Protective families are low on conversation and high on conformity. Communication in these families functions to maintain obedience and enforce family norms, and little value is placed on the exchange of ideas or the development of communication skills. Parent-child power differences are firmly enforced, and children are expected to quietly obey. Sayings such as “Children should be seen and not heard” reflect this mind-set. Parents invest little effort in creating opportunities for family discussion, and the result is low levels of disclosure amongst family members (Rueter & Koerner, 2008). Protective families avoid conflict because it threatens the conformity they value and because they often lack the skills necessary to manage conflicts constructively. Members may tell each other “You don’t want to cause trouble.”