NCJ Number
208331
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 33 Issue: 6 Dated: December 2004 Pages: 547-558
Date Published
December 2004
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This study examined perceived kinship support and parenting practices among 158 African-American adolescents in the 9th and 10th grades.
Abstract
Four research questions were addressed: whether kinship support relates to adolescent outcomes directly; whether these associations are mediated by parenting practices; whether kinship values interact with parenting practices in relation to adolescent development; and whether associations between kinship support and teen adjustment are moderated by gender, parents' education, or family structure. The sample was drawn from high school students who participated in college preparatory classes in an urban Midwestern city. A questionnaire solicited information on demographic background, parenting behaviors, extended kinship support, and self-reported adolescent adjustment in the areas of psychological maturity and school outcomes. The teacher completed questionnaire items regarding each student's school and achievement-oriented values. The study found that, with a few exceptions, kinship support was positively associated with psychological and school adjustment for adolescents from single-parent and two-parent homes, adolescents with college-educated and less educated parents, and for both girls and boys. Both kinship support and maternal warmth predicted self-reliance, work orientation, and school orientation. Kinship support was the primary predictor of ethnic identity. The direct association of kinship support to outcomes suggests that the presence of an extended family member may provide instrumental, moral, and emotional support for the adolescent. 4 tables, 3 figures, and 83 references