Association of Fathers' Satisfaction and Perception of Family with Participation in Family Life and Prosocial Behavior of Adolescents

Abstract

The purpose of the paper was to examine whether the father's
family experience transfers to the behavior of the adolescent in
the family and then to the socially desirable behaviors of the
adolescent. The aim of the paper was to examine how the
father's experience of family functioning and family satisfaction
directly and indirectly, through adolescent participation in
family life, contribute to the prosocial behavior of adolescents.
The sample consisted of 178 children and their fathers who
participated in the two-wave study. Children evaluated their
prosocial behavior and participation in family life in the
second wave, and fathers assessed family functioning and
family satisfaction in the first wave. The results showed that the
father's positive perception of family functioning and higher
satisfaction with family life are associated with more prosocial
behavior and greater participation in family life among
adolescents. The father's positive family experience contributes
to a higher level of adolescent participation in family life,
which then contributes to the more prosocial behavior of
adolescents. The results confirm the existence of a significant
and indirect contribution of the family to adolescent behavior
as well as the transfer of emotions and behaviors in the family
and other systems.