Vegas & Mateos-Agut examine in an article published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology with Children and Adolescents how family meals impact communication and aggression in adolescents.
The study involved 1117 adolescents, and the results are revealing. The lack of family meals is associated with lower communication and an increase in aggression. When combined with strong communication, eating together as a family can reduce aggression in adolescents. However, consistently eating together as a family without effective communication is associated with an increase in physical aggression and hostility.
These findings emphasize the importance of promoting both family meals and communication in our homes.
Full article in PCNA Journal