Relationships of Social Context and Identity to Problem Behavior Among High-Risk Hispanic Adolescents

Abstract

The present study was designed to examine the extent to which (a) family and school functioning and (b) personal and ethnic identity is associated with conduct problems, drug use, and sexual risk taking in a sample of 227 high-risk Hispanic adolescents. Adolescents participated in the study with their primary parents, who were mostly mothers. Adolescents completed measures of family and school functioning, personal and ethnic identity, conduct problems, and drug use. Parents completed measures of family functioning and adolescent conduct problems. Results indicated that school functioning and personal identity confusion were related to alcohol use, illicit drug use, and sexual risk taking indirectly through adolescent reports of conduct problems. Adolescent reports of family functioning were related to alcohol use, illicit drug use, and sexual risk taking through school functioning and conduct problems. Results are discussed in terms of the problem behavior syndrome and in terms of the finding of relative independence of contextual and identity variables vis-à-vis conduct problems, substance use, and sexual risk taking.Correspondence and reprint requests should be sent to Seth J. Schwartz Adolescence is a time of great opportunity and great risk. Adolescents may develop the ability to contribute positively to their own lives and to those of their families and communities (Lerner, Dowling, & Anderson, 2003). At the same time, however, adolescence is also a time of increases in socially destructive outcomes such as delinquent behavior (Broidy et al., 2003), drug use (Johnston, O'Malley, Bachman, & Schulenberg, 2007), and sexual risk taking 1 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007). These adolescent problems are worrisome not only because they are dangerous to society, but also because they interfere with adult roles such as marriage, gainful employment, and parenting (King, Meehan, Trim, & Chassin, 2006).There is evidence that substance use and sexual risk taking are often preceded by conduct problems such as aggression and rule-breaking (Tubman, Windle, & Windle, 1996). Conduct problems, substance use, and sexual risk taking are part of a constellation of negative outcomes known as the problem behavior syndrome (Jessor et al., 2003). Adolescents who engage in any of these behaviors are likely to engage in others, especially if their engagement in any of them is severe (Wanner, Vitaro, LaDouceur, Brendgen, & Tremblay, 2006). Moreover, early involvement in aggression, drug use, and sexual risk taking is prognostic of continued problematic behavior later in adolescence and in adulthood (Windle, Mun, & Windle, 2005).There is a robust literature regarding intrapersonal and contextual factors and processes that may protect against the problem behavior syndrome. Intrapersonal protective factors include a coherent and less confused sense of personal identity (Schwartz, Mason, Pantin, & Szapocznik, in press), a positive self-concept (Rodriguez & Audrain-McGovern, 2005), and a strong sense of ethnic iden...

Bicultural Stress, Identity Formation, and Alcohol Expectancies and Misuse in Hispanic Adolescents: A Developmental Approach

“…A coherent sense of identity, along with low levels of identity confusion, has been shown to protect against risky behaviors (e.g., alcohol use; Hardy et al 2013) and to predict adaptive psychosocial functioning among youth (Schwartz et al 2009a). Conversely, identity confusion may give rise to impulsive and risky decision making (Coté 2006).…”

Is Social Capital Associated with Academic Achievement in Lithuanian High-school Students? A Population-based Study

“…Findings indicate that school-age children who perceive high support from all three sources (parents, peers and teachers) as opposed to none, one, or two, have better school attendance, have higher school satisfaction, engagement, study more, avoid problem behaviour, and show greater self-effi cacy as well as higher schooling achievements. Th us, the combined support of parents, teachers and friends promotes positive school outcomes (Huang, 2009;Parcel & Dufur, 2009;Rodgers & Rose, 2002;Rosenfeld, Richman, & Bowen, 2000;Schwartz et al, 2009).…”

Marijuana Use Among Latino Adolescents: Gender Differences in Protective Familial Factors

“…Family plays an important role in adolescent development across cultural groups, but it may be especially important in immigrant groups (Schwartz, 2009). Immigrant parents often find themselves raising their children in a cultural environment that is unfamiliar, unsupportive, and sometimes even hostile.…”