Abstract
Close parent–child relationships are protective against the development of delinquent behavior. By creating a context for open communication and trust, parents positively influence adolescent development. The current study examined the associations among attachment quality, family problem- solving, and adolescent risk-taking behavior, as well as the mediating effect of family problem-solving on the relationship between attachment quality and adolescent risk-taking behavior. Participants included 520 adolescents (ages 10 to 19, M = 14.24) and their parents or guardians (N = 520). Two path analyses were conducted to test study hypotheses. As predicted, attachment quality was negatively associated with parent and adolescent perceptions of adolescent risk-taking behavior and positively related to family problem-solving ability, after controlling for age, gender, and race/ethnicity. Contrary to our hypothesis, family problem-solving ability did not mediate the effect of attachment quality on parent or youth perceptions of adolescent risk-taking behavior. Preventive interventions that encourage warm, supportive bonds between parents and youth may aid families in deterring youth from negative risk-taking behavior. Further research should examine other family-level factors that might influence adolescent risk-taking via direct and indirect pathways.
Highlights
Adolescence is a time of rapid transitions characterized by various physical, social, emotional, cognitive and behavioral changes (Sarracino & Innamorati, 2012)
This study sought to examine the associations between attachment quality, family problemsolving, and adolescent risk-taking behavior, and to examine the mediating effect of family problem-solving ability on the relationship between attachment quality and adolescent risktaking behavior
Consistent with the proposed theoretical assumptions, adolescents with greater attachment to their caregivers reported higher levels of family problem-solving abilities and lower levels of reported risk-taking by both parents and youth. These findings align with previous empirical studies regarding risk-taking (e.g., Barfield-Cottledge, 2015; HammePeterson, Buser, & Westburg, 2010), and provide evidence of the association between parent– child attachment quality and family problem-solving ability
Summary
Adolescence is a time of rapid transitions characterized by various physical, social, emotional, cognitive and behavioral changes (Sarracino & Innamorati, 2012). Research suggests that a warm, close relationship between parents and adolescents is negatively associated with adolescent risk-taking behavior (Mogro-Wilson, 2008; Yun, Cui, & Blair, 2016). Individual problem-solving abilities in adolescents are negatively associated with risk-taking behaviors including aggression, delinquency, and substance abuse. Problem Solving, Attachment, Risk-Taking (Botvin, Malgady, Griffin, Scheier, & Epstein, 1998; Jaffee & D’Zurilla, 2003; Mushtaq, 2007). Based on social problem-solving theory, it has been hypothesized that adolescents with greater problem-solving abilities will be able to respond adaptively and appropriately to situations in which externalizing behavior is one way to respond (D’Zurilla & Nezu, 1999; Jaffee & D’Zurilla, 2003). While previous research has linked individual problem solving to risk-taking (Jaffee & D’Zurilla, 2003), family problem-solving has been less explored. In families where family problem-solving is part of the norm, adolescents may come to learn how beneficial the process is for them and may seek support in this way
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