NCJ Number
231879
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 39 Issue: 9 Dated: September 2010 Pages: 1097-1108
Date Published
September 2010
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This study examined whether effects of maternal engagement on adolescent delinquency differ for boys and girls.
Abstract
The current study examined the role of engaged parenting in explaining longitudinal associations between maternal perceptions of social network support and whether youth engage in delinquent behaviors during the transition into adolescence. The sample included 432 low-income, African-American and Latino youth (49 percent female) and their mothers participating in "Welfare, Children, and Families: A Three City Study." Results from longitudinal SEM analyses demonstrated that social network support was associated positively with mothers' engaged parenting as youth transitioned into early adolescence. Engaged parenting, which functioned as a mediating variable, was associated with less youth delinquency during transitions into middle adolescence. Taken together, social network supports appeared to facilitate mothers' abilities to remain engaged with their children and to deter youth from becoming involved in delinquent behaviors. Figures, table, and references (Published Abstract)