NCJ Number
226606
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 38 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2009 Pages: 560-571
Date Published
April 2009
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This study examined the association between daily family assistance and the academic achievement of Mexican, Chinese, and European adolescents.
Abstract
Results suggest that assistance as a frequent and chronic activity may be too difficult for some teenagers to manage. It is the act of helping on more days, rather than the amount of time helping that may be associated with poorer achievement. Findings suggest that family assistance as a chronic and frequent activity may interfere with adolescents’ lives. Assisting the family on most days of the week suggests that it is a chronic behavior and adolescents who help every day may find it more demanding than those who help for the same number of hours but on fewer days. Further, the family context in which an adolescent helps every day is likely different than in a family in which adolescents don’t help every day. Helping on most days may suggest that the adolescents’ assistance is a daily necessity, perhaps due to economic or social stresses in the household. Children in families experiencing economic difficulties are more likely to assume responsibilities and be involved in household chores compared to the better-off peers. Further, taking on extensive responsibilities within difficult family contexts may lead to compromised academic performance and lower achievement. Data were collected from 563 ninth grade student recruited from 3 public high schools in the Los Angeles metropolitan area; 217 were Mexican, 206 were Chinese, and 140 were of European background. Tables and references