Perceived Parental Behavior and Peer Affiliations among Urban African American Adolescents.

This article examines the role of parenting behavior in adolescents' peer group formation using a sample of 238 African American adolescents living in urban public housing projects. The study also assesses the moderating effect of age and gender on the relationship between parenting behavior and peer affiliations. Girls reported significantly higher parental supervision than boys. No gender differences were detected for parental encouragement and support. Results from the multivariate analysis suggest that parental supervision and encouragement may have a protective effect against affiliation with delinquent peers. Results from this analysis have implications for social work practice, remediating negative developmental trajectories among this vulnerable population. KEY WORDS: adolescents; African American; delinquent peer affiliation; parental encouragement; parental supervision; public housing ********** The important role that parents play in the lives of their children and adolescent offspring is well documented in the professional literature (Brown, Mounts, Lamborn, & Steinberg, 1993; Henricson & Roker, 2000; Liddle, Rowe, Dakof, & Lyke, 1998; Maccoby, 1992; Smetana, 1999). Research has found that supportive and supervising parents are associated with adolescent self-esteem and involvement in prosocial activities (Dekovic & Meeus, 1997; Hoelter & Harper, 1987; Rice, 1990; Spoth, Redmond, Hockaday, & Yoo, 1996). Parental expectation has been indicated as a major predictor of academic performance; parents' involvement in their adolescents' decision making has been found to be associated with self-confidence and self-reliance (Baumrind, 1991). In line with these observations, Bowlby (1973) argued that parental monitoring and support are also important for an adolescent to develop a healthy sense of autonomy. Others (see, for example, Parker & Benson, 2004) underscore this argument by suggesting that parental monitoring provides guidance that enables adolescents to navigate, legitimate, and avoid illegitimate opportunity structures. Conversely, a lack of parental support and monitoring is cited as a correlate of adolescent substance use and delinquent behavior (Barnes, Farrell, & Cairns, 1986; Brown et al., 1993; Clark & Shields, 1997; Hundleby & Mercer, 1987; Simons, Lin, & Gordon, 1998). Also, parental modeling of deviant behavior has been indicated as a correlate of adolescent delinquent behavior and delinquent peer affiliation (Massey & Krohn, 1986; Oetting & Beauvais 1986a). The association between parents' knowledge of adolescents' peer affiliates and adolescents' involvement in antisocial behavior has also been reported by others (Ary et al., 1999; Barber, 1992; Dishion & McMahon 1998; Forehand, Miller, Dutra, & Chance, 1997; Frick, 1993). The evidence reviewed suggests that parental knowledge may be an important predictor of adolescents' behavior. Despite this evidence, parents still express concern about the effects of peer pressure on adolescents' behavior. Caregivers worry that associating with the wrong crowd might push their children into antisocial behaviors. Are parents helpless in this regard? Does parenting behavior affect an adolescent's peer affiliation? If so, what are the implications for social work practice with adolescents? Traditionally, scholars have assumed that caregiver influences on children diminish as children enter adolescence and adopt other reference groups over which the parent has little control (Berndt, 1979; Coleman, 1961). Indeed, there is some evidence to suggest that early adolescence is marked by an increase in peer identification and a decline in reliance on parental opinion (Berndt; Riesman, 1961). Dishion and colleagues (1991) found a reduction in parental influence in middle childhood predicts children's affiliation with deviant peer group in early adolescence, after controlling for prior levels of peer rejection and antisocial behavior. …