FAMILY FUNCTIONING, PERCEPTION OF RISKY BEHAVIOR AND INTERNET ADDICTION IN ITALIAN ADOLESCENTS

Literature has demonstrated the adaptive influence of family functioning toward manifestation of problem behaviors in adolescence. These dimensions act on both internalizing and externalizing symptoms. During adolescence, crucial phase in the developmental process, family must be able to combine the need of independence with the creation of a solid family climate capable of containing adolescent uncertainties. The research goal is to investigate the influence of family functioning on the perception of risky behaviors and the possible presence of a psychopathological use of the Internet in a group of Sicilian adolescents. The research involved 100 high school students, aged between 15 and 18 (M = 16.14; S.D = 0.49), who completed following instruments: the Family Assessment Device to measure family functioning, the Cognitive Appraisal of Risky Events to investigate the perception of risky behaviors, and the Internet Addiction Test to evaluate the possible presence of the psychopathological Internet use. Data show that the behavioral control, perceived within the family context, determines a more realistic perception of risk behaviors; furthermore, a greater problem-solving capacity and family communication lead to reduce the internet use in adolescents participating in the research. Family rapresents the favored context of learning beliefs and patterns, that affect the broader regulatory social environment, for this reason, it is considered the privileged context on which to intervene to reduce the adolescents’ behavior problems. Some aspects of family functioning, such as poor supervision, discipline and inconsistent communication, seem to influence the adoption of risky behaviors among Sicilian adolescents.