The Dynamic Interplay among Maternal Empathy, Quality of Mother-Adolescent Relationship, and Adolescent Antisocial Behaviors: New Insights from a Six-Wave Longitudinal Multi-Informant Study.

Elisabetta Crocetti,Wim Meeus,Susan Branje,Silvia Moscatelli,Jolien Van Der Graaff,Monica Rubini,Pol Van Lier,Loes Keijsers,Hans M Koot,Michel Botbol

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0150009

Abstract

Adolescents’ behavior is often a matter of concern, given their increased likelihood of enacting antisocial behaviors, which cause disruptions in the social order and are potentially harmful for the adolescents themselves and for the people around them. In this six-wave longitudinal study we sought to examine the interplay among maternal empathy, multiple indicators of mother-adolescent relationship quality (i.e., balanced relatedness, conflict, and support), and adolescent antisocial behaviors rated both by adolescents and their mothers. Participants for the current study were 497 Dutch adolescents (56.9% males) followed from age 13 to 18, and their mothers. A series of cross-lagged panel models revealed reciprocal associations between maternal empathy and mother-adolescent relationship quality and between mother-adolescent relationship quality and adolescent antisocial behaviors. Interestingly, we also found some indirect effects of adolescent antisocial behaviors on maternal empathy mediated by mother-adolescent relationship quality. Overall, this study further highlights a process of reciprocal influences within mother-adolescent dyads.

Highlights

Adolescent antisocial behavior is often a matter of concern for parents, educators, and for the society at large [1]
To unravel the longitudinal interplay among maternal empathy, mother-adolescent relationship quality, and adolescent antisocial behaviors, we tested a series of cross-lagged models
This study provides new insights into our understanding of the interplay among maternal characteristics, mother-adolescent relationship quality, and adolescent antisocial behaviors

Summary

Introduction

Adolescent antisocial behavior is often a matter of concern for parents, educators, and for the society at large [1]. Adolescents are more likely than children and adults to engage in antisocial behaviors, such as delinquent and aggressive acts, which cause disruptions in the social order and are potentially harmful for the adolescents themselves and for people around them (for a review see [2]). Adolescent Antisocial Behaviors the Consortium Individual Development (CID; 024.001.003), and various other grants from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, the VU University Amsterdam, and Utrecht University. EC received support for preparing this article by a grant from NWO (431-14-014) assigned to SB. SM and MR received support for working on this article by a grant from the Italian Ministry of Research and Education, University and Research FIRB 2012 (Protocollo RBFR128CR6_004) assigned to SM

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion