Risk and Resilience Among Single Mother Families: A Closer Look at Parenting and Adolescent Outcomes

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Kincaid, Carlye Yates
- Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience

Abstract

African American adolescents from single-mother homes are at heightened risk for maladjustment and problem behaviors; however, many African American adolescents from single mother homes display positive youth development despite elevated risk. Using an ecological resiliency perspective, the current study examined protective factors associated with positive youth development among 193 African American single mother families. Cross-sectional findings revealed that higher levels of maternal behavioral control and lower levels of maternal psychological control were associated with fewer problem behaviors among youth, and that lower levels of maternal psychological control and higher levels of youth self-esteem were associated with fewer internalizing difficulties. Furthermore, gender moderated the relationship between parenting behaviors and problem behaviors among youth. Although the cross-sectional findings were not replicated in longitudinal analyses, positive ethnic identity at Time 1 was associated with fewer internalizing difficulties at Time 2. Implications of findings and directions for future research are discussed.

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