Friend Affiliations and School Adjustment Among Mexican-American Adolescents: The Moderating Role of Peer and Parent Support

Abstract

Studies examining friendships among Mexican-American adolescents have largely focused on their potentially negative influence. The current study examined the extent to which deviant and achievement-oriented friend affiliations are associated with Mexican-American adolescents’ school adjustment and also tested whether support from friends and parents moderates these associations. High school students (N = 412; 49 % male) completed questionnaires and daily diaries; primary caregivers also completed a questionnaire. Although results revealed few direct associations between friend affiliations and school adjustment, several moderations emerged. In general, the influence of friends’ affiliation was strongest when support from friends was high and parental support was low. The findings suggest that only examining links between friend affiliations and school outcomes does not fully capture how friends promote or hinder school adjustment.

Effect of Trajectories of Friends' and Parents' School Involvement on Adolescents' Engagement and Achievement

“…These different peer relationships influence adolescents' academic and behavioral adjustment in different but interrelated ways (Kindermann & Skinner, ). The characteristics of one's friends and peer group are important determinants of adolescents' academic motivation and achievement (Espinoza, Gillen‐O'Neel, Gonzales, & Fuligni, ; Wang & Eccles, ). For example, middle school students who perceived their friends as positively engaged in school increased in their own positive school involvement from the fall to the spring of the year (Berndt & Keefe, ).…”

“…Studies examining the effects of parent affective support and friends' school involvement and achievement also report interactive effects on school engagement and educational aspirations (Marion, Laursen, Kiuru, Nurmi, & Salmela‐Aro, ). In a study of Mexican American adolescents, affiliating with friends with low academic orientation was associated with lower educational aspirations only among adolescents who reported low levels of parental warmth (Espinoza et al., ).…”

“…In contrast, interactive effects would suggest that simultaneous targeting of both relationship contexts might be required to improve academic outcomes. Based on studies finding that diverse types of parent support (i.e., parent affective support and general parent monitoring) buffer youth from the adverse effect of deviant or academically disengaged friends (Espinoza et al., ; Véronneau & Dishion, ), we expected that the associations between parent school knowledge and achievement at age 15 would be stronger for students whose friends exhibit low school involvement.…”

Eskola-doikuntza: kontzeptua, adierazleak, ereduak, neurketa, aldakortasuna eta hari lotutako aldagaiak

“…Itxaropen akademikoei dagokienez, literatura zientifikoan desberdintasun nabarmenak frogatzen dira emakumeen alde nerabezaroan (Antonio-Agirre et al, 2015;Droguett, 2011;Espinoza, Gillen-O'Neel, Gonzales, eta Fuligni, 2014;Heras eta Navarro, 2012;Suárez-Álvarez et al, 2014). Hain zuzen ere, badira ikerketa batzuk non irakasleek nesken itxaropen akademikoak positiboago azaltzen baitituzte (Cava eta Musitu, 1999a).…”

Made in America: Perspectives on Friendship in West African Immigrant Families

“…Prior research may support parental fears about their adolescent children's friendships; associating with deviant peers can certainly be detrimental for adolescent outcomes. However, research has also indicated that peer influences on adolescent behavior are often problematic only when parental support and management are low (Dishion et al 2004;Espinoza et al 2014). On the other hand, research suggests that both parents and school/peers provide adolescents with vital forms of social capital (Crosnoe 2004;Reynolds 2006;Zhou and Bankston 2001) and parental efforts to keep their children safe may deprive them of social capital derived from other sources.…”