PARENTING QUALITY, ADVERSITY, AND CONDUCT PROBLEMS IN ADOLESCENCE - TESTING PROCESS-ORIENTED MODELS OF RESILIENCE

Structural equation modeling was used (a) to determine the extent to w hich parent-related and non-parent-related adversity were associated w ith increases in conduct problems between childhood and adolescence an d (b) to evaluate the possible preventive, compensatory, and moderatin g effects of parenting quality in this regard. Subjects were 180 boys and girls from the Project Competence longitudinal study of adversity, competence, and resilience (Garmezy and Tellegen, 1984). Conduct prob lems, parenting quality, and socioeconomic status were assessed when s ubjects were in the third through sixth grades, and adversity and cond uct problems were assessed again 7 years later. Results were consisten t with the view that parent-related adversity experienced between the two assessment times was associated with a small increase in conduct p roblems. Adversity involving siblings, extended family, and friends wa s not associated with changes in conduct. Effective parenting was asso ciated with less parent-related adversity during adolescence. Effectiv e parenting, however, did not directly compensate for the negative eff ects of adversity; nor did it moderate the effects of adversity. Struc tural equation modeling was helpful in testing for several of these ef fects simultaneously. Short-term longitudinal studies with baseline me asures, more frequent assessments, and adequate sample size are necess ary to clarify the processes suggested by these results.