title: Stressful life experiences and peer externalizing behaviors mediate the relation between reduced family support and externalizing symptoms in low-income urban youth.
abstract: Family support, urban stressors, and peer behavior were examined in relation to externalizing symptoms in 605 predominantly low-income urban sixth through eighth grade adolescents. Mother and father support were each associated with lower levels of externalizing symptoms in both males and females. For males, father absence was associated with increased peer externalizing behavior and heightened rates of youth externalizing symptoms. Stress (in the form of major life events, daily hassles, and exposure to violence) and peer externalizing behavior were examined as mediators of the relation between parent support and youth externalizing symptoms. Increased stress exposure mediated the relation between weak mother and father support and youth externalizing symptoms. Additionally, for females, peer externalizing behavior mediated the relation between weak mother support and youth externalizing symptoms.
authors: a Department of Psychology , DePaul University , Chicago , Illinois , USA.
authors: Trina M
authors: TM
authors: Davis
authors: Amanda E
authors: AE
authors: Wagstaff
authors: Kathryn E
authors: KE
authors: Grant
authors: Jeremy A
authors: JA
authors: Taylor
authors: Russell A
authors: RA
authors: Carleton
authors: Olivia
authors: O
authors: Masini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D011203:Poverty; D012307:Risk Factors; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D014754:Violence
keywords: family support; peers; poverty; stress; urban; youth