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Parenting Behavior and Adolescent Conduct Problems: Reciprocal and Mediational Effects
Bruce Simons-Morton1, Rusan Chen, Laura Shaffer Hand
1Prevention Research Branch, DESPR, NICHD, NIH, 6100 Executive Blvd, 7B13M, Bethesda, MD 20892-7510, Mortonb@mail.nih.gov.
Journal of School Violence
|September 25, 2009
Summary
Parenting practices influence adolescent conduct problems, with parent-adolescent relationship factors like conflict and autonomy playing a key mediating role over time. Parent monitoring is consistently linked to fewer conduct issues.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Family Studies
- Adolescent Behavior
Background:
- Parenting practices are crucial for adolescent development.
- Understanding the interplay between parenting, parent-adolescent relationships, and conduct problems is vital.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the longitudinal relationship between parenting practices and adolescent conduct problems.
- To investigate the mediating roles of parent-adolescent conflict and psychological autonomy.
Main Methods:
- Autoregressive latent trajectory (ALT) analyses were employed.
- Longitudinal data from 2,453 middle school students (grades 6-9) were collected across five time points.
- Measures included Parent Monitoring, Parent Knowledge, Psychological Autonomy, Conflict, and Conduct Problems.
Main Results:
- Adolescent conduct problems and parenting practices showed reciprocal associations, particularly early on.
- Parent monitoring consistently predicted fewer conduct problems over time.
- Psychological autonomy mediated the link between conduct problems and parent monitoring.
- Conflict partially mediated relationships between conduct problems and parenting behaviors/autonomy.
Conclusions:
- Parenting practices and adolescent conduct problems are reciprocally related over time.
- The parent-adolescent relationship, specifically conflict and autonomy, significantly mediates these associations.
- Interventions targeting parenting and the quality of the parent-teen relationship may impact adolescent conduct.
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