Adolescent beliefs about antisocial behavior : mediators and moderators of links with parental monitoring and attachment

The current study examined whether parental monitoring and attachment were related to adolescent beliefs about antisocial acts, with temperament, gender, and age considered as potential moderators. A total of 7135 adolescents, aged 14-18 years, completed selfreport measures of antisocial beliefs, parental monitoring, attachment security, and temperament. Results indicate that both attachment security and parental monitoring are associated with adolescent beliefs about antisocial behaviour. It also appears that the two aspects of parenting are complementary, in that a secure attachment relationship is associated with greater parental monitoring knowledge, which in turn is linked with a lower tolerance for antisocial behaviour. However, the relations between these aspects of parenting and beliefs about antisocial acts depended on the young people’s characteristics, with some results varying by age, gender and temperament. Implications for future research and parent-focused interventions to prevent antisocial beliefs and behaviour are discussed.peer-reviewe

Relationship between discordance in parental monitoring and behavioral problems among Chilean adolescents

This study investigated the role of discrepancies between parent and youth reports of perceived parental monitoring in adolescent problem behaviors with a Chilean sample (N= 850). Higher levels of discordance concerning parental monitoring predicted greater levels of maladaptive youth behaviors. A positive association between parent-youth discordance and externalizing problems indicated that large adult-youth disagreement in parental monitoring may impose a great risk, despite protective efforts of parental monitoring. Although the direct relationship between parental monitoring and youth internalizing behaviors was not significant, parent-youth incongruence in monitoring was associated with greater levels of internalizing behaviors. Therefore, differing assessments of parental behaviors, as an indicator of less optimal family functioning, may provide important information about youth maladjustment and may potentially provide a beginning point for family-focused intervention.R01 DA021181 - NIDA NIH HHS; R01 DA021181-05 - NIDA NIH HHS; R01 HD033487 - NICHD NIH HH

Perceived Parental Monitoring on Adolescence Premarital Sexual Behavior in Pontianak City, Indonesia

Inadaquate parental monitoring is widely recognized as a risk factor for the development of child and adolescent conduct problems, including early premarital sexual behavior. Previous studies examining parental monitoring have largely effect to adolescents premarital sexual behavior. Parental monitoring is the most important and effective factor to prevent early adolescents sexual activity. This paper examines the role of perceived parental monitoring in adolescent\u27s premarital sexual behavior (study on Adolescent\u27s Junior High School in Pontianak). A cross-sectional study and proportionated random sampling was conducted among 402 adolescents of junior high school at six subdistricts in Pontianak. SEM analyses was conducted using SMART-PLS. Result of path analysis revealed that parental knowledge (r = 0.389) and parental-adolescence relationship (r = 0.334) had a strong influence on parental monitoring. Then, parental monitoring had a significant indirect relationship with adolescent premarital sexual behavior through attitudes about premarital sexual (path coefficient = 0.063), and attitudes about premarital sexual and intention to sexual behaviour (path coefficient = 0.03). Parental monitoring can act as protective factor in early adolescent premarital sexual behavior. Therefore, risk reduction interventions with adolescents should include their parents to learn about monitoring skill and develop skill that will allow them to buffer negative influences

Predictors of discordance among Chilean families

Parent-youth agreement on parental behaviors can characterize effective parenting. Although discordance in families may be developmentally salient and harmful to youth outcomes, predictors of discordance have been understudied, and existing research in this field has been mostly limited to North American samples. This paper addressed this literature gap by using data from a community-based study of Chilean adolescents. Analysis was based on 1,068 adolescents in Santiago, Chile. The dependent variable was discordance which was measured by the difference between parent and youth’s assessment of parental monitoring. Major independent variables for this study were selected based on previous research findings that underscore youth’s developmental factors, positive parental and familial factors and demographic factors. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were conducted to examine the prevalence and associations between youth, parental and familial measures with parent-youth discordance. There was a sizable level of discordance between parent and youth’s report of parental monitoring. Youth’s gender and externalizing behavior were significant predictors of discordance. Warm parenting and family involvement were met with decreases in discordance. The negative interaction coefficients between parental warmth and youth’s gender indicated that positive parental and familial measures have a greater effect on reducing parent-youth discordance among male youths. Results support the significance of positive family interactions in healthy family dynamics. Findings from this study inform the importance of services and interventions for families that aim to reduce youth’s problem behavior and to create a warm and interactive family environment.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4181713/Accepted manuscrip

Religious Identity, Religious Attendance, and Parental Control

Using a national sample of adolescents aged 10–18 years and their parents (N = 5,117), this article examines whether parental religious identity and religious participation are associated with the ways in which parents control their children. We hypothesize that both religious orthodoxy and weekly religious attendance are related to heightened levels of three elements of parental control: monitoring activities, normative regulations, and network closure. Results indicate that an orthodox religious identity for Catholic and Protestant parents and higher levels of religious attendance for parents as a whole are associated with increases in monitoring activities and normative regulations of American adolescents

Personality and parenting processes associated with problem behaviors: a study of adolescents in Santiago, Chile

Considerable research in the U.S. has established that adolescent antisocial, aggressive, and attention problems have a negative influence on adolescents' ability to become productive members of society. However, although these behaviors appear in other cultures, little is known about the development of these problems among adolescents in countries other than the U.S.. This study contributes to our understanding of personality and parenting factors associated with adolescent problem behaviors using an international sample. Data are from a NIDA-funded study of 884 community-dwelling adolescents in Santiago, Chile (Mean age=14, SD=1.4, 48% females) of mid-to-low socioeconomic status. Results revealed that rule-breaking and aggressive behaviors were both associated with greater levels of adolescent drive but lower levels of parental monitoring and positive parenting by both parents. Adolescents who reported more attention problems were more likely to exhibit driven behavior, more behavioral inhibition, to report lower levels of parental monitoring, and positive parenting by mother and father. Results of interactions revealed that the influences of positive parenting and parental monitoring on adolescent aggressive behaviors varied as a function of the gender of the adolescent. Helping parents build on their parenting skills may result in important reductions in adolescent problem behaviors among U.S. and international adolescents.R01 HD033487 - NICHD NIH HHS; R01 DA021181 - NIDA NIH HHS; R01 DA021181-04 - NIDA NIH HH

Parental Monitoring and Youth's Binge Behaviors: The Role of Sensation Seeking and Life Satisfaction

Framed within an ecological perspective of the onset of adolescent problem behaviors, the current study explored the joint role of parent-adolescents’ relationships and youth's individual factors in binge eating and drinking. Firstly, in line with pieces of research highlighting the beneficial impact of effective parenting on youth development, the present paper sought to enhance the knowledge about the positive influence of parental monitoring on youth's binge drinking and eating. Moreover, since literature evidenced that the explanatory mechanisms of the association between parental monitoring and binge behaviors are not fully explored, the study focused on the potential intervening role of sensation seeking and life satisfaction as mediators. The study design was cross-sectional and self-report questionnaires were administered among a population of 944 high school students (M = 16.35, SD = 1.31) living in Palermo (Italy). Path analysis showed that parental monitoring was directly and negatively related to both binge eating and binge drinking. Moreover, sensation seeking negatively mediated the relationships between parental monitoring and both binge behaviors, whereas life satisfaction only mediated between parental monitoring and binge eating. The current study provided data useful to understand the complex interrelations between intrapersonal (life satisfaction and personality trait, i.e. sensation seeking) and contextual factors (parent–child relationships) that may discourage or cause eating and alcohol use disorders among youth. Finally, implications for parents and practitioners working with youngsters were discussed

Scaling the Digital Divide: Home Computer Technology and Student Achievement

Assesses the effect of access to home computers and broadband Internet on students' math and reading test scores and its potential to close the achievement gap for the disadvantaged. Considers the role of parental monitoring

Examining the quality of adolescent–parent relationships among Chilean families

The purpose of this study was to examine if adolescents reports of warm and harsh parenting practices by their mothers and fathers varied as a function of demographic, youth and their mothers or mother figures' individual and family characteristics. Data are from 707 community-dwelling adolescents (mean age=14, SD=1.4) and their mothers or mother figures in Santiago, Chile. Having a warmer relationship with both parents was inversely associated with the adolescents' age and positively associated with adolescents' family involvement and parental monitoring. Both mothers' and fathers' harsh parenting were positively associated with adolescent externalizing behaviors and being male and inversely associated with youth autonomy and family involvement. These findings suggest that net of adolescent developmental emancipation and adolescent behavioral problems, positive relationships with parents, especially fathers, may be nurtured through parental monitoring and creation of an interactive family environment, and can help to foster positive developmental outcomes.http://europepmc.org/backend/ptpmcrender.fcgi?accid=PMC3839673&blobtype=pdfAccepted manuscrip