Abstract
Parental involvement is positively associated with children’s psychological development and school outcomes; however, there is limited longitudinal evidence for how home-based parental involvement contributes to adolescents adapting positively to the school environment. The current study examined whether and how home-based parental involvement impacts socio-emotional adjustment during the first year of middle school using a stress coping perspective and attachment theory. Two waves of data from the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS, 2013–2014 and 2014–2015) were analyzed. A total of 8475 Chinese students in grade 7 and their parents were selected from the CEPS database. We examined the effects of two types of home-based parental involvement (i.e., parent–adolescent communication and time spent with children, reported by the adolescent’s father or mother) on adolescents’ socio-emotional adjustment (reported by the adolescents). The mediating role of the parent–adolescent relationship and adolescents’ support-seeking in the relationship between home-based parental involvement and adolescents’ socio-emotional adjustment was also investigated. Our results reveal that two types of home-based parental involvement positively predicted adolescents’ socio-emotional adjustment over time. Furthermore, the results of our four mediation models indicate that two types of home-based parental involvement were positively associated with adolescents’ socio-emotional adjustment via increased adolescents’ support-seeking and a close parent–adolescent relationship. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Highlights
-
The importance of parent-adolescent communications and parent-adolescent activities on student socio-emotional well-being in the first year in middle school with national longitudinal data.
-
A high-quality of parent-adolescent relationship mediates the association between home-based parental involvement and adolescents’ socio-emotional adjustment.
-
Home-based parental involvement can facilitate adolescents’ socio-emotional adjustment by encouraging support-seeking from parents.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
All data are available and can be obtained by emailing: zhaodecheng@bnu.edu.cn.
References
Akin, B. A., Johnson‐Motoyama, M., Davis, S., Paceley, M., & Brook, J. (2018). Parent perspectives of engagement in the strengthening families program: An evidence‐based intervention for families in child welfare and affected by parental substance use. Child & Family Social Work, 23(4), 735–742. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12470
Anderman, E. M., & Mueller, C. (2010). Middle school transitions and early adolescent development. In J. L. Meece, & J. S. Eccles (Eds.), Handbook of research on schools, schooling, and human development (pp. 198–215). Routledge
Anthony, W. L., Zhu, Y., & Nower, L. (2021). The relationship of interactive technology use for entertainment and school performance and engagement: Evidence from a longitudinal study in a nationally representative sample of middle school students in China. Computers in Human Behavior, 122, 106846. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2021.106846
Bowlby, J. (1982). Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Attachment. Basic Books
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). Contexts of child rearing: Problems and prospects. American Psychologist, 34(10), 844–850. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.34.10.844
Bronstein, P., Ginsburg, G. S., & Herrera, I. S. (2005). Parental predictors of motivational orientation in early adolescence: A longitudinal study. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 34, 559–575. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-005-8946-0
Cao, H., Liang, Y., & Zhou, N. (2020). Proximal interpersonal processes in early childhood, socio-emotional capacities in middle childhood, and behavioral and social adaptation in early adolescence: A process model toward greater specificity. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 48, 1395–1410. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-020-00696-7
Cavanaugh, A. M., Supple, A. J., Stein, G. L., Helms, H. M., Plunkett, S. W., & Sands, T. (2017). Examining predictors of Mexican American adolescents’ coping typologies: Maternal and paternal behaviors and adolescent gender. Journal of Family Issues, 38(6), 755–775. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X15580164
Chien, N. C., & East, P. L. (2012). The younger siblings of childbearing adolescents: Parenting influences on their academic and social-emotional adjustment. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 41, 1280–1293
Coates, E. E., & Phares, V. (2019). Pathways linking nonresident father involvement and child outcomes. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 28, 1681–1694. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01389-6
Davidson, T. M., & Cardemil, E. V. (2009). Parent–child communication and parental involvement in Latino adolescents. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 29(1), 99–121. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272431608324480
Enders, C. K. (2010). Applied missing data analysis. Guilford
Fantuzzo, J., McWayne, C., Perry, M. A., & Childs, S. (2004). Multiple dimensions of family involvement and their relations to behavioral and learning competencies for urban, low-income children. School Psychology Review, 33(4), 467–480. https://doi.org/10.1080/02796015.2004.12086262
Fraley, R. C., & Roisman, G. I. (2019). The development of adult attachment styles: Four lessons. Current Opinion in Psychology, 25, 26–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.02.008
Gentzler, A. L., Contreras-Grau, J. M., Kerns, K. A., & Weimer, B. L. (2010). Parent–child emotional communication and children’s coping in middle childhood. Social Development, 14(4), 591–612. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9507.2005.00319.x
Groh, A. M., Fearon, R. M. P., van Ijzendoorn, M. H., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., & Roisman, G. I. (2017). Attachment in the early life course: Meta-analytic evidence for its role in socioemotional development. Child Development Perspectives, 11(1), 70–76. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12213
Harrison, S. E., Li, X., Zhang, J., Zhao, J., & Zhao, G. (2018). A randomized controlled trial of a resilience-based intervention for children affected by parental HIV: Educational outcomes at 24-, 30-, and 36-months. School Psychology International, 39(2), 170–195. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034318760114
Hassett, A., Green, C., & Zundel, T. (2018). Parental involvement: A grounded theory of the role of parents in adolescent help seeking for mental health problems. SAGE Open, 8(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244018807786
Hill, N. E., & Tyson, D. F. (2009). Parental involvement in middle school: A meta-analytic assessment of the strategies that promote achievement. Developmental Psychology, 45(3), 740–763. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0015362
Jiang, S., & Dong, L. (2020). The effects of teacher discrimination on depression among migrant adolescents: Mediated by school engagement and moderated by poverty status. Journal of Affective Disorders, 275, 260–267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.07.029
Kline, R. (2005). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. New York, NY: Guilford Press
Kokkinos, C. M., & Vlavianou, E. (2021). The moderating role of emotional intelligence in the association between parenting practices and academic achievement among adolescents. Current Psychology, 40(9), 4333–4347. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00343-5
Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. Springer publishing company
Lechuga-Peña, S., Brown, S. M., Mitchell, F. M., Becerra, D., & Brisson, D. (2020). Improving parent–child relationships: Effects of the your family, your neighborhood intervention. Children and Youth Services Review, 119, 105690. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105690
Li, C., Jiang, S., Fan, X., & Zhang, Q. (2020). Exploring the impact of marital relationship on the mental health of children: Does parent–child relationship matter? Journal of Health Psychology, 25(10–11), 1669–1680. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105318769348
Li, M., Xue, H., Wang, W., Wen, M., & Wang, Y. (2017a). Increased obesity risks for being an only child in China: Findings from a nationally representative study of 19,487 children. Public Health, 153, 44–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2017.07.002
Li, X., Harrison, S. E., Fairchild, A. J., Chi, P., Zhao, J., & Zhao, G. (2017b). A randomized controlled trial of a resilience-based intervention on psychosocial well-being of children affected by HIV/AIDS: Effects at 6- and 12-month follow-up. Social Science & Medicine, 190, 256–264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.02.007
Li, Y., Hu, T., Ge, T., & Auden, E. (2019). The relationship between home-based parental involvement, parental educational expectation and academic performance of middle school students in mainland China: A mediation analysis of cognitive ability. International Journal of Educational Research, 97, 139–153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2019.08.003
Liu, Q., Pan, H., Huang, Y., & Pei, Y. (2022). Left-behind status and bullying in Chinese rural children: The roles of parental supervision and support and friends in puppy love. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 37(5–6), 2729–2750. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260520936368
Liu, Y., & Jiang, Q. (2020). Who benefits from being an only child? A study of parent–child relationship among Chinese junior high school students. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 608995. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.608995
Ma, G., & Wu, Q. (2019). Social capital and educational inequality of migrant children in contemporary China: A multilevel mediation analysis. Children and Youth Services Review, 99, 165–171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.02.002
Mackinnon, D. P., Lockwood, C. M., & Williams, J. (2004). Confidence limits for the indirect effect: Distribution of the product and resampling methods. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 39(1), 99. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327906mbr3901_4
Mordeno, I. G., Gallemit, I. M. J. S., Lantud, S. S. B., & Hall, B. J. (2019). Personal psychological resources mediate parent–child relationship and mental health among left‐behind children. PsyCh Journal, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/pchj.288
Nagai, S. (2015). Predictors of help-seeking behavior: Distinction between help-seeking intentions and help-seeking behavior. Japanese Psychological Research, 57(4), 313–322. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpr.12091
Niu, G., Chai, H., Li, Z., Wu, L., Sun, X., & Zhou, Z. (2020). Online parent-child communication and left-behind children’s subjective well-being: The effects of parent-child relationship and gratitude. Child Indicators Research, 13, 967–980
Puccioni, J., Froiland, J. M., Moeyaert, M. Desir, S., & Galimore, Z. (2021). Associations among African American parents’ beliefs, involvement, and measures of school readiness. Journal of Child and Family Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-021-02092-1
Rasmussen, E., Shannon, K., & Pitchford, B. (2021). Adolescents’ disclosure of mental illness to parents: Preferences and barriers. Journal of Health Communication, 26(6), 361–370. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2020.1839201
Roeters, A., van der Lippe, T., & Kluwer, E. S. (2010). Work characteristics and parent–child relationship quality: The mediating role of temporal involvement. Journal of Marriage and Family, 72(5), 1317–1328. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00767.x
Roeters, A., & Van Houdt, K. (2019). Parent–child activities, paid work interference, and child mental health. Family Relations, 68(2), 232–245. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12355
Ryan, A. M. (2011). Peer relationships and academic adjustment during early adolescence. Journal of Early Adolescence, 31, 5–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272431610387605
Serna, C., & Martínez, I. (2019). Parental involvement as a protective factor in school adjustment among retained and promoted secondary students. Sustainability, 11(24). https://doi.org/10.3390/su11247080
Shumow, L., & Lomax, R. (2002). Parental efficacy: Predictor of parenting behavior and adolescent outcomes. Parenting, 2(2), 127–150. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327922PAR0202_03
Tan, E. T., & Goldberg, W. A. (2009). Parental school involvement in relation to children’s grades and adaptation to school. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 30(4), 442–453. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2008.12.023
Taris, T. W., & Kompier, M. A. (2006). Games researchers play—Extreme-groups analysis and mediation analysis in longitudinal occupational health research. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 32(6), 463–472. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.105
Trost, K., Eichas, K., Ferrer-Wreder, L., & Galanti, M. R. (2020). The study of family context: Examining its role for identity coherence and adolescent adjustment for Swedish adolescents. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 40(2), 165–196. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272431619833479
Vollet, J. W., Kindermann, T. A., & Skinner, E. A. (2017). In peer matters, teachers matter: Peer group influences on students’ engagement depend on teacher involvement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 109(5), 635–652. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000172
Wang, F., Lin, L., Lu, J., Cai, J., Xu, J., & Zhou, X. (2020). Mental health and substance use in urban left-behind children in China: A growing problem. Children and Youth Services Review, 116, 105135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105135
Wang, M. (2009). School climate support for behavioral and psychological adjustment: Testing the mediating effect of social competence. School Psychology Quarterly, 24(4), 240–251. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0017999
Weisskirch, R. S. (2011). No crossed wires: Cell phone communication in parent–adolescent relationships. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 14(7–8), 447–451. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2009.0455
Wolchik, S. A., Coxe, S., Tein, J. Y., Sandler, I. N., & Ayers, T. S. (2009). Six-year longitudinal predictors of posttraumatic growth in parentally bereaved adolescents and young adults. OMEGA-Journal of Death and Dying, 58(2), 107–128
Xu, J., & Corno, L. (2003). Family help and homework management reported by middle school students. Elementary School Journal, 103, 503–517. https://doi.org/10.1086/499737
Ying, L., Ma, F., Huang, H., Guo, X., Chen, C., & Xu, F. (2015). Parental monitoring, parent-adolescent communication, and adolescents’ trust in their parents in China. PloS one, 10(8), e0134730
Zheng, X., Wang, C., Shen, Z., & Fang, X. (2020). Associations of private tutoring with Chinese students’ academic achievement, emotional well-being, and parent–child relationship. Children and Youth Services Review, 112, 104934. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.104934
Acknowledgements
Data used in this study were from China Education Panel Survey (CEPS) 2013–2014, and 2014–2015, originally collected by the National Survey Research Center at Renmin University. The authors appreciate the assistance in providing data of 2013–2014 and 2014–2015 CEPS. In addition, we thank Jo Nash Ph.D, from Liwen Bianji (Edanz) (www.liwenbianji.cn/) for editing the language of a draft of this manuscript.
Funding
This research receives support by the Chinese Postdoctoral Science Foundation [2021M690427], and the Philosophy and Social Science Foundation of Guangdong Province [GD20XJY04].
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Q.L. conceived of the study, participated in its design and coordination and drafted the manuscript; Z.C. participated in the design of the study and performed the statistical analysis and drafted the manuscript; D.Z. conceived of the study, and participated in its design and coordination and helped to draft the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
Consent to Participate
Informed consent was obtained from all participants included in the study.
Ethical Approval
The China Education Panel Survey was approved by the Institutional Review Board at the Renmin University of China.
Additional information
Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Li, Q., Cao, Z. & Zhao, D. Home-based Parental Involvement and Early Adolescents’ Socio-emotional Adjustment at Middle School in China: A Longitudinal Exploration of Mediating Mechanisms. J Child Fam Stud 32, 2153–2163 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-023-02594-0
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-023-02594-0