Parent-Adolescent Processes and Reduced Risk for Delinquency

Abstract

Using a U.S. sample of 454 adolescents of Mexican descent from two-parent families, this study investigated the roles of parental monitoring and parent-adolescent attachment in reducing the risk for delinquency for Mexican American adolescents and found that these parent-adolescent processes, particularly with regard to the mother and the adolescent, were related to a reduced risk for delinquency. This study also investigated the role of gender as a moderator in the effect of parent-adolescent processes on delinquency. Results indicated that gender moderated the relationship between mother-adolescent attachment and delinquency; further investigation demonstrated that mother-adolescent attachment was related to a reduced risk for delinquency for boys; the relationship between mother-adolescent attachment and delinquency risk was less apparent for girls.