Sunday, 16 January 2005 - 8:45 AM

This presentation is part of: Violent Behavior in Adolescents

Predicting Antisocial Behavior Among Latino youths: An Ecological Systems Analysis

Purpose: This study analyzed data from a national sample of 10- through 14-year-old Latino youths to assess the social-demographic factors (youths’ Latino origin, gender, age; mothers’ teenaged birth, years of education, acculturation; average adult-to-child ratio, proportion of youths’ lives poor), influences in the broader social environment (peer pressure; school and neighborhood quality), and parenting practices in the microsystem of the home (parent-youth conflict, parent-youth attachment, physical punishment, mothers’ monitoring) that predict antisocial behavior. The analysis specifically examined the independent influence of poverty on youth antisocial behavior and the factors that mediate or explain that relation.

Methods: Data were extracted from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) and the NLSY mother-child datasets. Three hierarchical cumulative (ordered) logistic regression models were estimated. The first model included only the social-demographic variables. In the second model, the school and neighborhood variables were added; and in the final model, variables measuring parenting practices were added. In order to determine if influences in the broader social environment and parenting practices mediated the effect of poverty on antisocial behavior, the criteria established by Baron and Kenney (1986) was used.

Results: Males and youths who lived a higher proportion of their lives in poverty exhibited higher levels of antisocial behavior, and mothers’ acculturation was associated with lower levels. Low quality neighborhood and school environments, exposure to deviant peer pressure, and three parenting practices--parent-youth attachment, physical punishment, and mothers’ monitoring–were related to Latino youth antisocial behavior. Neighborhood quality and peer pressure explained the relation between poverty and an increased risk for antisocial behavior.

Practice and Policy Implications: Findings indicate that before intervening with Latino youths exhibiting antisocial behavior, social workers should assess gender-specific risks, mother’s acculturation level, economic resources, and interactions in at least four systems: the neighborhood, school, peer group, and family. Multi-systemic treatment of antisocial behavior, which focuses on treating the youth, family, and relationships in the youth’s peer group and school environment, appears to be particularly applicable. Social policy that reduce poverty and increase access to better quality neighborhoods and schools also might decrease the risk of Latino youth antisocial behavior.

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