Longitudinal study of externalizing behaviors in Latino/a adolescents: An examination of parenting and educational factors

Abstract

As the Latino/a population increases externalizing behaviors among adolescents continue to concern researchers and clinicians. National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) data were used to analyze direct and indirect effects of parenting and academic factors on externalizing behavior among Latino/a adolescents over time, using latent growth curves and structural equation modeling (SEM). Results indicated that higher levels of maternal warmth, the adolescentteacher relationship, and academic achievement were all negatively associated with initial levels of externalizing behavior and in some cases negatively predicted the rate of change of externalizing behavior. Some predictors were also all found to be positively associated with academic achievement. Academic achievement acted as a mediator between most of the predictors and externalizing behavior. Implications are discussed.

Building a nest in a storm: The impact of immigration‐related stress on Latino mothers' parenting

“…The co‐parenting alliance was associated with both limit‐setting practices and support of good behavior, implying that Latino mothers usually consult with their spouses before exerting disciplinary and reinforcement practices unilaterally. This collective process of discipline is probably exerted as a way of staying in line with “Respeto” by acknowledging and respecting their spouse's role within the household and integrating them into child‐rearing practices (Fuentes‐Balderrama, Cruz, Parra‐Cardona, et al, 2020; Pereyra et al, 2019). Additionally, the correlation between perceived emotional support and the co‐parenting alliance suggests a maternal need for support from their spouses, and the importance of parental agreement in Latina/o child‐rearing.…”

“…Current findings highlight that whenever clinical and prevention services are offered to Latina/o immigrant families interested in enhancing their parenting practices, it is of critical importance to assess the ways through which their parenting efforts have been negatively impacted by immigration‐related stressors, including discrimination. Recent research indicates that overtly addressing discrimination in parenting programs leads to higher satisfaction with the parenting curricula, and superior impacts on child outcomes, when compared to parenting interventions in which issues of discrimination are not expressly addressed (Berger Cardoso et al, 2018; Parra‐Cardona et al, 2017, 2021; Pereyra et al, 2019).…”

“…In this study, we seek to offer a contribution for the continuing refinement of parent training interventions for underserved Latina/o immigrant families exposed to intense contextual adversity, racial bias, and discrimination. Specifically, we examined the associations of immigration-related stress with key parenting processes (i.e., emotional support, parenting stress, co-parenting alliance), and how these parenting processes associate with positive parenting practices (i.e., supporting good behavior, limit setting, proactive parenting) as informed by previous studies (Berger Cardoso et al, 2018;Glatz & Buchanan, 2015;Kim et al, 2020;López-Zerón et al, 2019;Parra-Cardona et al, 2020;Pereyra et al, 2019).…”

“…First‐generation Latino fathers are more likely to be the primary breadwinners in Latina/o immigrant families, with mothers assuming primary responsibility for caretaking tasks. This distribution of labor leads to Latina/o mothers and fathers experiencing discrimination and other contextual challenges in common and contrasting ways (Abrego, 2016; Berger Cardoso et al, 2018; Pereyra et al, 2019). For example, Latina/o mothers are more likely to be negatively impacted by social isolation and small support networks.…”

Application of parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) to two girls with behavioral problems

“…Aunque las conductas oposicionistas y desafiantes ocasionales son bastante comunes en la infancia, con el tiempo suelen desaparecer. A pesar de este hecho, serán consideradas problemáticas y por tanto objeto de intervención en función de sus parámetros: frecuencia, variedad de contextos, gravedad y duración, especialmente si no remiten espontáneamente, ya que un patrón estable presenta una fuerte asociación con graves conductas delictivas y conductas agresivas en la adolescencia y la edad adulta (Broidy et al, 2003;Martel, 2016;Pereyra et al, 2019).…”