This study examined the effects of child characteristics and parent coping practices on parenting stress, based on a sample of parents of 64 boys with behavioural problems and a comparison group with parents of 128 boys. All parents completed questionnaires about stress, length of education, child characteristics, social support, sense of coherence and coping practices, in addition to interviews in their home about daily activities and relations with the child. A hierarchical regression model for predicting parenting stress was tested, and the results showed that having a child with behavioural problems predicted 57% of the variance in parenting stress. Social support and parental resources and strategies added to the prediction of parenting stress after controlling for family demographics and child characteristics. The parents in the clinical group (with boys referred to psychiatric units) were more often single parents with lower education, more often unemployed, less content with social support, and had lower scores on comprehensibility. These parents were significantly more stressed than parents in the comparison group. All these risk factors might be barriers against establishing a protective frame around a child. These parents, with a difficult child-rearing situation, who perceived less support and had fewer material benefits, seemed to be more vulnerable.

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In child psychiatric work strategies for engaging the family in strengthening the child's coping should be included as part of the treatment plan. As family members experience the reality of the family differently, information from each family member provides a broader picture of the family. Clinicians can help the family achieve insights into relationships and roles by using a figure placement technique, the Kvebaek Family Sculpture Technique (KFST). We examined distances in KFST figure placements made by mothers, fathers and adolescents in order to explore closeness and distance, or family cohesion. We found that families often perceived changes in the perception of distance between family members following family therapy. Assessments by family members, as well as by clinicians, are needed to catch the complexity of family cohesion. A dialogue with the family about the various perspectives presented by family members contributes to a new understanding of family interaction.

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This article challenges the use of the concept of avoidance as dysfunctional in parenting, and questions research on parental coping practices in isolation from context. Sixteen parents with children with more or less behaviour problems were selected for analysis. The concept avoidance strategy constituted the analytical theme in situations associated with stress, and parents' meaning making was the focus of analysis. Parental coping is not only related to internal processes, but also to the risk or opportunities in the social systems. All parents use avoidance actions in various ways, which may also be seen as adaptive and proactive actions. The meaning of age, gender, living conditions, social support, and the parents' resources are significant in the framing of family life. It is significant to stretch the concept 'normality' to include more variation and diversity. By bringing in knowledge from 'normal' parenting processes into clinical practice, clinical cases may not always seem clinical.