Empowering parents: Understanding adolescents’ psychological development through the psychoeducation program “Mengenal Remajaku”

Adolescents experience abrupt physical and psychological changes. These changes impacted adolescent behavior and the way adolescents respond to their environment. If parents do not understand the changes that occur in their adolescents, parents can experience difficulties in applying their parenting, and eventually will impact the quality of the parent-child relationship. Parents need to be educated to understand the characteristics of adolescent development. Therefore, a Online workshop that aims to provide an understanding of the characteristics of adolescent development was conducted. The participant of this online workshop are parents who have adolescents. They were 26 parents aged 35-44 years (average 40.13 years) which were dominated by mothers (92.31%). This three-hour program used the online-zoom platform. It consists of lectures, question and answers session, small group discussions


INTRODUCTION
The relationship between parents and children significantly impacts all aspects of a child's life, including during adolescence. In adolescence, children begin to develop friendships with their peers (Best et al., 2014). Even though adolescents expect more social support from friends, parents still play an important role in their lives (Abidin et al., 2021). Adolescence is a transition period in various aspects of development; biological, psychological, and social. Biological changes that occur are puberty which is seen in the rapid development of the body, as well as the development of primary and secondary sex characteristics. Adolescents experience hormonal changes which can cause emotional instability and These changes make this phase tend to be difficult not only for the adolescents themselves, but also for parents in carrying out the parenting process (Hoskins, 2014). Adolescents are considered to have started to be able to make decisions, act on their own decisions, and be responsible for everything they do (Rahman, 2015). On the other hand, parents often feel confused on controlling their adolescents. In the previous stage of development, parents tended to feel they had full authority over their children.
In contrast, when their children become adolescence, there is equal and reciprocal interaction between parents and children (Diananda, 2019). This situation generally lead to the emergence of rebellion by adolescents and increased feelings of inadequacy and tension among parents in parenting adolescence. Therefore, conflicts between adolescents and parents are one of the main problems during this period (Apriyeni et al., 2019). In brief, the significant changes that occur during adolescence present difficulties for parents as they learn to navigate the shift to reciprocal interaction and shared decision-making, which can result in potential conflicts, rebellion, and increased feelings of inadequacy and stress in the parenting process.
Changes in all aspects of adolescent development can lead to a change in parent-child relationships, and make parenting in this period perceived as difficult for parents. Theories regarding psychological processes in families with adolescent children state that the transition period to adolescence leads to profound transformations in family relationships and requires psychological adaptation of each family member (Steinberg & Morris, 2001). Parents and adolescents have to renegotiate their relationship (Branje, 2018) by learning and recognizing new responsibilities and changes in the parent-child relationship. Previously, their relationship was more vertical, where parents had more knowledge and social power to provide security and warmth. Parents-children relationships should be more horizontal when they reach adolescence, characterized by equality and reciprocal interaction (Branje, 2018). Changing parent-child relationships can create conflict between them. Conflicts usually arise because parents and children have different expectations. Adolescents want more autonomy/freedom and do not like parental control. Meanwhile, parents need obedience from their offspring. Therefore, parents and adolescents must rearrange responsibilities and reform their relationship into a more equal one (Branje, 2018). As a result of the complex changes that occur during adolescence, parent-child relationships must change. As parents and adolescents negotiate this change in relationship, they must also adjust to new responsibilities and work toward a more equal and reciprocal interaction. This can lead to conflicts due to varying expectations and needs.
The adolescent period is a crucial phase characterized by significant changes in children's habits, behavior patterns, and relationships that can shape their adult lives (Suresh et al., 2013). As adolescents | 349 | Empowering parents: Understanding adolescents' psychological development through the psychoeducation program "Mengenal Remajaku" Fitri Ariyanti Abidin, Shally Novita, Kustimah Kustimah, Anggit Sukmawati, Syipa Fadilah transition to adulthood, they still rely on guidance from their social environment, particularly their parents. Conversely, parents must strive to comprehend the transformations their children undergo and develop new parenting skills tailored to adolescence. Failure to understand the psychological development of adolescents may result in negative judgments and dysfunctional conflicts.
To address this issue, an online psychoeducational workshop, known as "Mengenal Remajaku," was conducted for parents with adolescent children. This workshop aimed to enhance parents' awareness of their adolescents' characteristics and facilitate the acquisition of new skills to effectively navigate their adolescents' development.

Preparation Phase
Psychoeducation in the form of an online workshop to enhance parents' knowledge about characteristics of adolescent development for parents with adolescent children is conducted online via the zoom application. Parents were invited to join the online workshop through flyers distributed to the various parents' WhatsApp groups. The inclusive criteria are: (1) Have a first-born child in the adolescence stage of development (12-18 years old); (2) Be familiar with using the zoom platform. The online workshop was attended by 26 parents who were dominated by mothers (92.31%) aged 35-44 with an average age of 40.13 years. Their eldest child is aged 12-17 years, with an average age of 13.69 years (14 girls and 12 sons).
Regarding the program, the preparatory phase includes developing the topic, method, and duration of the activity, as well as preparing the necessary tools and materials, such as modules and worksheets. The main facilitator of this program is an adolescent psychologist who has experience in clinical practice on parents-adolescent relationship problems and also experienced in delivering community service on parents-adolescents issues. The facilitators are students of master's in child and adolescent clinical psychology. At this stage, training for facilitators was also conducted to make sure that the delivery of the program was standardized. The rundown of the program is as follows:

Introduction and learning contract
The psychoeducational program begin with building rapport. This aims to build parental enthusiasm. This activity includes introducing facilitators and co-facilitators and learning contracts. Parents were asked to introduce themselves by mentioning their name, age and gender of their adolescent child. Furthermore, they were asked to mention one word that describes their adolescent child and one word that describes themselves as a parent of an adolescent. The illustration of opening activity presented in Figure 1.

Implementation Phase Introduction and learning contract
The psychoeducational program begin with building rapport. This aims to build parental enthusiasm. This activity includes introducing facilitators and co-facilitators and learning contracts. Parents were asked to introduce themselves by mentioning their name, age and gender of their adolescent child. Furthermore, they were asked to mention one word that describes their adolescent child and one word that describes themselves as a parent of an adolescent. The illustration of opening activity presented in Figure 1.

Lecture: Adolescents' development
In the main lecture, the facilitator explains the changes in adolescent's development: physical, emotional, and social changes. Determination factors and their implications for adolescent behavior is

Lecture: Adolescents' development
In the main lecture, the facilitator explains the changes in adolescent's development: physical, emotional, and social changes. Determination factors and their implications for adolescent behavior is also explained. The facilitator also provides opportunities for participants with questions or opinions about the material presented. Some of the slides of this session is presented in Figure 2. also explained. The facilitator also provides opportunities for participants with questions or opinions about the material presented. Some of the slides of this session is presented in Figure 2.

Reflective activities
The next activity is reflective activities which are conducted in small groups consisting of 3-5 parents. Each group is guided by one co-facilitators. The division of groups is based on the age and sex of the child so that parents can share a relatively homogeneous situation in the development of their adolescent children. In this activity, parents are invited to reflect on and convey the positive things that their children have in their teens. This is intended so that parents can better recognize the positive things that their adolescents have and not focus on the negative things. In addition, parents are also invited to reflect on and convey the preferences of adolescents and parents, as well as their

Reflective activities
The next activity is reflective activities which are conducted in small groups consisting of 3-5 parents. Each group is guided by one co-facilitators. The division of groups is based on the age and sex of the child so that parents can share a relatively homogeneous situation in the development of their adolescent children. In this activity, parents are invited to reflect on and convey the positive things that their children have in their teens. This is intended so that parents can better recognize the positive things that their adolescents have and not focus on the negative things. In addition, parents are also invited to reflect on and convey the preferences of adolescents and parents, as well as their similarities. This is done to provide enlightenment for parents regarding activities that can be carried out with their adolescents so that they can build a better parent-child relationship. The documentation of this session is presented in Figure 3.

Reflective activities
The next activity is reflective activities which are conducted in small groups consisting of 3-5 parents. Each group is guided by one co-facilitators. The division of groups is based on the age and sex of the child so that parents can share a relatively homogeneous situation in the development of their adolescent children. In this activity, parents are invited to reflect on and convey the positive things that their children have in their teens. This is intended so that parents can better recognize the positive things that their adolescents have and not focus on the negative things. In addition, parents are also invited to reflect on and convey the preferences of adolescents and parents, as well as their similarities. This is done to provide enlightenment for parents regarding activities that can be carried out with their adolescents so that they can build a better parent-child relationship. The documentation of this session is presented in Figure 3.

Discussion and action plan
Next, participants returned to the main class to share insights gained from the small group. The facilitator then wrapped up the sharing using the perspective of adolescents' basic psychological needs (Ryan & Deci, 2017) and parenting practices that could fulfill the needs. The presentation of the material and discussion can be seen in Figures 4 and 5.
At the end of the session, the main facilitator asked the participants to make an action plan. An action plan is a plan for changing parental behavior in their teenage children, aiming to provide

Discussion and action plan
Next, participants returned to the main class to share insights gained from the small group. The facilitator then wrapped up the sharing using the perspective of adolescents' basic psychological needs (Ryan & Deci, 2017) and parenting practices that could fulfill the needs. The presentation of the material and discussion can be seen in Figures 4 and 5.
At the end of the session, the main facilitator asked the participants to make an action plan. An action plan is a plan for changing parental behavior in their teenage children, aiming to provide experience for parents to practice supportive parenting skills for adolescents. Parents plan activities to be carried out with adolescents in the next week. The illustration is shown in Figure 6. experience for parents to practice supportive parenting skills for adolescents. Parents plan activities to be carried out with adolescents in the next week. The illustration is shown in Figure 6.

Evaluation Phase
The evaluation was given in the form of a reaction questionnaire to get an overview of the participants' impressions of the educational program provided and the insights the participants gained after participating in it. reaction questionnaires were distributed at the end of the activity via the Google form.

Evaluation Phase
The evaluation was given in the form of a reaction questionnaire to get an overview of the participants' impressions of the educational program provided and the insights the participants gained after participating in it. reaction questionnaires were distributed at the end of the activity via the Google form.

Results
Psychoeducational activities regarding the characteristics of adolescent development for parents of adolescent children begin with building rapport. In this activity, parents are enthusiastic about describing their teenager, both positive and negative images. Positive images conveyed by parents include being relaxed, active, full of exploration, and fun. However, most parents express negative things, including annoying, confusing, ignorant, moody, emotional, and messy. In addition, parents were enthusiastic about conveying the description of parents of their adolescents, including liking, learning, challenging, emotional, worried, confused, and patient. The description of adolescents and parents in caring for adolescents is an opening for exposure to developments that are currently occurring in adolescents.
This opening activity bridges the daily context of parenting adolescents and the theory of adolescent development explained in the Main lecture. Therefore, the theory is explained by linking it to the daily experiences of the parents. Using this approach, parents understand what happens to their adolescents, have a more objective perspective, and are less judgmental of their children's behavior.
Next, the reflective activities session consists of two issues to be shared. First, parents are invited to reflect on the positive behaviors of their adolescents. This activity was intended to make parents perceive their adolescents objectively, not judgmental. Table 2 shows the results of this activity.

Group
Positive Adolescent Outcomes 12 Years old -On time go to school -Can try and participate in many activities such as archery, horse riding, taekwondo, English club -Easy to give advice or input -Can be a friend to chat and walk -Can distinguish wants and needs when buying goods -Independent, able to prepare their own school needs (schedule, uniform, provisions) -Love his/her sister -Willing to talk about feeling and thinking -Don't get angry when you wake them up in the morning -Cooperative with the screening time agreement -Good at respecting other people's feelings -Start thinking critically about what happens -Enjoy socializing with friends -Do not like to impose will -Respect for seniors, teachers, and parents -Trusted by teachers and friends -Consistently in religious activity, especially in praying -His attitude is more mature -Help a lot with house chores | 353 | Empowering parents: Understanding adolescents' psychological development through the psychoeducation program "Mengenal Remajaku" Fitri Ariyanti Abidin, Shally Novita, Kustimah Kustimah, Anggit Sukmawati, Syipa Fadilah Group Positive Adolescent Outcomes 13 Years old -Understand the family condition -Often entertain parents and people around by joking -Can help resolve conflicts with other family members -Can be invited to chat and do various activities -Often helps look after his younger siblings -Can manage money, weekly and monthly -Have high empathy, for example helping people/animals in distress -Care, do not want to hurt other people's feelings -Communicative, open to mothers including personal stories -Easy to get along with, easily familiar with the surrounding environment -Want to help with homework -Willing to follow the directions of parents, for example how to dress -Want to accompany his sister -Excited, the energy doesn't run out for new things -Adaptive when facing problems -More critical, wider understanding of politics 14 Years old -Disciplined and independent, able to manage time for activities related to him -Responsible for tasks related to himself, for example, washing clothes -There has been awareness of social problems in society (starting to be able to have an opinion on these things) -Maintain a neat and clean appearance -Start participating in social activities at school (e.g.: student council) -More able to listen to mother -Start paying attention to a healthy lifestyle (eating and favorite exercise)

-16 Years old -Helpful
-Empathy -Never put off work -Be honest -Hard worker and have targets -Never give up -Likes to save -Competitive 17 Years old -Have a passion for learning -Helping with household chores (cleaning, washing dishes) -Still willing when asked for help -Independent (cleaning the room, making breakfast) -Can be invited to discuss -Caring about siblings, for example picking up younger siblings -Open enough to tell stories with parents -Knowing the limits, good or bad for yourself -Likes to help his friends The second activity is reflecting on what parents have in common with their children. This activity provides enlightenment for parents regarding activities that can be carried out together with their children so that they can build a better parent-child relationship. Through this activity, parents who previously focused on the difference between them and their adolescents start to aware of their similarities with their adolescents. Table 3 shows the results of this activity.

| 355 |
Empowering parents: Understanding adolescents' psychological development through the psychoeducation program "Mengenal Remajaku" Fitri Ariyanti Abidin, Shally Novita, Kustimah Kustimah, Anggit Sukmawati, Syipa Fadilah Even though the two activities carried out in small groups seemed simple, in the opinion of the parents, they felt facilitated to do a reflection. The results of reflection through activities in small groups led to a more positive view of their adolescents. The participants also had ideas about alternative joint activities that could be done with their adolescents. This is reflected in their action plan; what they will do with their adolescents.
The last activity is to gather evaluations from parents about this program. The results show that parents find this activity interesting and useful, this activity is fun and the material is quite clear, and they get a lot of information about adolescent development. In addition, parents also gain many insights into parenting practice in adolescents. Table 4 shows the complete results. is good and applicable, in accordance with the conditions of youth and the environment -Gain scientific knowledge about the biological development of adolescents -Responding to the condition of adolescents as a stage that must be passed with optimistic changes towards a life ready for adulthood/maturity -What happens to adolescents is not a negative form but indeed a development that all children must and will experience -As parents, you have to see the point of view of adolescents -Parents can learn from children, not feeling self-righteous -Appreciate the positive side of the child more, not focus on the negative side -Must be able to humble oneself and explore the preferences of adolescents so that they are more connected and close to adolescents -Increasing the confidence of parents in dealing with adolescents

Discussion
Psychoeducation "Mengenal Remajaku" aims to enhance parents understanding about adolescent development. This psychoeducation has a good impression on parents because the delivery is interesting and fun and also applicable in accordance with the real experience of parents. Generally, parents like the activities, both delivery of material, discussions, and reflective activities. Parents who participate in this psychoeducation learn about adolescent development in various aspects, including physical, emotional, and social. This development has an impact on the attitudes and behavior of adolescents. For example, brain development can cause children to become clumsy and behave in risky ways (Crone & van Duijvenvoorde, 2021;Willoughby et al., 2014). Knowing the source of changes in adolescents provides insights for parents to have a perspective taking on their children's condition, which is important for maintaining a good relationship with their adolescents (Kil & Grusec, 2020).
The reflective activities lead to parents' awareness that each stage of child development has strengths and potential risks (Santrock, 2014). Parents realize that they must respect their child's strengths and provide direction so that children can develop themselves to minimize their weaknesses. The discussion with other parents in this small-group session also made parents could identify that their adolescents' behavior is "normal", compared to their peers. They also experience that their negative feeling about parenting adolescents is a common feeling experienced by other parents, and that they could share good parenting practices. This experience could enhance the self-efficacy of parents in raising their adolescents. | 356 | ABDIMAS: Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Universitas Merdeka Malang Volume 8, No 2, May 2023: 347-357 Even though adolescents expand their social context, parents still play an important role in their lives (Abidin et al., 2021). The connection between parents and their adolescents should be maintained because adolescents need parent to guide their new roles and responsibilities toward adulthood.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The psychoeducational "Mengenal Remajaku" is considered fun and useful by parents of adolescents. Parents gain an understanding of the characteristics of adolescent development and parenting styles that are suitable for their adolescent children. Through discussion activities, parents' understanding is applied directly to the actual situation according to the daily situations with their adolescents. Action plans provide an opportunity for parents to practice the knowledge that has been gained from this activity in their daily life. To conclude, the current program has successfully achieved its objective of enhancing parents' understanding of their adolescent's characteristics. Due to the importance of parents' knowledge about their adolescent's developmental stage, the psychoeducational "Mengenal Remajaku" should be conducted regularly. Collaboration with Junior High School and Senior High School could expand the coverage of this program. The Training for Trainers also needs to be done so many psychologists could deliver this program.
The current program has certain limitations that need to be acknowledged. Firstly, its online nature restricts participation to parents who are familiar with digital platforms, potentially excluding those who lack access or proficiency in such technologies. Secondly, the program lacks a pre-post evaluation to quantitatively measure the increase in knowledge among participants. In order to address these limitations, future iterations of the program could consider conducting in-person classes to reach a wider audience, incorporate interactive sessions where parents can apply their newfound knowledge and share experiences, and implement a robust evaluation framework to assess the impact and effectiveness of the program by measuring differences in knowledge acquisition.