ADOLESCENT PROBLEM BEHAVIOR - THE EFFECT OF PEERS AND THE MODERATING ROLE OF FATHER ABSENCE AND THE MOTHER-CHILD-RELATIONSHIP

Examined the effect of peer problem behavior, the absence of a father or equivalent in the home, and the mother-adolescent relationship as p redictors of adolescent problem behavior in a sample of 112 African Am erican adolescents. Statistical analyses compared a moderator model to a mediational model and a cumulative risk model. As predicted the mod erator model was superior to the alternative models. Specifically, whe reas the mediational model predicted that the effect of father absence and the mother-child relationship upon adolescent problem behavior wo uld be mediated by peer problem behavior, neither effected peer proble m behavior or adolescent problem behavior. Similarly, a cumulative ris k index did not predict either child reprint reports of problem behavi or and was not sensitive to specific contingencies that existed betwee n the predictor variables. In contrast, an interactive moderator model described the data quite well. This model suggested that father or eq uivalent absence magnifies the negative impact of peer problem behavio r, while a positive mother-adolescent relationship attenuates this ris k. A strong mother-adolescent relationship also served to protect adol escents in father-absent homes from the risk of peer problem behavior.