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Grandfathers pp 267–284Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Grandfathering and Adolescent Adjustment Difficulties and Pro-social Behaviour Among Israeli Jewish and Arab Adolescents

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Part of the book series: Palgrave Macmillan Studies in Family and Intimate Life ((PSFL))

Abstract

This chapter examines adolescents’ reports on their relationships with their grandfathers and the contribution of these relationships to their adjustment, based on a survey conducted among approximately 2750 Israeli Jewish and Arab adolescents, aged 12–17. Most of the analyses focused on the 736 adolescents identifying their grandfathers as their closest grandparents. The findings show that grandfathers are heavily involved in the lives of adolescents in Israel and that adolescents see them as close and significant figures in their lives. Adolescent gender, lineage of grandfather, and culture are associated with the adolescent–grandfather relationship. In addition, significant links were found between adolescents’ closeness to their closest grandfathers and reduced adjustment difficulties and increased pro-social behaviour, as well as between grandfather involvement and pro-social behaviour.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to acknowledge the support of the Israel Science Foundation for funding the research on which this chapter is based (Grant 343/10). I am grateful to the many adolescents who generously gave their time to make this study possible.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Work and Social Welfare, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

    Shalhevet Attar-Schwartz

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  1. Shalhevet Attar-Schwartz
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Correspondence to Shalhevet Attar-Schwartz .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Oxford, United Kingdom

    Ann Buchanan

  2. Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

    Anna Rotkirch

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Attar-Schwartz, S. (2016). Grandfathering and Adolescent Adjustment Difficulties and Pro-social Behaviour Among Israeli Jewish and Arab Adolescents. In: Buchanan, A., Rotkirch, A. (eds) Grandfathers. Palgrave Macmillan Studies in Family and Intimate Life. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56338-5_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56338-5_15

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-56337-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-56338-5

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

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