Externalizing and internalizing pathways to Mexican American adolescents' risk taking

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Adolescent Health
• Sociology

Background:

• Childhood adversity, encompassing family and peer domains, is a significant risk factor for later behavioral problems.
• Longitudinal studies are crucial for understanding developmental trajectories and cascading effects of early experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine a developmental cascades model linking childhood contextual adversity to adolescent problem substance use and risky sexual activity.
• To investigate the divergent roles of externalizing and internalizing problems as pathways to risk-taking behaviors.
• To test the moderating effects of youth gender, nativity, and cultural orientation.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study with four waves of data from 749 Mexican origin youths.
• Analysis of youth-reported and mother-reported symptoms for externalizing and internalizing problems.
• Examination of family risk, peer social rejection, and their interaction as predictors.

Main Results:

• Family risk and peer social rejection prospectively predicted externalizing symptoms and deviant peer involvement.
• Externalizing symptoms and deviant peers were associated with increased problem substance use and number of sexual partners in late adolescence.
• Peer social rejection also predicted internalizing symptoms, which in turn were linked to substance use.

Conclusions:

• Developmental cascades from childhood adversity to adolescent risk-taking are evident, mediated by externalizing and internalizing problems.
• Specific pathways were stronger for female adolescents, those less oriented to mainstream culture, and more oriented to Mexican American culture.
• Findings highlight the importance of cultural context and gender in understanding adolescent risk behaviors.