Problem Behaviors of Adolescents: The Role of Family Socioeconomic Status, Parental Educational Expectations, and Adolescents’ Confidence in the Future

Abstract

The comprehensive theoretical model of problem behaviors proposes that family socioeconomic status is one of the factors affecting adolescent problem behaviors. The purpose of this study is to further explore the mechanism of the influence of family socioeconomic status on adolescent problem behaviors based on the framework of the comprehensive theoretical model of problem behaviors. Further, it is to discover more protective or risk factors affecting adolescent problem behaviors, so as to provide theoretical guidance for the prevention of and intervention in adolescent problem behaviors. This study used data from the 2014–2015 academic year of the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS) conducted by the China survey and data center at the Renmin University of China. A national representative sample of 6888 junior high school students was selected. Among them, 3342 (48.5%) were girls and 3546 (51.5%) were boys with an average age of 14.50 years (SD = 0.68 years). The results revealed that parental educational expectations and adolescents’ confidence in the future played a contributory mediating role in the association between family socioeconomic status and adolescents’ problem behaviors. Both parental educational expectations and adolescents’ confidence in the future are protective factors against adolescents’ problem behaviors and enhancing these factors can decrease the likelihood of adolescents’ engagement in problem behaviors.

The effects of the Friendship Online Intervention Program on physical activity, substance abuse, psychosomatic symptoms, and well‐being among at‐risk youth

“…These risks include poverty, exposure to violence, living in unsafe communities, substance abuse, lack of family stability, and inadequate housing (Jackson, 2022; Kuhlman et al, 2018; Roberts et al, 2018). Adolescents who come from a disadvantaged economic status, minority group, or are exposed to domestic violence have a higher likelihood of developing health‐related disorders (Ouyang et al, 2022). In light of these challenges a growing body of evidence suggests that physical activity has numerous positive effects on the physical and mental health and academic performance of adolescents.…”