The association of parental monitoring and family structure with diverse maladjustment outcomes in middle adolescent boys and girls

Abstract

The aim of this study was to study the associations between family structure, parental monitoring and maladjustment outcomes among middle adolescent girls and boys. Data was collected through a school-based survey of a nationally representative sample of 17,643 Finnish adolescents aged 14-16 years. The less the parents knew the adolescents' friends and whereabouts, the more common were all the maladjustment outcomes studied. Non-intact family structure was associated with maladjustment and had associations independent of parental monitoring. We conclude that parental involvement with adolescents is conducive to healthy development, and that adolescents need the protection provided by parental supervision. Knowing the adolescent's whereabouts and friends is a concrete and easily measurable way of assessing parents' involvement in the adolescent's life.

Prevalence and social correlates of sexual intercourse among schoolgoing adolescents in Namibia

“…Parental supervision has been documented to be protective from other unhealthy behaviours among adolescents in diverse settings (Desrichard, Roché, & Bègue, 2007;Frojd, Kaltiala-Heino & Rimpela, 2007;Harris et al, 2007). Kingon and O'Sullivan (2001) have reported how the family could offer a protective function against unhealthy behaviours among adolescents.…”

Prevalence and Social Correlates of Injury Among In-School Adolescents in Botswana

“…Frojd, Kaltiala-Heino and Rimpela (2007) also found an association of parental monitoring and family structure with diverse maladjustment outcomes in middle adolescent boys and girls. Youth reporting the largest number of risk behaviours experienced injury rates that were 4.1 times higher than those reporting no high-risk behaviours.…”

Family structure, parent-child conversation time and substance use among Chinese adolescents

“…Strong family attachment with good parent-child communication may attenuate the adverse effect of non-intact family structure. The association between family structure and adolescent substance use was found to be mediated by maladjustment [5,6]. Life adjustment of children after parents' divorces depended on their communication with parents and custody in their later life [7].…”