Longitudinal Relations Between Adolescent and Parental Behaviors, Parental Knowledge, and Internalizing Behaviors Among Urban Adolescents

Abstract

High prevalence rates of depression and anxiety among adolescents underscore the importance of identifying parental and adolescent behaviors that may lessen the risk for these outcomes. Previous research has shown that parental acceptance, parental knowledge, and child disclosure are negatively associated with internalizing behaviors. It is also important to explore the impact of internalizing behaviors on these parental and child constructs. The current study examined longitudinal relationships between parental acceptance, parental knowledge, child disclosure, and internalizing symptoms across a one-year time period. Participants were 358 adolescents (54 % female) and their primary caregivers, who were primarily African American (92 %). Parents and adolescents provided data through face-to-face interviews. Results showed that parental knowledge and parental acceptance predicted child disclosure, and child disclosure predicted parental knowledge one year later. Higher levels of parental acceptance predicted lower levels of adolescent-reported depressive symptoms, while higher levels of parental report of adolescents’ internalizing symptoms predicted lower levels of parental knowledge. No differences in the strength of these relationships were found across grade or gender. These findings highlight the role of the adolescent’s perceived acceptance by parents in promoting children’s disclosure, and the benefits of parental acceptance in decreasing depressive symptoms over time. Overall, these results show the impact that both adolescent and parental behaviors and internalizing behaviors have on each other across time.

Examining effects of parent warmth and control on internalizing behavior clusters from age 8 to 12 in 12 cultural groups in nine countries

“…This difference may have emerged because our earlier study combined parent perceptions of child internalizing behavior and actual child experiences of internalizing behavior in one measure (by averaging mother, father, and child reports). However, parent perceptions of child internalizing behaviors might be less accurate as children age into adolescence, spend more time outside the home, and share less about their internal states (Garthe et al, ). Thus, child effects on parenting may be less prevalent in adolescence in studies (like ours) that primarily capture child self‐reported internalizing behavior.…”

Parenting and Parental Involvement in Secondary School: Focus Groups with Adolescents’ Parents

“…warmth, acceptance, support, involvement) as well as parent-child relationships (e.g. openness, closeness, warmth) have been touted as powerful tools to promote a positive socio-emotional, behavioural, and academic development (Garthe, Sullivan, & Kliewer, 2015;Ginevra et al, 2015;Shumow & Lomax, 2002;Surjadi, Lorenz, Wickrama, & Conger, 2011;Wang, Hill, & Hofkens, 2014;Wang & Sheikh-Khalil, 2014;Wilder, 2014). Nevertheless, among several parenting practices, parental involvement in school education is one that is most important regarding educational outcomes and future success (Bempechat & Shernoff, 2012;Gordon & Cui, 2012;LaRocque, Kleiman, & Darling, 2011;Wang & Sheikh-Khalil, 2014;Wilder, 2014).…”

Adaptación del Child-PARQ/Control: versiones para el padre y la madre en población infantil y adolescente española [Adaptation of the Child-PARQ/Control Mother and Father versions in Spanish child and adolescent population]

“…Estos resultados se encuentran consistentemente en todas las investigaciones que han tratado este temática, la crianza positiva produce efectos beneficiosos sobre los hijos mientras que la crianza negativa correlaciona con la aparición de diversas problemáticas en los hijos (Carrasco y Rohner, 2013;Carrasco et al, 2009;Garthe, sullivan y Kliewer, 2014; Mesurado y Minzi, 2013; Rudolph y Zimmer-Gembeck, 2014).…”