Topic 2 Communication barriers
Communication barriers can be a challenge for parents, as they may affect dynamic interaction between them and their children. Below there is a list of some of the most common communication barriers that may damage a parent-child relationship:
Elements or physical factors such as the physical distance between people, time difference, noises, etc. that distract the communication flow. A poignant example is the recent COVID-19 pandemic which led people to search for alternative means of communication to maintain contact. During that period, the world saw various new communication tools emerging to support not only interpersonal relation needs, but also businesses, and, of course, the education sector. Most people got familiar with virtual communication during that period, and many elements of this remote system of contact are still being used. This virtual contact system may have had a negative impact on youth, as many children and adolescents tend to feel uncomfortable to communicate verbally and/or in physical presence, and even struggle to express themselves in they are not behind a screen. According to Ben-Aharon (2021), “our children were jolted from their daily school routines of sitting face-to-face in classrooms, participating in afterschool activities, and enjoying sleepovers, parties and play dates. With parks closed and field trips cancelled, socialisation and language development opportunities were unnaturally limited”. Ben-Aharon states that “as social creatures, we naturally crave connections and facial expressions are an essential part of non-verbal communication. It gives us the cues we need to promote conversation and establish and maintain social relationships” (ibid.).
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Every person perceives the world around them in their own way. Oftentimes, cognitive biases may affect the way parents react when they communicate with their children. The generation gap between parents and children can affect communication, and parents are often eager to be influenced by old-fashioned norms, stigmas, and taboos. A typical stereotypical example is the case of adolescents who wish to talk to their parents about their sexual orientation and reveal a queer identity. Many parents struggle a lot to accept their child as they are, because for many years they were brainwashed by stereotypical attitudes and homophobic opinions. Hence, identifying potential perceptual barriers is crucial to ensure that the parent-child relationship is not affected.
According to Garner (2023), “emotional communication barriers are the negative feelings we acquire about certain people, places, and situations”. Whether caused by bad experiences or the influence of others, emotional barriers “evoke emotions such as fear and mistrust that prevent effective interaction” (ibid.). Particularly, anger and fear are two of the most powerful emotions that drive many people’s actions and influence their reactions under various circumstances. When it comes to their children, most parents’ reactions are usually influenced by these two critical emotions. Anger might be the result of chronic emotion suppression, while fear might stem from the fright towards other people’s criticism and judgment.
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Aspiring to be a member of a group and striving towards being accepted as a member of this group is one of the most substantial characteristics of human nature. As Garner continues (id.), “to be accepted as a member of a group, we often need to adopt patterns of behaviour that the group perceives as a sign of belonging”. Unconsciously striving to belong in a certain group and adopting certain personality traits and being directed by group dynamics just to be socially accepted may hinder communication since it erases people’s individuality and authenticity and makes them adopt a pretentious behaviour in order to culturally belong. When it comes to parenthood, cultural barriers often drive parents to attempt to raise their children so that they themselves can become respectable members of a cultural community. By doing that, parents often neglect their children’s individuality, and may try to suffocate their children’s uniqueness.
Gender Barriers are a generalisation or a stereotypical idea of how a certain gender behaves. Gender barriers can be deeply rooted within people, as well as severely affect children’s well-being. Education about gender biases in the form of an informative book, podcast, TV show, academic article or even through therapy can be a very effective mean to defeat them.
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