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Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) is theorized to be a fundamental trait capturing children’s general sensitivity to the environment. Yet, scientific knowledge of SPS is mostly based on findings from Western cultures and few translated measures exist to assess children’s SPS outside of Western countries. Therefore, we developed the Chinese Highly Sensitive Child (HSC) scale. In Study 1, we investigated the scale’s psychometric properties for both self-reports (N = 2925, Mage = 11.74 years, 43.3% girls) and caregiver reports (n = 460, Mchild age = 9.02 years, 44.0% girls). Findings replicated most psychometric properties found in international studies including: (a) a bifactor structure with one general sensitivity component and three specific components, (b) acceptable internal consistency of the total scale (although not for self-report of elementary school children, and not for the subscales), and (c) at least partial invariance across age groups, gender, and informants. In Study 2, we investigated convergent validity with related temperament and personality measures using self-reports from both elementary school children (n = 845, Mage = 9.71 years, 41.9% girls) and middle school children (n = 563, Mage = 13.17 years, 43.2% girls). Findings replicated bivariate associations found in Western studies: Ease of Excitation (EOE) was associated with more positive traits, whereas Aesthetic Sensitivity (AES) was associated with more negative traits, suggesting that EOE and AES may capture the “dark” and “bright side” of sensitivity, respectively. We hope that our studies help spur research on SPS across western and Chinese cultures.

Objective This study examined long-term developmental changes in mother-rated lower-order facets of children's Big Five dimensions. Method Two independent community samples covering early childhood (2–4.5 years; N = 365, 39% girls) and middle childhood to the end of middle adolescence (6–17 years; N = 579, 50% girls) were used. All children had the Belgian nationality. Developmental changes were examined using cohort-sequential latent growth modeling on the 18 facets of the Hierarchical Personality Inventory for Children. Results In early childhood, changes were mostly similar across child gender. Between 2 and 4.5 years, several facets showed mean-level stability; others changed in the direction of less Extraversion and Emotional Stability, and more Benevolence and Imagination. The lower-order facets of Conscientiousness showed opposite changes. Gender differences became more apparent from middle childhood onward for facets of all dimensions except Imagination, for which no gender differences were found. Between 6 and 17 years, same-dimension facets showed different shapes of growth. Facets that changed linearly changed mostly in the direction of less Extraversion, Benevolence, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, and Imagination. Changes in facets for which nonlinear growth was found generally moved in direction or magnitude during developmental transitions. Conclusion This study provides comprehensive, fine-grained knowledge about personality development during the first two decades of life.

The aim of the present meta-analysis was to investigate the associations between three types of peer norms—descriptive norms (peer sexual behaviors), injunctive norms (peer sexual attitudes), and peer pressure to have sex—and two adolescent sexual behavior outcomes (sexual activity and sexual risk behavior). Adolescent sexual activity was more strongly associated with descriptive norms ( ESrfixed = .40) than with injunctive norms ( ESrfixed = .22) or peer pressure ( ESrfixed = .10). Compared with the sexual activity outcome, the effect size for descriptive norms (peer sexual risk behavior) for sexual risk behavior was smaller ( ESrfixed = .11). Age, gender, peer type, and socio-cultural context significantly moderated these associations. Additional analyses of longitudinal studies suggested that selection effects were stronger than socialization effects. These findings offer empirical support for the conceptual distinction between three types of peer norms and hold important implications for theory, research, and intervention strategies.

In the current study, we examined longitudinally whether boys and girls differed in pathways from parenting to delinquency. Longitudinal mediational models were tested for boys and girls separately in which three parenting dimensions (i.e., monitoring, limit setting, and the quality of the parent-adolescent relationship) were hypothesized to influence adolescents’ level of self-control, delinquent attitudes, peer delinquency, and time spent in criminogenic settings, which in turn, were hypothesized to affect delinquency. Using data of 603 adolescents (11–17 years of age at T1) we found mean level differences between boys and girls in parental monitoring, parental limit-setting, self-control, delinquent attitudes, and peer delinquency. The results suggest furthermore that the model linking parenting to delinquency is similar for boys and girls. We found, however, that the indirect effect from the quality of the parent-adolescent relationship through self-control is stronger for girls than for boys.

In this study, we examined whether parents are differentially susceptible to support from their spouse and adolescent child depending on their personality traits, and whether differences in susceptibility to support among parents, in turn, are linked to the quality of support parents give to their children. Participants in this three-wave longitudinal study were 288 two-parent Dutch families with an adolescent child. Fathers were on average 43.9 years old (SD = 3.7 years), mothers were 41.7 years old (SD = 3.3 years), and adolescents (50% girls) were 14.5 years old (SD = 0.8 years). We found that the association between support from children toward their parents and subsequent support from parents toward their children was more pronounced for parents high on Openness, for better and for worse. Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Emotional Stability did not emerge as markers of differences in susceptibility. Also, parents did not differ in their susceptibility to support from their spouse, nor were differences in susceptibility found a year later when using data from a third wave. We found very modest support for differential susceptibility, only for Openness, and depending on the source of perceived support and on the timing of measurement.

In this study, we investigated mean-level personality development in children from 6 to 20 years of age. Additionally, we investigated longitudinal, bidirectional associations between child personality and maternal overreactive and warm parenting. In this 5-wave study, mothers reported on their child's personality from Time 1 (T1) through Time 4 (T4), and children provided self-reports from Time 2 (T2) through Time 5 (T5). Mothers reported on their levels of overreactive and warm parenting from T2 through T4. Using cohort-sequential latent growth curve modeling, we investigated mother reported child personality from 6 to 17 years of age and child reported personality from 9 to 20 years of age. Extraversion decreased linearly across the entire study. Benevolence and conscientiousness increased from middle to late childhood, temporarily declined from late childhood to mid-adolescence, and increased again thereafter. Imagination decreased from middle childhood to mid-adolescence and also increased thereafter. Mothers reported a temporary decline in emotional stability with an increase thereafter, whereas children did not. Boys and girls differed in mean-levels of the personality dimensions and, to a lesser extent, in the degree and direction of changes. Latent difference score modeling showed that child personality predicted changes in parenting and that, to a lesser extent, parenting predicted changes in child traits. Additionally, changes in child personality were associated with changes in maternal parenting. Results of the present study show that personality change is not directed at increasing maturity from childhood to mid-adolescence and that it elicits and is shaped by both positive and negative parenting.

To date, there is surprisingly little research on differences in the prevalence and impact of risk factors for general recidivism between juveniles who have committed sexual offenses (JSO) and juveniles who have committed nonsexual offenses (NSO). Therefore, we examined differences in the prevalence and impact of dynamic risk factors for general delinquency between youth with nonsexual offenses (NSO, n = 504), youth with misdemeanor sexual offenders (MSO, n = 136), youth with felony sexual offenders (FSO, n = 116) and youth with offenses against much younger children (CSO, n = 373). The sample consisted of boys with a mean age of 15.3 years ( SD = 1.5). The prevalence of dynamic risk factors for general delinquency was significantly lower in JSOs than in NSOs. More serious sexual offenses were associated with a lower prevalence of dynamic risk factors. In contrast, the impact of most dynamic risk factors on general recidivism proved to be significantly larger among JSOs compared to NSOs. The relative importance of the dynamic risk factors varied for each type of JSO, resulting in differences in the dynamic risk profiles of the various types of JSOs.

This study investigated the development of personality extremity (deviation of an average midpoint of all 5 personality dimensions together) across childhood and adolescence, as well as relations between personality extremity and adjustment problems. For 598 children (mean age at Time 1 = 7.5 years), mothers and fathers reported the Big Five personality dimensions 4 times across 8 years. Children's vector length in a 5-dimensional configuration of the Big Five dimensions represented personality extremity. Mothers, fathers, and teachers reported children's internalizing and externalizing problems at the 1st and final measurement. In a cohort-sequential design, we modeled personality extremity in children and adolescents from ages 6 to 17 years. Growth mixture modeling revealed a similar solution for both mother and father reports: a large group with relatively short vectors that were stable over time (mother reports: 80.3%; father reports: 84.7%) and 2 smaller groups with relatively long vectors (i.e., extreme personality configuration). One group started out relatively extreme and decreased over time (mother reports: 13.2%; father reports: 10.4%), whereas the other group started out only slightly higher than the short vector group but increased across time (mother reports: 6.5%; father reports: 4.9%). Children who belonged to the increasingly extreme class experienced more internalizing and externalizing problems in late adolescence, controlling for previous levels of adjustment problems and the Big Five personality dimensions. Personality extremity may be important to consider when identifying children at risk for adjustment problems.

The aims of the study were: (1) to examine whether adolescents’ attachment and the perceived quality of the communication with their parents relate to effective resolution of parent–child conflicts and (2) to determine whether the pattern of associations changes with adolescents’ gender and age. The sample consisted of 295 adolescents who filled the questionnaires. Structural Equations Models showed that secure attachment predicted a positive communicative climate, which in turn, predicted a more frequent use of negotiation. Secure attachment was related to the use of withdrawal strategies. Anxious attachment was related to high levels of criticism and disputes with parents, which, in turn, predicted the use of all conflict resolution styles. Avoidant attachment was not related to any of the conflict resolution styles. No differences were found in the pattern of associations by gender and age. The relevance of the findings for the social relational perspective to conflict resolution is discussed.

Obviously, evaluations of parenting programmes are important for improving clinical practice. Such evaluation studies can show us whether a parenting programme works and for whom and under which circumstances the programme has the best effects. An additional, often neglected, role of evaluation studies is to provide a test of the theory on which the programme is based. In the present paper, we discuss the ways in which evaluation studies can be used to test and refine theories pertaining to parenting behaviour and child development. Several examples of such studies are presented and both conceptual (specifying the theory-based expectations regarding working mechanisms) and methodological issues (quality criteria for real-life evaluation studies of parenting programmes) involved in evaluation research are addressed.

The aim of the present study was (1) to examine the longitudinal effect of negative and positive affect in the parent-child, marital and sibling relationship on adolescent internalizing and externalizing problems, and (2) to compare the strengths of these effects for the different family relationships, for internalizing and externalizing problems, and for negative and positive affect. In this longitudinal study, 280 families (father, mother, and two adolescents 11–15 years old) reported on their affective relationships. Adolescents also reported on their problem behavior. Our results show significant longitudinal effects of negative and positive affect of the parent-adolescent and sibling relationship on adolescent internalizing and externalizing problem behavior. Neither positive nor negative marital affect were significant predictors of adolescent problem behavior. Model comparison showed that the effects were similar for externalizing versus internalizing problems, and for negative versus positive affe...

Most research on parenting has focused on dyadic parent–child interactions to the neglect of triadic interactions between mother, father and child. Drawing from an evolutionary perspective, the present study examined how parental warmth and investment change as a function of the other parent’s presence. Our sample consisted of 87 two‐parent Dutch families raising firstborn preschoolers (44 boys, 43 girls; 36 months old). Parental warmth and investment were measured based on video recordings of structured and unstructured dyadic (mother–child, father–child) and triadic (father–mother–child) play sessions conducted in the families’ homes. Results indicated that while mothers’ warmth and investment did not change as a function of fathers’ presence, fathers withdrew care in the presence of mothers. However, when mothers were away, fathers raised their level of care to that of mothers thus compensating for maternal absence.

Background The aim of the present study is to examine whether the patterns of association between the quality of the parent-adolescent relationship on the one hand, and aggression and delinquency on the other hand, are the same for boys and girls of Dutch and Moroccan origin living in the Netherlands. Since inconsistent results have been found previously, the present study tests the replicability of the model of associations in two different Dutch samples of adolescents. Method Study 1 included 288 adolescents (M age = 14.9, range 12-17 years) all attending lower secondary education. Study 2 included 306 adolescents (M age = 13.2, range = 12-15 years) who were part of a larger community sample with oversampling of at risk adolescents. Results Multigroup structural analyses showed that neither in Study 1 nor in Study 2 ethnic or gender differences were found in the patterns of associations between support, autonomy, disclosure, and negativity in the parent-adolescent relationship and aggression and delinquency. The patterns were largely similar for both studies. Mainly negative quality of the relationship in both studies was found to be strongly related to both aggression and delinquency. Discussion Results show that family processes that affect adolescent development, show a large degree of universality across gender and ethnicity. © The Author(s) 2009.

The Social Relations Model (SRM) allows for examination of family relations on three different levels: the individual level (actor and partner effects), the dyadic level (relationship effects), and the family level (family effect). The aim of this study was to present a systematic review of SRM family studies and identify general patterns in the results. Results of reanalyses of 17 data sets showed that characteristics of the person who reports on the relationship and the unique characteristics of the relationship were most important explanations of differences in family relationships. The present systematic review contributes to a better understanding of who is driving relationship outcomes in families and provides suggestions concerning the application of the SRM to family data.

The first aim of the present study was to examine associations between different aspects of adolescent friendship relations (i.e., frequency of contact with friends, trust in friends, and perceived friends' deviance) on one hand, and adolescent problem behavior and self-esteem on the other hand. The second aim was to determine whether the findings hold for adolescents from three different ethnic groups and for boys and girls. A sample of 508 Dutch, Turkish, and Moroccan adolescents living in the Netherlands filled in a battery of questionnaires at school. Having contact with deviant friends was the strongest contributor to both aggressive and delinquent problem behavior. Trust in friends was the strongest contributor to self-esteem. In general, gender differences were more pronounced than differences among the ethnic groups.

To investigate the association between Big Five personality factors and three dimensions of parenting-warmth, behavioral control, and autonomy support- the authors conducted meta-analyses using 5,853 parent-child dyads that were included in 30 studies. Effect sizes were significant and robust across mother and father reports and across assessment methods of parenting (self-report versus observations) but were generally small in magnitude. Higher levels of Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness and lower levels of Neuroticism were related to more warmth and behavioral control, whereas higher levels of Agreeableness and lower levels of Neuroticism were related to more autonomy support. Several factors moderated the relationship between specific personality dimensions and parenting: child and parental age, reliability of observational assessment of parenting behavior, and study design. Taken together, these results indicate that personality can be seen as an inner resource that affects parenting.

An important issue in attachment theory and research is explaining individual differences in attachment quality. In this study, we examined (i) the relative importance of individual, dyadic, and family characteristics in explaining attachment quality differences and (ii) changes in the importance of these characteristics during adolescence. We examined these questions by applying the Social Relations Model to two-wave longitudinal data. Two parents and two adolescents from 210 families reported their attachment relationships with other family members. Results showed that differences in quality of attachment are best explained by the adolescent's internal working model (individual) and by relationship-specific (dyadic) characteristics. We found few longitudinal changes, indicating stability in these attachment processes. Implications of these results and important directions for future research are discussed.

This study compared the moral development of solo juvenile male sex offenders (n = 20) and juvenile male non-offenders (n = 76), aged 13-19 years, from lower socioeconomic and educational backgrounds. The Moral Orientation Measure (MOM) was used to assess punishment- and victim-based moral orientation in sexual and non-sexual situations. Moral judgement was assessed with the Sociomoral Reflection Measure - Short Form (SRM-SF), with questions added on sexual offending and the offender's own victim(s). Offenders did not differ from non-offenders in victim-based orientation, but they showed weaker punishment-based orientation in sexual and non-sexual situations. No differences in moral judgement were found. However, lower stages of moral judgement were observed when the offenders' own victim was involved, confirming specific moral deficits in solo juvenile sex offenders. Delay in moral judgement proved to be associated with cognitive distortions. It was concluded that the treatment of solo juvenile sex offenders should challenge own victim-related cognitive distortions.

The present study examined whether self-esteem mediates the relationship between two aspects of ethnic identity (i.e. ethnic identity exploration and ethnic identity commitment-affirmation) and externalizing problem behaviour in Dutch, Turkish-Dutch and Moroccan-Dutch adolescents living in the Netherlands. A total number of 345 adolescents (115 Dutch, 115 Turkish-Dutch, 115 Moroccan-Dutch) with a mean age of 14.5 filled in questionnaires at school. Turkish-Dutch and Moroccan-Dutch adolescents reported higher levels of both aspects of ethnic identity than their native Dutch counterparts, but there were no ethnic differences in self-esteem and externalizing problem behaviour. Only in the Moroccan-Dutch group was support found for the mediational model: stronger ethnic identity commitment-affirmation was related to a higher level of self-esteem, which, in turn, was related to a lower level of externalizing problem behaviour.

This study examined the mediating role of parenting on the relation between parental personality and toddlers' externalising behaviours. Participants were 112 boys and their parents. The data were analysed using multilevel modelling and moderated mediation analyses. Several associations were found between parental personality and parenting dimensions. Additionally, several parenting dimensions were associated with children's externalising behaviours. Emotional stability was the only parental personality trait that was related to children's externalising behaviours. The effect of maternal emotional stability on children's aggressive behaviours appeared to be mediated by maternal support. For fathers, there appeared to be a direct effect of emotional stability on children's aggressive behaviours. In addition, for both mothers and fathers, emotional stability was directly related to children's attention problems. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This study investigated to what extent team membership predicts on- and off-field antisocial and prosocial behavior in (pre)adolescent athletes. Effects of team-membership were related to characteristics of the team environment, such as relational support from the coach towards team members, fair play attitude and sociomoral reasoning within the team, and sociomoral climate. The sample consisted of N=331 male soccer players. Multilevel analyses revealed that 21% of the variance in off-field antisocial behavior, and 8% and 14% of the variance in on-field antisocial and prosocial behavior, respectively, could be attributed to characteristics of the sporting environment, including relational support from the coach, exposure to high levels of sociomoral reasoning about sports dilemmas, and positive team attitude toward fair play. The results highlight the importance of contextual factors in explaining both antisocial and prosocial behavior in adolescent athletes and emphasize the role of organized youth sports as a socialization context. © 2007 The Association for Professionals in Services for Adolescents.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the direct and indirect effects (through peer contacts) of parental knowledge on adolescents' delinquent and aggressive problem behavior, using latent growth curve modeling. A sample of 457 13- to 14-year old adolescents at first measurement wave (M=13.27; SD=0.45 years) filled out questionnaires about their parents, peers, and problem behavior three times with 1-year intervals in between. Regarding initial levels of behavior, both direct and indirect effects of parental knowledge were found on aggressive as well as on delinquent behavior. When the rate of change in behaviors was considered, only direct effects were found for both types of problem behavior, whereas indirect effects were absent. Gender differences were also found, with stronger effects of parenting on both aggressive and delinquent problem behavior for boys and stronger effects of peer contacts on aggressive behavior for girls. The present study shows that different behaviors of the externalizing spectrum have different trajectories and diverse relations with parenting and should not be treated as identical.

The present study examines the contribution of parental, contextual, and child characteristics to parenting behavior during toddlerhood in 111 two-parent families with a 17-month-old son ( M = 16.9 months, SD = 0.57). Parenting was conceptualized in terms of five dimensions: support, structure, positive discipline, psychological control, and physical punishment. In general, results indicate that the effects of parental, contextual, and child characteristics on parenting dimensions do not differ for mothers and fathers. The only uncovered difference concerns the effect of children's inhibitory control, which was significant for maternal but not for paternal support. For both mothers and fathers, support, structure, and the use of psychological control are mainly influenced by parental characteristics, whereas the use of positive discipline and physical punishment are best predicted by contextual characteristics. Overall, the contribution of child characteristics to parenting dimensions was moderate.

Contains fulltext : 155887.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) The purpose of this study was threefold, namely (1) to differentiate between multiproblem families and control families on characteristics and processes within the family based on a theoretical framework, (2) to identify multiproblem families by establishing cut-off scores on various questionnaires, and (3) to categorize multiproblem families into subtypes by cluster analyses. Various questionnaires were administered to multiproblem families (n = 85) and control families (n = 150). Results showed that what we propose to refer to as multiproblem families present a broad range of problems on seven domains: (1) child factors, (2) parental factors, (3) childrearing problems (inadequate or inconsistent parenting), (4) family functioning problems, (5) contextual problems, (6) social network problems, and (7) mental health care problems. Further, reliable cut-off scores were established for various questionnaires. Finally, three types of families were found: (1) community-problem families, (2) multiproblem families, and (3) child-focused mild-problem families. This paper looks to advance an evidence-based definition and assessment of "multiproblem families" suggesting the possible value of defining and assessing multiproblem families in relation to these seven dimensions. Moreover, the classification of multiproblem families stresses the importance of providing tailored treatments. 17 p.

Ramos, C., Stams, G. J., Stoel, R., Faas, M., Van Yperen, T. A., & Dekovic, M. (2006). Measuring client satisfaction in youth care, Kind en Adolescent, 27 (3), 157-168.

The first aim of this study was to examine the structure of externalizing and internalizing problem behavior during early adolescence. Our second aim was to determine the stability of these problems for boys and for girls over time. A total of 650, 13–14-year-olds filled out (an expanded version of) the Youth Self-Report [YSR; Manual for the Youth Self-Report and 1991 Profile. Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington] 2 times with a 1-year interval. By using confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) to test a series of competing models, a hierarchical model provided the best representation of the structure of problem behavior at both Time 1 and Time 2: externalizing and internalizing problem behavior represent distinct aspects but the model also demonstrates the existence of comorbidity at a higher level. This model appeared to be stable over time for both boys and girls. The relative stability of problem behavior was found to be high for boys and girls. Absolute stability for both externalizing and internalizing problems appeared to be higher for boys scoring in the lower range of problem behavior.

Background In the past decades, the ethnic diversity of the population in the Netherlands has rapidly grown. At present, approximately 10% of all people in the Netherlands belong to immigrant families that originate from a very large variety of non-Western nations. Although it is often assumed that migration has a stress-inducing effect, leading to heightened levels of mental health problems in both immigrant children and their parents, research into this group of children is very scarce in Europe. In this paper, we want to report on the mental health of immigrant children originating from non-Western countries enrolled in a large cohort study in the Netherlands. Method A large sample of 11-year-old children in the Netherlands (n = 2230) participated in the TRacking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey ( TRAILS). Approximately 10% of these children ( n = 230) belong to immigrant families originating from non-Western countries. Mental health problems were assessed using self-report measures ( Youth Self-Report), using parent-report measures ( Child Behaviour Check List) and using teacher report ( Teacher Checklist for Psychopathology). In this paper, we report on the mental health problems of these children from all three perspectives ( child, parent, teacher). In analysing the impact of immigrant status, the effect of gender and of socio-economic inequality was taken into account. Results According to self-report measures, mean level of mental health problems in immigrant children is comparable to that in non-immigrant children. Immigrant parents report higher problem rates for their daughters, in particular for internalising problem behaviours, social problems and attention problems, but not for their sons. In contrast, teachers perceive higher levels of externalising problem behaviour, but lower levels of anxious/depressed problems, social problems and thought problems in immigrant children. This last effect is most strongly found with respect to boys: teachers perceive less withdrawn/depressed problems, social problems, thought problems and attention problems in immigrant boys. Conclusions Children from immigrant families do not appear to experience more problems than their non-immigrant peers. However, parents from immigrant families do report more problems in their daughters than non-immigrant parents, in contrast to teachers who perceive lower levels of internalising, social and thought problems in particular in boys, and higher levels of externalising problems in both immigrant boys and girls. In describing problem behaviour in immigrant children, the effect of diverging social contexts for and multiple perspectives on immigrant youth has to be taken into account.

The first aim of the present study was to examine the extent to which the larger network of family relationships (parent-adolescent, marital, and sibling relations) affect adolescent adjustment. The second aim was to identify distinct patterns of family relationships and to examine whether these different family relationship patterns are associated with adolescent adjustment. The sample consisted of 288 intact families with two adolescent siblings. Each family member provided information on the affective quality of his or her relationship with every other family member (round-robin design). The quality of all family relations was related to the indicators of deviant development (problem behavior) but not to the indicators of normative development (identity formation). Five distinct and theoretically consistent clusters of different constellations of affective family relations were found. Differences in adolescent problem behavior were related to the cluster membership. The usefulness of the family systems perspective for research on adolescent development is discussed.

A fundamental question in the study of attachment is the explanation for differences in quality of attachment. In the present study, the Social Relations Model (SRM) was used to examine whether these differences in quality of attachment could be explained by (a) characteristics of the person (actor effect), (b) characteristics of the attachment figure (partner effect), (c) characteristics of the specific attachment relationship (relationship effect), or (d) characteristics of the family (family effect). In 288 families, two adolescent children and their parents reported on their attachment relationships with other family members. Results of SRM analyses showed that, in general, characteristics of the person reporting the attachment relationship and characteristics of the attachment relationship are the most important explanations for differences in quality of attachment, but the magnitudeof these effects tendsto vary depending on which family relationshipis considered.

The dominant theories about the development of antisocial behaviour during adolescence are based almost entirely on research conducted with mainstream, white, middle-class adolescents. The present study addresses this significant gap in the literature by examining whether the same model of family and peer influence on antisocial behaviour is applicable to adolescents belonging to different ethnic groups. The sample included 603 adolescents (318 females and 285 males) from four ethnic groups: 68% of adolescents were Dutch, 11% were Moroccan, 13% were Turkish and 8% were Surinamese. The questionnaires assessing antisocial behaviour, quality of parent-adolescent relationship and involvement with deviant peers were completed by adolescents individually at schools. Results show few ethnic differences in the mean level of the assessed constructs: adolescents from different ethnic groups show similar levels of antisocial behaviour, are to a similar degree satisfied with their relationships with parents, disclose as much information to them, and do not differ in their involvement with deviant peers. However, the associations of parent and peer relations with antisocial behaviour differed across the ethnic groups.

In the present study we examined the importance of parental and peer support for well-being of adolescents with and without a visual impairment. The sample included 178 adolescents who are blind or visually impaired and 338 adolescents without visual impairments. Peer and parental support proved to be important for well-being of both adolescents with a visual impairment and sighted adolescents. Whereas in the group of adolescents with a visual impairment, a positive linear relationship exists between peer support and well-being, in the group of adolescents without an impairment well-being appears not be affected by peer support. Parental support is more strongly related to well-being of adolescents without impairments than of adolescents who are blind or visually impaired. © 2004 The Association for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The aim of this study was to examine growth trajectories of externalizing and internalizing problems during adolescence. In addition, we also examined factors that might account for individual differences in the level of problem behavior and in the rate of change: Adolescent gender and the quality of the relationships with parents and peers. The sample consisted of 212 adolescents (mean age 13.4 years at the initial assessment) who were assessed at 3 measurement waves with approximately 1-year intervals. The results showed substantial absolute and relative stability in both types of problem behavior, but also significant individual differences in both initial levels of problem behavior and in the rate of change across the 3 measurement occasions. Adolescent gender and the quality of the parent–adolescent relationship predicted the initial level of both externalizing and internalizing problems. The protective effect of the positive quality of the relationship with peers was found for internalizing but not for externalizing problems. No differences appeared between boys and girls in the effect of the quality of interpersonal relations on the level and on the rate of change in problem behavior, suggesting that the etiology of problem behavior might be similar for boys and girls in spite of gender differences in the prevalence of problem behaviors.

The aim of the present study is to examine the reciprocal relationship between parental attachment and adolescent internalizing and externalizing problem behaviour. In this longitudinal study, 288 adolescents (mean age 13.5 years) reported on their attachment relationships with their parents and on problem behaviour three times, with 1-year-intervals between measurement waves. Results show that attachment and both indicators of adolescent problem behaviour remain stable over time, although there were differences in stability between constructs. Reciprocal negative effects were found between attachment and internalizing problem behaviour, and between attachment and externalizing problem behaviour.

The present study was designed to investigate the chain of associations between parenting behavior and early adolescents' school success. Students' goal orientations and classroom behavior were hypothesized to mediate between parenting and school success. The sample consisted of 327 pre-university-tracked pupils in their first year of secondary school. Results indicate that boys and girls shared the same pathway from maternal disciplinary strategies to school success mediated by the child's goal orientations and cognitive classroom engagement. Path analyses revealed moderate associations between parenting and goal orientations. Goal orientations were found to be moderately linked to classroom behavior dimensions conducive to school success. Although models for boys and girls differed slightly, overall results highlight the continuing relationship in early adolescence between parenting and pupils' beneficent academic behavior. The present study highlights several processes by which parents might shape their early adolescents' school success.

Item does not contain fulltext The aims of this study were (a) to compare peer relations, developmental expectations, self-perceived competence, and well-being in Dutch and Japanese adolescents; and (b) to examine whether relationships among these constructs vary as a function of different cultures, that is, whether the same developmental model applies in both countries. The sample included 253 Dutch and 308 Japanese adolescents between 15 to 18 years of age. The same questionnaires assessing peer relations, developmental expectations, competence, and well-being were completed by adolescents individually in both samples. The results show that Dutch adolescents are more satisfied with their relationships with peers, expect to achieve developmental tasks at earlier ages, feel more competent about their abilities, and report a higher level of well-being than Japanese adolescents. Evidence with regard to different developmental processes in the two cultures was also found. Peer relations bear stronger associations with developmental expectations and well-being in Japanese than in Dutch adolescents.

The aim of this study was to examine the development of quality of attachment of adolescents to their parents and siblings during adolescence and the role that gender differences play in this development, using latent growth curve analysis. In 288 families, adolescents reported on their attachment relationships with their parents and siblings. Quality of attachment changes during adolescence, and these changes are influenced by both gender of the adolescent and gender of the attachment figure. Results showed that change in mean level of quality of attachment to mother appeared to be nonlinear for boys, whereas mean level of attachment of adolescent girls to their mothers showed a linear decline. Results for attachment to father were opposite, with a linear decline in quality for boys, and a nonlinear development for girls. Quality of attachment to sibling showed differential development depending on gender composition of the sibling dyad.

Item does not contain fulltext The influence of parents on their offsprings' peer relations is not limited to childhood but continues throughout the adolescent years. Little is, however, known about which mechanisms link adolescent functioning in family and peer systems. This study focuses on social skills as a mediator between characteristics of the parent-child relationship and peer relations. Data from a cross-sectional study among 508 12-18-year olds were used for analyses. Findings showed that adolescents' social skills mediated the effects of some parental practices, such as responsiveness, autonomy, cohesion, as well as parental attachment on the degree of peer activity, the attachment to peers and perceived social support from peers to some extent. Nonetheless, direct parental influence on peer relations remained apparent after controlling for the effects of social skills. No effects of gender and age were found. The overall picture is that social skills of adolescents as well as parenting factors, parental attachment and family climate are associated with the quality and intensity of peer relations.

Item does not contain fulltext Young people learn from their interactions with their parents how to initiate and maintain satisfying and warm friendships. Attachment with parents thereby plays an important role in adolescents' social and emotional adjustment. The model tested in this study proposes that the relation between parental attachment and emotional adjustment is mediated by social skills and relational competence. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate the models and paths between concepts using data from a sample of 412 12-18-year-olds. In the 12-14-year-old age group, no effects of parental attachment on social skills and relational competence were displayed. However, in the 15-18-year-old age group, parental attachment was moderately related to social skills, which, in turn, affected middle adolescents' competence in friendships and romantic relationships. Parental attachment and relational competence were significant predictors of adolescents' emotional adjustment in both age groups. 12 p.

The aim of the present study was to examine the concept of adolescent autonomy. A conceptual analysis of different theoretical perspectives has resulted in an integrative model of attitudinal, emotional, and functional autonomy. Attitudinal autonomy refers to the cognitive process of choosing and defining a goal. Emotional autonomy refers to the affective process of feeling confident about one's own choices and goals. Functional autonomy refers to the regulatory process of developing a strategy to achieve these goals. The empirical value of this model was tested by developing a questionnaire assessing adolescent autonomy. Subjects were 400 adolescents between 12 and 18 years old. Confirmatory factor analyses (LISREL 8) provided evidence for the 3 hypothesized dimensions.

Based on the results of previous research, multiple factors in several domains (individual attributes of the adolescent, family attributes, and extrafamilial factors) were identified as possible risk and protective factors for development of problem behavior during adolescence. The first aim of this study was to examine the relative importance of these factors for the development of externalizing and internalizing problems. In addition to examining the role of particular risk and protective factors, we also tested the hypothesis that risk and protection have a cumulative effect. The results show that the individual attributes of the adolescent play an important role, both as a risk and as a protection, for the development of internalizing problems, but they appear to be of less importance for the development of externalizing problems. The family attributes (support, monitoring, and attachment) seem to be important for both types of problem behavior. Finally, the relationship with peers (especially the association with deviant peers) has both a risk and a protective effect for the development of problem behavior. When index of the number of risk and protective factor is used, it appears that the amount of risk has a stronger relation to variation in problem behavior than protection. Finally, in this sample, no evidence was found for the moderating effect of the protective factors.

This study examined the relations between child rearing, prosocial moral reasoning, and prosocial behaviour. The sample consisted of 125 children (6-11 years of age) and both their parents. Child-rearing behaviour was assessed by both observations at home and interviews with the parents; prosocial moral reasoning by interviews with the children, and prosocial behaviour by questionnaires filled in by their teachers and classmates. Positive relations were found between prosocial moral reasoning and prosocial behaviour, but only for the youngest children. Children growing up in a supportive, authoritative, and less restrictive environment behaved more prosocially and reasoned at a higher level about prosocial moral issues.

In this study we examined the link between the parent-adolescent relationship and the adolescent's relationship with peers. The proposed model assumes that the quality of the parent-child relationship affects the adolescent's self-concept, which in turn affects the adolescent's integration into the world of peers. The sample consisted of 508 families with adolescents (12- to 18-years-old). The data were obtained at the subjects' homes, where a battery of questionnaires was administered individually to mothers, fathers and adolescents. Several constructs relating to the quality of parent-child relationship were assessed: parental acceptance, attachment, involvement, responsiveness, love withdrawal and monitoring of the child. The measures of the adolescent's self-concept included Harter's Perceived Competence Scale for Adolescents and Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale. The indicators of the quality of peer relations were: degree of peer activity, having a best friend, perceived acceptance by peers and attachment to peers. Assessment of the hypothesized model showed that the adolescent's self-concept serves a mediating role in the relationship between maternal child-rearing style and involvement with peers. The mediating role of self-concept was greatest for maternal acceptance. Paternal child-rearing style, however, appeared to have an independent effect on the adolescent's involvement with peers that is not accounted for by the adolescent's self-concept. The prediction of the quality of adolescents' peer relations yielded similar results for both mothers and fathers. The results suggest that a positive self-concept and warm supportive parenting each contribute unique variance to satisfactory peer relations.

This study (a) assesses whether employed young people, unemployed school-leavers, and unemployed young people who have working experience differ in their psychological well-being, that is stress, depression, and general feelings of happiness; (b) examines the effects of these three work conditions on development and structure of identity; and (c) investigates the effects of identity structure on psychological well-being. The favorability hypothesis of social comparison theory seems fit to explain the relation between identity structure and psychological well-being. An important developmental task during late adolescence is making the transition from school to work. During this transition period, adolescents develop values concerning work and other social institutions (Erikson, 1968; Lennings, 1993). Unfortunately, in today's Dutch society a substantial proportion of young people has been denied work opportunities and is, therefore, unable to make a smooth transition from school to work. According to national statistics, youth in general and school-leavers in particular have been highly represented among the unemployed during the last two decades (CBS, 1994; Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment, 1991). The current study examines the effect on adolescents of being unable to find a job. It focuses on the consequences of failing to obtain a job for development of identity during late adolescence. In particular, the study investigates the effects of unemployment on adolescents' psychological well-being and psychosocial development. Moreover, the study examines the relationship between identity and psychological well-being in employed and unemployed groups of adolescents. EFFECTS OF UNEMPLOYMENT ON THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING Considerable research, both cross-sectional and longitudinal, has studied the psychological effects of unemployment (Feather, 1990; Warr, 1987). In designing the present study, we assumed that unemployment is an undesirable state which results in maladjustment of various kinds (Banks & Ullah, 1988). Given the opportunities which work provides for education, initiative, social contact, and personal development, this assumption is hardly surprising. Most of the evidence for the negative psychological impact of unemployment comes from studies of adults done in the 1930s and the 1970s (Jahoda, 1979). More recent studies (Banks & Ullah, 1988) raised the question of whether or not the effects of unemployment are the same for both adults and youth. It is reasonable to expect that the response of young people might be different. On the one hand, effects of unemployment might be felt harder by adults due to their familial and financial obligations. On the other hand, the range of developmental tasks (physical, emotional and social) faced during adolescence may exacerbate the stresses of unemployment to make it a more turbulent and confusing experience than it is for an older person (Gurney, 1980a). Indeed, several studies have demonstrated that the psychological consequences of unemployment for young people may be serious: unemployed youth experience less life satisfaction and suffer depressive symptoms, diminished self-esteem, and higher levels of distress more than those who have jobs (Banks & Jackson, 1982; Feather,1982, 1990; Goede & Maassen, 1986; Gurney,1980a; Ullah, 1990). This is particularly true for young people who are highly motivated to work, for females, and for those who are less qualified (skilled and semi-skilled work) (Stafford, Jackson, & Banks, 1980; Warr, Jackson, & Banks, 1982). When compared to the unemployed, working young adults are more content, have a higher self-esteem, suffer less from depressed feelings, and voice fewer emotional complaints (Heesink, 1992). Other studies failed to find a straightforward negative relationship between youth unemployment and psychological well-being (Banks & Ullah, 1988). A possible explanation for these inconsistent findings is the often neglected fact that unemployed youth is a more diverse group than these studies suggest. …

The aims of this study were (1) to compare the age-related expectations of parents and adolescents concerning the timing of achievement in a number of developmental tasks, (2) to examine whether personal characteristics of the adolescent affect developmental expectations, and (3) to examine whether discrepancies between the adolescent’s and the parent’s expectations are related to the amount of parent-adolescent conflict. The sample consisted of 508 families with adolescents (12–18 years old). During a home visit, a battery of questionnaires was administered individually to mothers, fathers, and adolescents. A new 24-item instrument to assess expectations for adolescents’ mastery of developmental tasks was developed for this study. Analyses showed that when the expectations of adolescents and those of their parents are compared at aggregate level, parents consistently indicate later ages for the achievement of developmental tasks than adolescents. Although parents have later timetables, parents and adolescents have strikingly similar views of the sequence in which achievement of developmental tasks should occur. The adolescent’s age appears to be the most potent predictor of developmental timetables, followed by gender, pubertal timing, and temperament, respectively. The amount of conflict within the parent-adolescent relationship was associated with differences in developmental expectations. The utility of the new instrument for research and clinical work is discussed.

This study investigated relations among children's personality types, trajectories of internalizing and externalizing problems, and overreactive parenting across 6 years. Latent Class Analysis of the Big 5 personality dimensions (modeled as latent factors, based on mother, father and teacher reports) for 429 children (mean age 8 years at Time 1) replicated the Resilient, Under-, and Overcontroller types. Latent Class Growth Analysis of externalizing and internalizing problems (modeled as latent factors, based on mother and father reports), revealed that Undercontrollers were at greater risk of belonging to a high/decreasing externalizing problem class and a high/stable co-occurring problem class than were Resilients. Overcontrollers were more likely to be in a high/stable internalizing class and less likely to be in the externalizing problem class, but only at low levels of parental overreactivity. Undercontrollers appeared at double risk as they were at risk for high overreactive parenting, which was an independent risk-factor for the elevated problem trajectories. Because childhood personality types were a risk factor for adjustment problems that persisted into adolescence, Under- and Overcontrollers might be considered as a target for early intervention, with a focus on overreactive parenting for Undercontrollers specifically.

The purposes of this study were (a) to examine the relationship between peer status and the child's behavioral and social cognitive characteristics, and (b) to test the hypothesis that the relationship between child's social cognition and child's peer acceptance is mediated by the child's behavior in the interaction with peers. The sample consisted of 125 first-, third-, and fifth-grade children who were selected as either popular or rejected in the peer group. The child's social behavior with peers was assessed using teacher reports and peer nominations. Each child was individually interviewed at school to assess perspective taking ability, interpersonal understanding, prosocial moral reasoning, and empathy. The maturity in reasoning about the social world, positive orientation toward others and sensitivity to other's distress (both social-cognitively as well as behaviorally) are salient characteristics of children who are highly accepted by their peers at school at each grade level. The relationship between social cognition and child's peer acceptance seems to be mediated by the child's social behavior.

This study provides a test of how personality may shape social behaviors in a long-lasting dyad: the parent-adolescent relationship. In a large Belgian community sample, it was examined which parent Big Five characteristics were related to parenting and whether adolescent Big Five characteristics elicited certain parenting behaviors. Further, the proposition that individual differences are amplified under stress was examined by exploring whether parent personality was differentially related to parenting for parents of "easy" versus "difficult" adolescents. Moreover, possible differences in associations across parental and adolescent gender were explored. Mothers (N = 467) and fathers (N = 428) reported on their personality using the Five-Factor Personality Inventory; adolescents (N = 475) assessed their personality with the Hierarchical Personality Inventory for Children. Two types of parenting behaviors, overreactive discipline and warmth, were assessed 2 years later by parent self-reports, partner reports, and adolescent reports, from which multi-informant latent factors were created. Results indicate that parental personality was more relevant than adolescent personality for explaining overreactivity, but parent and adolescent personality were similarly relevant in explaining warmth. Especially parental and adolescent Agreeableness and adolescent Extraversion were important predictors of both types of parenting. Associations between parental personality and parenting were similarly related to parents of easy versus difficult adolescents, and for mothers and fathers parenting daughters or sons. Together, results show that parent characteristics as well as adolescent characteristics importantly affect dysfunctional and adaptive parenting.

Building on prior cross-sectional work, this longitudinal study evaluated the proposition that maternal and paternal overreactive and authoritative parenting mediates the effect of child personality characteristics on externalizing behavior. Data from the Flemish Study on Parenting, Personality, and Problem Behavior were used in a moderated mediation analysis (N=434). Teachers rated children's Big Five characteristics, fathers and mothers rated their parenting, and 3 years later, children rated their externalizing behavior. Mediational analysis revealed both direct and indirect effects. Higher levels of Extraversion and lower levels of Benevolence were related directly to higher levels of child externalizing behavior. Higher levels of paternal authoritative parenting and lower levels of maternal overreactivity were related to lower scores on externalizing behavior. In addition, the relation between Benevolence, Emotional Stability, and externalizing behavior was partially mediated by parental overreactivity. Conscientiousness had an indirect effect on externalizing behavior through paternal authoritative parenting. Relations were not moderated by child gender. This study is of theoretical interest because the results demonstrate that parenting is a mediating mechanism that accounts for associations between personality and externalizing behavior.

The aim of this pilot study was to examine the possible effects of a forum theatre intervention on moral team atmosphere, moral reasoning, fair play attitude and on- and off-field antisocial and prosocial behaviour in male adolescent soccer players from 10 to 18 years of age (n = 99). From pre-test to post-test, small but positive changes were found in moral atmosphere, but not in moral reasoning or fair play attitude. Changes were also found in on-field antisocial behaviour, which showed a significant decrease one month after the intervention. However, the changes in antisocial behaviour were not affected by the changes in moral team atmosphere. Off-field antisocial behaviour and both on- and off-field prosocial behaviour did not show a significant change. The results suggest that more extended efforts built on a similar approach are worth investigating. © 2010 Journal of Moral Education Ltd.

This study examined relationships between parents' child-rearing style, the child's prosocial behavior, and the child's sociometric status. The sample consisted of 112 children (6-11 years of age) and both their parents. Parental behavior in the interaction with the child was observed at home when parents and child worked together in 2 structured tasks. Factor analyses of parental behavior revealed that 2 factors, Authoritative/Democratic and Authoritarian/Restrictive, can be found in the subsamples of mothers and fathers. These 2 dimensions of maternal and paternal behavior appeared to be predictive of both the child's prosocial behavior and sociometric status. Results are discussed in terms of the possible link between parent and peer systems. A child's acceptance by a peer group plays an important role in his or her social and personality development. Peer rejection seems to be a reasonably stable phenomenon (Coie & Dodge, 1983; Rogosch & Newcomb, 1989) and is predictive of later social maladjustment (Cowen, Pederson, Babigian, Izzo, & Trost, 1973; Parker & Asher, 1987). Most of the research concerned with the determinants of a child's sociometric status in the peer group have focused primarily on children's behavioral and social cognitive characteristics. The role that parents may play in the development and maintenance of their child's sociometric status was generally ignored, although it is logical to assume that at least some of a child's social skills necessary for successful interaction with peers are learned through the parent-child interactions (Hartup, 1979). Several studies showed that a child's sociometric status in the peer group is related to socialization factors present in the parent-child system (Finnie & Russell, 1988; MacDonald, 1987; MacDonald & Parke, 1984; Parke et al., 1989; Peery, Jensen, & Adams, 1985; Putallaz & Heflin, 1990; Roopnarine & Adams, 1987). Very few studies, however, examined the mediating link in this relationship. What aspects of social competence do children learn in the parent-child setting that transfer directly or indirectly to their relationship with peers? One possibility that has been examined in recent research is that parent-child interaction influences children's sociometric status by affecting the child's social cognitive (or processing) skills, including social problem solving (Pettit, Dodge, & Brown, 1988; Putallaz, 1987) and the child's expectations of the outcome of social strategies (Hart, Ladd, & Burleson, 1990). However, in the context of the family, the child acquires not only many of the social cognitive skills, but also a behavioral pattern that might be important for a successful adaptation to