Keywords

Latino adolescent, substance use, peer influence, inter-parental conflict, parenting

Abstract

Substance use among Latino adolescents continues to be a growing concern for researchers and clinicians. This paper reviews relevant literature regarding the impact of inter-parental conflict (IPC), deviant peer associations (DPA) and parenting behaviors, namely as parental support, psychological control, and parental monitoring knowledge on substance use among Latino adolescents. Although mediating models of IPC and similar parenting behaviors on adolescent externalizing behaviors have been represented in empirical studies, none have included the influence of peer associations or have analyzed these factors with substance use among Latino adolescents in the U.S. This study investigated direct relationships of IPC and DPA with adolescent substance use, and tested parental support, psychological control and parental monitoring knowledge as mediators between those relationships in Latino adolescents. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze direct and indirect relationships of the variables mentioned among 744 Latino adolescents. Results indicated that DPA was positively associated with substance use, parental monitoring knowledge was negatively associated with substance use and that parental monitoring knowledge partially mediated the relationship between DPA and substance use. Implications of the findings are discussed in terms of areas of focus for interventions.

Original Publication Citation

*Pereyra, S., & Bean, R. A. (2017). Latino adolescent substance use: A mediating model of inter-parental conflict, deviant peer associations, and parenting behaviors. Children and Youth Services Review, 76, 154-162.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2017-03-10

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/7806

Publisher

Children and Youth Services Review

Language

English

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Family Life

University Standing at Time of Publication

Associate Professor

Download

Share

COinS