violent relationship, "role taking is asymmetrical" (p. 60), which means that the dominant partner is unable to put himself or herself in the shoes of "weaker" partner. The battered victim on the other hand always tries to please her partner by putting her or himself in the role of the perpetrator (p. 60), which easily can lead to self-blame and acceptance of the perpetrator's inappropriate behavior. Why battered women stay in a violent relationship? The battered woman is psychologically, physically and emotionally restrained in her decision-making process and capability to leave. She suffers from "depression, low self-esteem, fear, loneliness, guilt, and shame" (Peled, Eisikovits, Enosh, Winstock, 2000, p. 11). In many ways the victim experiences "greater violence, greater power inequality, greater economic and personal dependency, and more limited access to supportive others" (Forte, Franks, Forte, Rigsby, 1996, p. 62). Battered women are mothers in the first place and for many their decision to leave or to stay is primarily based on the well being of their children. For others, their cultural and religious beliefs forbid separation from the perpetrator (Peled, Eisikovits, Enosh, Winstock, 2000). The decision to leave the perpetrator or to stay for the sake of the children is not an easy one. Battered women carefully consider the pros and cons of keeping the family together, or ending the relationship. The main reason why women remain in an abusive relationship with the batterer is primarily due to her " serious loss of income from leaving the relationship, locating employment and childcare, and lack of intimate relationship" (Dutton, Gordon, 1996, p. 9). Without sufficient financial resources, she is unable to provide for herself and her children. Other resources such as governmental housing and shelter for battered women are also limited in numbers throughout many communities. Studies in this area point out, that leaving the violent relationship increases the severity and tendency of physical injuries to the battered women and the children involved (Peled, Eisikovits, Enosh, Winstok, 2000). Sometimes it means death. Family violence is "intergenerational" (Rudo, Powell, 1996, p. 8). In dysfunctional families, the victim as well as the perpetrator is capable of child maltreatment and neglect. Research in family violence established evidence that abusive parents have experienced some form of abuse in their childhood. Adults who experienced and witnessed violence in their childhood had increased potential of becoming a batterer themselves. Marital rape is also a strong link that child abuse is imminent. (Saunders, 1994). Rudo and Powell (1996) believe that the "...sins of the parents and the failings of society" are to blame for child abuse and neglect (p. 8).

When the structure is interrupted by dysfunctional behavior, childrearing becomes a significant problem. In these families, parents use socially inappropriate child rearing practices including "inconsistent parental supervision of children, use of harsh punishment, failure to set limits, neglect in rewarding prosocial, behavior, and a coercive style of parentchild interaction "(Fraser 1996, p. 349). Children raised in this environment are unable to acquire social appropriate problem solving skills (p. 349), and they probably will become "proactive" and "aggressive"(Perry, 1997 p. 11) toward people in authority, and toward their peers (Fraser, 1996, p. 349). Other factors correlated to violence in families include poverty, low socio economic status, mental illness, and drug and alcohol abuse. In the United States alone one out of five families live in poverty (p. 348), and these families experience a significant shortage of basic social resources in order to survive including " shelter, food, clothing, and heath care"(p. 351). The abuse of drugs or alcohol is a great concern of the criminal justice and welfare system. Studies indicate that alcohol and drug abuse are clear components of spousal and child abuse. Battered women are under severe emotional and psychological stress, which can affect to some degree their role as good parent. Many battered women turn to alcohol and drugs to release tension and stress. This on the other hand can lead to abuse and neglect of the children (Saunders, 1994). Sometimes women kill the father of their children to protect themselves and the children from more physical and emotional harm. When tried in court, the battered woman must establish evidence that her criminal act was an act of self-defense. In today's legal system the term of "insanity" is used in cases of mentally disturbed defendants. The battered victim also must prove that at the time of the crime she was mentally incompetent, incapable of distinguishing "right from wrong", and not concerned with the legal consequences of her act (Dutton, Gordon, 1996, p.2). Parents who suffer of some kind of mental impairment are very likely to abuse their children. Studies in this area indicate that battered women may suffer from "borderline personality disorder and schizophrenia" and severe depression (Saunders, 1994, p. 54). Women and children who have a history of physical and sexual abuse very likely suffer from PTSD. Extreme traumatic experience can impair an individual's capability in " emotional behavioral, cognitive and interpersonal" performance (McNew, Abell, 1995, p. 116). In a study, researcher compared a group of sexual abuse survivors with Vietnam veterans to look at similarities of symptoms of PTSD caused by traumatic experience. The study concluded that both groups showed similarities of symptoms of posttraumatic stress including " intrusion-avoidance", "intimacy conflicts", and "anxiety" (p. 116). Children raised in dysfunctional families bear the most negative consequences of violence that they observe and have experienced continuously. Long-term exposure of violence can cause significant brain

damage in children (Perry, 1997, p. 3). Children who are victimized or witness of some form of abuse may have "emotional, behavioral, cognitive, social and psychological" developmental deficits (p. 11). According to Fraser (1996, p. 351), delays in a child's cognitive development are caused by deficits in physical "constitution" and such conditions include" brain damage and other neuropathology; imbalances of trace minerals; imbalances of hormones such as testosterone; low IQ; and unremediated hyperactivity, impulsivity, and attention deficit disorders." Other factors responsible for delays in children's development include "the type and pattern of violence", the family environment, support system availability, and the "age" of the child (Perry, 1997, p. 3). The organ of violence is the brain. The brain is taught violence through violence. The underdevelopment of the brain in children can lead to significant neurochemical deficits and other life threatening abnormalities. (p. 5) Children's early physical and psychological development depends mainly on the social environment and how it fosters the child's social interaction with others. It is of significant importance that the community as well as family promotes a child's physical and psychological well-being. This can be accomplished by providing a variety of opportunities to promote healthy social interaction on communal as well as familiar level. If children lack influential role models and opportunities in the early stages of their life, they fail to develop "attachment" to other individuals (Fraser, 1996, p. 348). Children at any age who are traumatized by violent acts inside the family very likely develop psychological, behavioral and cognitive problems later on in life. Studies in this area support facts that violent events can cause symptoms of PTSD. According to McNew and Abell (p.116), symptoms of PTSD are of multiple characteristics and may include the following: " flashbacks, numbing, restriction of affect, hypervigilance, sleep disorder, problems with intimacy and sexuality, depression, dissociative responses, anger and rage, guilt, shame, fear, somatic complains, anxiety, helplessness, dependency, low-self esteem, survivor guilt" and "enuresis"(Burman, & Allen-Meares, 1994, p. 29). From a psychological point of view, traumatized victims of violence are emotionally worn out. They may "withdraw, turn inward, appear depressed, display difficulties with attention, school achievement, and social engagement; they may assume the role of oppositional, aggressive perpetrator" (Marans, & Cohen, 1993, p.1). Children can be exposed to violence within the family by "seeing", "hearing", or by "witnessing" the injuries suffered by the victim (Rudo & Powell, 1996, p.3). In most cases, the target of the brutal physical attack is the mother of the child. In the article Family Violence: A Review Of The Literature, Rudo and Powell (p. 6) state that children who experience and/or witness violence in their home " become tomorrow's murderers and perpetrator of other crimes of violence."

Infants living in a violence-ridden environment suffer the most developmental damage of all children. Infants exposed to violence do not receive the amount of emotional and physical attachment from their mother that is needed for their personal well being. Infants may develop a highpitched "excessive" scream, poor eating habits, and disruptive sleeping pattern (James, 1994, p. 4). Toddlers exposed to violence in the home inhibit acute behavioral and emotional problems that have significant negative impact of the child's early socialization skill. There is also a significant difference between the behaviors of the two sexes. Boy's behaviors are more "externalized" while girl's behaviors are more "internalized" (p. 4). By the time the child enters school, its negative feelings and emotions are expressed through aggressive play, fantasies (Marans, & Cohen, 1993, p. 2), acting out, feelings of sadness, physical and verbal aggressiveness toward others, as well as anger and sadness after the violent outburst (James, 1994, p. 5). Studies show that boys experienced more somatic complains than girls. They also indicate that children from dysfunctional families demonstrate signs of mental health problems and learning disabilities (p. 6). In adolescence, aggressive behavior is influenced more by outside sources such as negative peer interactions, poor neighborhoods, and school districts. These children lack sufficient respect of authority, are more likely involved in early sexual activities, and probably active members in gangs (Fraser, 1996). Research of this age group concluded that adolescence's aggressive behavior is associated to the hostile environment they live in. Without early treatment and community support, their lives as adults are going to be controlled by "heavy polydrug use, sexual promiscuity, reckless driving, marital violence, and occupational marginality" (p. 348). From infancy to adolescence, family violence interfered with the children's growth and development. For them violence is their role model and violence is a mean of survival. Treatment for families in crisis depends on several aspects, including how many individuals are involved in this matter, the duration and the extent of the problem and what the family had done in the past to resolve existing problems. Treatment and intervention should be directed toward the needs of each individual involved in this family matter. Proper screening methods will determine the appropriate treatment plan and psychological profile of the victim and the perpetrator. Psychometric instruments such as the "Multiphasic Personality Inventory" determine the victim's psychological state and treatment possibilities. Treatment methods applied should be directed toward the goal of "normalization" and emotional stability, as well as the elimination of psychological malfunctioning (Saunders, 1994, p. 54). Another important instrument is "the Index of Spouse Abuse ", which measures "the severity of both physical and nonphysical abuse" (Forte, Franks, Forte, Rigsby, 1996, p. 59). Other treatment possibilities of

dysfunctional families include "individual therapy, group therapy, play therapy and family therapy (Burman, Allen-Meares, 1994, p. 31, 32). The treatment of child victims should be different from treatment of adult victims. Special concern should be given to children who witnessed the homicide of a parent. During assessment, it is very important for the counselor to establish a baseline of "trust" and "rapport" with the child victim (Burman, Allen- Meares, 1994, p. 31). This can be attained through "attending" and "listening". It is also of significance that abused children are given the opportunity of safe surroundings to express their true feelings and emotion without negative influences. Play therapy focuses on "breaking through the communication barriers", with the use of "symbolic communication techniques" including " story telling, clay, hand puppets, and photographs" (p.31). This therapy allows abused children to express their fears, anger, grief and happiness. Group therapy with children deals directly with the trauma children experienced. It does it through "role plays, behavior rehearsal, and direct communication." Family therapy includes all individuals involved. The focus of family therapy is to decrease existing negative behaviors pattern within the family. Family therapy targets the client's "anxieties", "mood swings", "poor academic performance", and "aggressive, abusive, and disrespectful behaviors" (p. 32). Treatment for abused children should be applied as soon as possible. Another implementation approach is couple therapy. During sessions, the spouses are encouraged to talk about positive as well as negative relationship matters in the family. This is especially true in families where spousal abuse occurs in any form. Couple therapy can help the abused spouse to put her own personal needs first rather than the needs of the perpetrator. In couple therapy, role-playing is an important tool when dealing with role inequalities in families. (Peled, Eisikovits, Enosh, & Winstok, 2000, p.17). Anger management treatment programs are useful tools to teach perpetrators non- violent ways of problem solving skills especially in spousal and child abuse cases. Perpetrators are encouraged to apply learned skills in all areas of their personal lives, including non-violent ways of parenting (Saunders, 1994, p. 55). When working with dysfunctional families, the social worker's role is multifaceted. Because abusive families experience a variety of difficult problems, the social worker must be competent and versatile enough to identify the client's, needs and problems, provide information, establish trust, identify the client's strength, work toward a goal, and the eventual empowerment of the client through the achievement of autonomy. During assessment it is necessary that the worker is capable of establishing trust between him/her and the client. This trust can be obtained through "attending and listening" to the client (Burman, Allen-Meares, 1994, p. 29).

Empowerment is another important tool in the worker-client relationship. Empowerment can help the battered client in her decision making process. In social work, empowerment by definition means "to allow clients control over their own lives and the ability to make decisions for themselves"( Peled, Eisikovits, Enosh, Winstok, 2000, p. 12). Social workers and agencies in the helping profession directly intervene, identify the battered victims needs and, "actualize" their rights (p.16). Many social agencies across the country apply their own definition of empowerment when working with battered victims and that means leaving the abusive spouse. The battered victim's "freedom of choice" between leaving and remaining in a relationship for whatever reason is denied by many social services (p. 19). Identifying the client's strength is one of the most powerful tools in social work practice. In dysfunctions families, the strength of each individual relies in the context of the family itself, the community, and the intervention programs that promote the reestablishment of a healthy family structure. Social work has experienced a tremendous fundamental transformation during the last one hundred years. Helping the most vulnerable of society always has been, and always will be an important component of the social work profession. Historically, family violence was an acceptable behavior but today it is considered a crime. The evolution of this more humane view is still a work in progress. To be a force in change, social work must face the reality of the situation. Social work practice and the treatment process are focused primarily on the acts of violence themselves rather than the underlying circumstances of poverty, unemployment, underemployment and the substandard living conditions that accompany them. As long as the focus is a treatment of the symptoms manifested as violence rather than the disease of poverty itself there will be no cure. To serve their clients more efficiently, social services across the country need to employ universal standards within the systems itself, concerning policies, eligibility requirements and treatment processes. It is hoped that this study will stimulate further investigation in this field, as new techniques will provide more information concerning what is effective. The statistics and studies that have been done so far indicate that this is a growing area of concern for this nation in general and for the profession of social work specifically.

Works Cited
Burman, S., & Meares, A. P. (1994). Neglected victims of murder: children's witness to parental homicide. Social Work. 39 (1), 28-41. Dutton, M. A., Gordon, M. (2000). Validity of battered women syndrome" in criminal cases involving battered women (review paper). Washington, D. C.: George Washington University, National Law Center. Retrieved

February 20, 2000, from the World Wide Web: (http://ojp.usdoj.gov/ocpa/94Guides/Trials/Valid). Forte, J. A., Franks, D. D., Forte J. .A., & Rigsby D. (1996). Asymmetrical role-taking: comparing b

FAMILY INFLUENCE ON FORMATION OF CHILDREN'S MANIPULATIVE ATTITUDES Dr. Ryumshina Liubov, Department of Psychology Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia M. Nagibin Ave. 13, of. 234 e-mail: ryumshina@sfedu.ru Abstract. The article raises the issue of children's manipulation, and examines the conditions contributing to the formation of the manipulative attitudes. As such are analyzed: importance of these attitudes for the child, existence of manipulative attitudes in parents, family microclimate and position to the manipulations in society. According to the results of an empirical study, the characteristics of the family, provoking the development of manipulative behavior in children, are described. The members of this family hardly cooperate with each other and others, are focused on self-interests, and try to satisfy them without much effort, and by using the people around them. It is accompanied by the insincerity and lack of attention to the child, and most of all to his needs, feelings and emotional stress. Keywords: manipulations, manipulative attitudes, microclimate in the family, formation of disposition to manipulation 1. Introduction Now, no one doubts that the behavior of parents and their parenting style largely predetermine the development of personality traits and behavior patterns in their children. In part, this is a deliberate attempt of the children to behave in the same way as the others, and it is partly an unconscious imitation, which is one of the aspects of identification with the others. However, in the literature, as a rule, is discussed the influence of democratic, authoritarian or permissive parenting styles on the formation of certain traits of the child, and the impact of the manipulative influences of parents is undeservedly overlooked by the psychologists. First of all, we shall note that the purpose of manipulation - while hiding one's true intentions, to induce another person to commit certain actions, change the values, ideas, opinions and the like, at the same time keeping the illusion of independence, autonomy of decisions or actions. Through a variety of tricks and techniques one performs various actions imperceptibly to a person, prompting him to do what he does not want, to turn away from what he aspires, but also create a confidence in him that he is acting on his own will [1, 2, 4, 6 and others]. At first glance it seems that the manipulation of the children by the adults is fully justified by the good intentions (to keep them out of trouble, etc.). But one must not forget that the manipulation in the first place is the use of another person in order to obtain one's own benefit, and the psychological meaning of the manipulation is to control the behavior of people, to manage them, to get power over them or benefits by limiting their freedom. In general, the manipulation of children grows out of a false understanding of the responsibility that is perceived as a constant intrusive control and deprivation of the child's right for independence. Manipulations can be used circumstantially and unconsciously as well as consciously, purposefully, i.e. becoming a common way to interact with the children. And here is completely unclear whether the manipulative attitudes of the parents influence the formation of such in their children? Social attitudes of the parents may differ but what will happen to the formation of the social attitudes in a child? All this formed the basis for the empirical study, the purpose of which was to determine the effect of the manipulative attitudes of parents on the formation of such in their children. 2. Respondents, study methods and results Respondents. The study involved 15 families with children ranging from 8 to 10 years old. In total, the study involved 30 adults and 30 children. Study methods: Questionnaire "Machiavellianism" - a technique created by American scientists Christie and Geis to determine Machiavellian (manipulative) attitudes of personality. We used a version of this technique for adults (Mach-4) and a children's test for Machiavellianism (Kiddie Mach Test). Study results. The data allowed to divide respondents into three groups: those with a high level of Machiavellianism, middle and low levels of Machiavellianism. Most of the spouses had a middle level of Machiavellian attitudes intensity, but we were interested, first of all, in those respondents with significantly high Machiavellian tendencies. Such were 29% males and 31% females. Moreover, almost 40% of the children also had high level of Machiavellian tendencies, suggesting the influence of the manipulative attitudes of the parents on the formation of such in children. Further analysis confirmed that. Not only in the cases where the manipulative attitudes of the spouses matched, but if the

father's level of Machiavellianism was high, the child also had a strong tendency. The high level of Machiavellianism of the mother also influenced the level of the child's Machiavellianism. Thus, the manipulative tendencies of fathers and mothers can equally contribute to the development of such tendencies in their children. In general, in the group of parents with high scores in Machiavellianism scale a positive correlation with the scores of Machiavellianism in children is established, the higher Machiavellianism is in the parents, the higher it is in the children (p0.05). Thus, the existence of manipulative attitudes in parents provokes the formation of such in their children. Perhaps this is a simple copy of their behavior, as well as the formation of the attitude to manipulations as behavior that benefits the child. However, it can be assumed that the microclimate in the family will also contribute to the formation of the manipulative attitudes in children. Our previous studies have shown that the existence of the manipulative attitudes lowers the couple's marital satisfaction [4], and this suggests that the socio-psychological climate in the family is unsatisfactory. Therefore, the child will grow up in poor conditions, or in the terminology of some authors, in a dysfunctional family. However, the question remains as to what kind of characteristics of such dysfunctional family will provoke the formation of disposition to manipulation in children. In this regard, we have continued the study. The purpose of it was to determine the characteristics of the family (referred to by the analogy with the literature references as dysfunctional), provoking the development of manipulative tendencies in children. Respondents. The study involved 56 boys and girls, high school students aged 15 to 17 and 5 school teachers. Study methods. To determine the characteristics of family problems in the families of students, the method of expert judges was used. The experts were 5 school employees: head of the teaching department, head of the teaching department for educational work, two teachers working with these children, school psychologist. From the literature references [3, 7, 8 and others], 15 characteristics of a dysfunctional family have been identified. On their basis a profile has been compiled, which was presented to experts for evaluation of the intensity of the characteristics of families in which children are brought up. To diagnose the level of intensity of the manipulation disposition of the high school students have also been used the "Mach - 4" technique. Study results. On the basis of expert evaluations, two groups of students were identified: the first group consisted of young men and women who live in dysfunctional families (25 people) and the second group was formed by the young men and women living in problem-free families (31 people). The results of the study of Machiavellian tendencies of teenagers from problem-free and dysfunctional families are shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1. Intensity of Machiavellian tendencies in students from problem-free and dysfunctional families (in %) As can be seen from Figure 1, among the teenagers from dysfunctional families there are two times more those with the high level of Machiavellianism intensity, and more than two times less persons with the low level of intensity of manipulative attitudes. The significant differences between them (2 = 4,125 with p 0,05) suggests that the students from the problem-free families are less predisposed to the manipulative behavior. Of the variety offered by the characteristics of a dysfunctional family, the experts selected the following parameters: orientation of the family on their own selfish interests and lack of disposition to the cooperation, low level of group cohesion, attraction to momentary pleasures that do not require any effort, insincerity, desire to use others for one's own purposes, lack of attention to the child and lack of concern about him, ignoring the inner world and experiences of the child (Fig. 2). The use of U - Mann-Whitney test showed the presence of significant differences between the two groups of students according to this parameters (UEmp = 0 with p 0.05).

Fig. 2. Intensity of dysfunctional family parameters in a group of students with high and low levels of Machiavellianism It is easy to see that each of the selected characteristics of a dysfunctional family can contribute to the formation of a predisposition in children to manipulative behavior, but it turned out that the characteristics are closely linked. We have found a positive correlation between the orientation of the family on their own selfish interests and the lack of attention to the child and the lack of concern about him (p 0. 01); between the priority of reaching success with minimum labor and insincerity, the desire to use others for one's own purposes, and the suppression of feelings and needs of the child (p 0.05). This allows us to describe the family, provoking the devel opment of the manipulative attitudes in children as follows. Family members hardly cooperate with each other and others, are focused on self-interest, and try to satisfy them without much effort, and by using the people around them. It is accompanied by the insincerity and lack of attention to the child, and most of all to his needs, feelings and emotional stress. 3. Discussion of results So, as fairly pointed out by E. Shostrom, people are not born manipulators, they become such. They are created out of small children by leading them into the manipulative world of modern man. The first lesson they get from their parents, who, in turn, represent a finished product of the modern manipulative society [6]. Up to a certain time, the parents quite successfully manage to manipulate their children. It even brings visible results, but many years later, when the children start to manipulate their parents, the last begin to reap the fruits of their upbringing. In addition to the targeted education of parents, the microclimate in the family affects the child. Watching how parents manipulate each other, the child also learns the manipulative behavior attitudes. However, in order to make this method of interaction to be reinforced, and then to appear in the child's relationships with other people, this is not enough. It is necessary for the child to realize his own gain from the manipulations and strive to them for the benefit. Manipulation, despite a number of advantages (quick results with minimum waste of time and labor, etc.), is nonconstructive communication, as evidenced by the obtained data. Then how can one change the manipulative attitudes? As known, attitude change occurs when there is a mismatch in a cognitive structure. For example, the customary manipulative attitude to use others for one's own purposes confronts a positive attitude to the person in relation to whom the manipulation is supposed to be carried out. Since the impetus for the attitude change is the need of the individual for restoring cognitive conformity [5], it can be assumed that the more loving people in a child's life, the more likely the refusal of the child from the manipulative behavior. Thus, the change of the manipulative attitudes can be analyzed in terms of changes in the active position of the child, caused by the development of his personality. But it can also be analyzed from the point of view of the content of the objective social changes affecting the given level of dispositions, such as change of microclimate in the family. Finally, there is one more important factor - social situation, if society itself will not be encouraging the manipulative behavior of its citizens. So, whether the children become manipulators or not, depends on many factors: on the significance of these attitudes for the child, the existence of manipulative attitudes in the parents, microclimate in the family and society in general. In this case, one can agree with a number of scientists that if there is the social resistance to this kind of behavior, the manipulative attitudes of both parents and their children will become unprofitable, and thus, the manipulations will lose their attractiveness as failing to meet the main condition - obtaining benefits for oneself at the expense of the other. References 1. 2. Bratchenko S.L. (1997): Diagnosis of personality-developing potential: Workbook for School Psychologists . Pskov: Publishing house of Pskov Regional Institute of Teacher Training. (Russian Edition). Dotsenko E. L. (1996): Psychology of manipulation. M.: Moscow State University. (Russian Edition).

3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Eidemiller E.G., Dobryakov I.V., Nicholskaya I.M. (2006): Family diagnosis and family therapy . 2nd edition, St. Petersburg.: Rech. (Russian Edition). Ryumshina L. (2011): Ontopsychology communication LAP LAMBERT, Academic Publishing GmbH & Co. K.G Shikhirev P. N. (1999): Contemporary social psychology, Moscow: Nauka (Russian Edition). Shostrom E L. (2003): Man, the manipulator: The inner journey from manipulation to actualization . Nashville, TN: Abingdon. .: PSYLIB. Tseluyko V.M. (2004): Psychology of a dysfunctional family : A Book for Teachers and Parents, M.: Publishing house VLADOS PRESS. (Russian Edition). Uroden M. (2005): Fundamentals of family therapy, St. Petersburg.: PRIME-EVROZNAK. (Russian Edition).

Importance of Family
A family they say, mirrors society in itself. Its importance lies in the fact, that it provides the building blocks for you as an individual. And healthy individuals within healthy families cement a healthy society and nation.

Nothing in the world could make human life happier than to greatly increase the number of strong families. ~ David R. Mace
Since the dawn of civilization, humans have tried to cohabit in groups, tribes or families for physical, emotional and communal support. Over the ages this concept of family has undergone various transformations and changes, yet the essence of being in a family has survived throughout the world. Pause for a few seconds and ask yourself, "Why do you work so hard?" What motivates you to do so day after day? Most readers may reply, my family, and may provide reasons to support their answer. But, what is a family? All of us inherit our physical attributes from our parents. Families are our most intimate social environment. They are the places where we begin the vital processes of socializing our children and teaching them how to survive and thrive in the world. Values such as patience, care, understanding and commitment, that were instilled in you by your family, differentiates you from the rest. If you are already a successful person, and I don't mean it in the

monetary sense only, then it only underlies the values you inherited and the importance of family in your life.

Provides Basic Needs

It is not difficult to infer this, as your family was the first entity to provide you the basics needed to survive entered as soon as you arrived in this world. When you stepped into this world, you were unfit to survive on your own. Your family ensured that you were fed sheltered and most importantly loved. Love is the only source of happiness and a family is an endless source of love. A peaceful safe environment is vital for a child to grow into an independent and right-minded individual. A peaceful and understanding family will ensure that the child is nurtured is the right manner.

Educates You
Your family creates the right environment where you learn to use your faculties, you learn your first words and to understand and cope with the physical world. It is the place, where you learn how a family works, by observing how your parents, grandparents, your siblings and rest of the family members deal with each other. With the passage of time, you mature and start observing and learning about interacting with people other than your family and understand how your family members interacted with them. It is at this point in your life, when you learn what is meant by a healthy relationship and how to make a relationship last. You also understand how, as a family, to cope with the ups and downs of life. Consequently, a family acts as an emotional refuge for an individual during times of personal crisis.

Instills Values and Identity

What you learn from your family becomes your value system, forms your perceptions and basis of actions. Though it not a rule of thumb but, by being what they are, your parents make it easy for you to think that you can also do it. It is said that a doctor's child has more chances of turning out to be a doctor than the rest. In the true sense, an individual is known by his or her actions. Have you ever noticed that your actions always confirmed to the basic values you acquired from your family. One study of 1,500 schoolchildren were asked, "What do you think makes a happy family?" Few replied that toys, cars, television sets, fancy homes or Disney World made a happy family. Most children said that a happy family is one that does things together, and that genuinely enjoys the times family members share with each other. You approach your family when you expect a hug or a pat of encouragement on the back in times of sorrow or trouble. People in strong families genuinely care for each other's well-being and feel good about each other. Life in families can bring us great joy or excruciating pain, depending upon how well individual relationships in a family are. A healthy marriage and family can be a valuable resource for helping us endure the difficulties that life brings us. Dysfunctional or unhealthy relationships can create terrible problems that can persist from one generation to the next.

Man is a social animal and so it is impossible for him to stay alone for a long period of time. He constantly needs people who can be with him and support him during tough times and encourage him when he strides forward in life. He needs people who can share his happy as well as sorrowful moments, people whom he can trust and find solace in. These are the people he can go to at any point in time, love them, fight with them, and yet have faith that he will never be left alone till the very end. These are the people he shares his bloodline with - his parents, children and siblings. His spouse also forms a part of this set-up, though not of his bloodline. They are his family.

The Concept
Family, as a concept, came into existence when the hunting-gathering ancestors of humans began to live together in groups to ensure protection against predators. With the passage of time and the advent of agriculture as a means of subsistence, these groups became even more close-knit with their members sharing social and economic responsibilities. This further gave way to feelings of care, affection and love and thus came into existence the standardized model of a family. Dependence on each other and sharing of rights and responsibilities gave way to the concept of marriage, a custom with social grant. This imparted a definite structure to the family which now consisted essentially of two married people of opposite sexes and their children along with other relatives related to them by blood. Traditionally, all members of the same lineage lived together in a 'joint family', which are found even today in many cultures. The emergence of 'nuclear families' was a change in the traditional set-up that took place with a series of transitions occurring in the socio-economic spheres of society. Family is a social unit wherein two or more individuals of different age groups and characteristic traits decide to stay together under one roof, in a hierarchical set-up, sharing rights and responsibilities. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a family refers to "two or more persons related by birth, marriage or adoption, who reside together". Anthropologists interpret families to be 'social institutions' that perform crucial functions both for their own members and for members of society. The term 'social institution' has deep implications. That is to say that family, as a social entity, is a unit that is created and identified by society. This further implies that the structure of families is different in different cultures, depending on the norms their societies are based on. Moreover, as institutions, families function on the basis of certain predefined standards and have roles to perform for the benefit of not only a given familial unit but society as a whole. In return of what families, as social units, give to society, society is also considered to be responsible to look after the welfare of its people.

Functions of a Family
As a social unit, at the very base of the societal pyramid, a family has certain functions to fulfill. Accomplishment of these functions is extremely important for society to function smoothly. These are the primary aspects which form the entire basis of this social institution. These functions include the following:

Reproduction and procreation Bringing up and caring for children economically, socially and psychologically Sharing of responsibilities and division of labor Economic and psychological support to members Fulfilling sexual needs of individuals Provision of shelter for all members Bestowing them with socially accepted status

Though traditionally, families were rigidly based on the fulfillment of these functions, it must be noted that with the change in times, the functions of a family have also undergone a considerable amount of change. Families now, have to cater to functions according to the needs and demands of modern societies in order to assure welfare and stability.

Can Family be Defined?

With everything said and done, it has to be noted that family is a very subjective term. Every

person has his own way of identifying and describing his family. Though the classic family structure has been defined by social norms, it means different things to different people and at different points in time. In this sense, any group with which an individual identifies himself, or feels that he belongs there, may become his family. This group may not essentially comprise his parents, siblings, children or spouse. On the contrary, it may consist his close friends and acquaintances, or can be one's foster family as well. The bottom-line of every healthy family is nurturing relationships with utmost compassion, love and care, and supporting its members during phases of hardships and troubles. A family that manages to fulfill these basic emotional and social needs becomes a stable unit and is termed as a 'happy family'. Some others that do not, are sociologically termed as 'dysfunctional families' because they cannot impart stability to their members. But again, the reasons for families to become dysfunctional are numerous and varied. Leo Tolstoy has rightly said in his is novel 'Anna Karenina' that 'Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way