NCJ Number
218641
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 36 Issue: 4 Dated: May 2007 Pages: 517-527
Date Published
May 2007
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This study tested the impact of maternal involvement and maternal monitoring on the delinquency engagement of African-American adolescents.
Abstract
Results indicated that maternal monitoring reduced delinquency engagement among African-American female adolescents. This reduction in female delinquency was further enhanced by increased maternal monitoring. For African-American male adolescents, however, maternal parenting behaviors appeared to be insufficient to reduce delinquent behaviors. The findings suggest that the pathways to delinquency may differ for African-American female and male adolescents and that the importance of certain parenting behaviors may differ by gender. Future research should employ a longitudinal design to examine the long-term impact of maternal monitoring and involvement on the delinquency engagement of African-American youth. Participants were 135 African-American youth aged 13 to 19 years who were recruited from a public high school in a northeastern city in the United States. Participants completed surveys measuring youth’s perceptions of parenting behaviors, association with deviant peers, and engagement in delinquency. Data were analyzed using correlation and descriptive statistics as well as multiple regression models. Table, figures, references