ABSTRACT
Studies that examined adolescents' attitudes regarding parental involvement shows that they view actions linked to their safety as legitimate, but actions aimed at disconnecting them from their friends as totally unacceptable. The parents' wish to get to know their child's friends is not only legitimate, but an essential element of vigilant care. Parents who are well rooted in the feeling "this is my house!" can cope with any attempts by the child to prevent them from establishing contact with his friends. An adolescent, for instance, may smuggle his friends into his room so as to avoid all contact between them and his parents. After a telephone round and a couple of meetings with some of the people contacted, the parents know much more about their child's contacts and activities, are better able to intervene and often gain support for their actions. The dynamic of inner voices in the child's mind may be tipped in a positive direction.
