Parental Monitoring of Adolescents: How Does Parental Involvement Matter?

Међународна научна конференција Васпитање и образовање између теорије и праксе, 24. 10. 2025. (књига 1, 53-64. стр.) 

 

АУТОР(И) / AUTHOR(S): Marina Lepojević , Nikoleta Gutvajn , Danica Radaković Serdar

 

Download Full Pdf   

DOI:  10.46793/zbVO25UEI.053L

САЖЕТАК / ABSTRACT:

Parental monitoring is recognized as one of the most important factors in the adjustment of children and adolescents. Contemporary interpretations of parental monitoring emphasize the importance of parents knowing where their children and adolescents are, who they are with, and how they spend their time when unsupervised. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between parental monitoring and parental involvement, from the parents’ perspective. Additionally, the study seeks to explore indirect relations between parental involvement, and parental knowledge with sources of parental knowledge (adolescent self-disclosure, parental solicitation and parental control) as a mediating factor. The sample consisted of 216 parents (82.1% female). Data on parental involvement were collected using the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire and assessed using the Parental Monitoring Scale. The results indicate that parental gender and age, parental involvement, parental solicitation, child self-disclosure, and parental control account for 60.4% of the variance in parental knowledge. No direct link was found between parental involvement and parental knowledge, while the indirect effects of parental involvement on parental knowledge were found for paren tal solicitation (Z = 5.942; p < .001), and parental control (Z = 3.079; p < .01). The findings are discussed considering the significance of active parental involvement during adolescence.

КЉУЧНЕ РЕЧИ / KEYWORDS:

parental monitoring, parental involvement, parental knowledge, parental control, parental solicitation.

ПРОЈЕКАТ / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

ЛИТЕРАТУРА / REFERENCES:

  • Cutrín, O., Maneiro, L., Chowdhury, Y., Kulish, S. S., Marsiglia, F. F. & Gómez Fraguela, J. A. (2022). Longitudinal Associations between Parental Support and Parental Knowledge on Behavioral and Emotional Problems in Adolescents. J Youth Adolescence 51, 1169–1180. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01559-0
  • De Los Reyes A, Ehrlich KB, Swan AJ, Luo TJ, Van Wie, M. & Pabón, S. C. (2013). An Experimental Test of Whether Informants can Report About Child and Family Behavior Based on Settings of Behavioral Expression. J Child Fam Stud, 22(2), 177–191. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-012-9567-3
  • De Los Reyes, A., Goodman, K. L., Kliewer, W. & Reid-Quiñones, K. (2010). The longitudinal consistency of mother-child reporting discrepancies of parental monitoring and their ability to predict child delinquent behaviors two years later. J Youth Adolesc., 39(12), 1417–30. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-009-9496-7.
  • Desforges, C. & Abouchaar, A. (2003). The Impact of Parental Involvement, Parental Support and Family Education on Pupil Achievement and Adjustment: a Review of Literature. London: DFES Publications.
  • Dishion, T. J. & McMahon, R. J. (1998). Parental monitoring and the prevention of child and adolescent problem behavior: A conceptual and empirical formulation. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 1(1), 61–75. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021800432380
  • Donovick, M. & Rodríguez, M. M. D. (2008). Parenting practices among first generation Spanish-speaking Latino families: A Spanish version of the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire. Graduate Student Journal of Psychology, 10, 52–63.
  • Essau, C. A., Sasagawa, S. & Frick, P. J. (2006). Callous-unemotional traits in a community sample of adolescents. Assessment, 13(4), 454–469. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191106287354
  • Frick, P. J. (1991). Alabama parenting questionnaire. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/t58031-000
  • Hamza, C. A. & Willoughby, T. (2011). Perceived parental monitoring, adolescent disclosure, and adolescent depressive symptoms: A longitudinal examination. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 40, 902–915. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-010-9604-8
  • Kapetanovic, S. & Boson, K. (2022). Discrepancies in parents’ and adolescents’ reports on parent-adolescent communication and associations to adolescents’ psychological health. Curr Psychol, 41, 4259–4270. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-00911-0
  • Kapetanovic, S., Boele, S. & Skoog, T. (2019). Parent-Adolescent Communication and Adolescent Delinquency: Unraveling Within-Family Processes from Between-Family Differences. J Youth Adolescence, 48, 1707–1723.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-019-01043-w
  • Keijsers, L. (2016). Parental monitoring and adolescent problem behaviors: How much do we really know?. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 40(3), 271–281. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025415592515
  • Keijsers, L., Branje, S. J. T., van der Valk, I. E. & Meeus, W. H. J. (2010). Reciprocal effects between parental solicitation, parental control, adolescent disclosure, and adolescent delinquency. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 20(1), 88–113. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-7795.2009.00631.
  • Kerr, M., Stattin, H. & Burk, W. J. (2010). A reinterpretation of parental monitoring in longitudinal perspective. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 20(1), 39–64. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-7795.2009.00623.x
  • Kovačević-Lepojević, M. (2018). Correlation of parental monitoring and externalising problem behaviour in secondary school students. (Doctoral Dissertation). University of Belgrade.
  • Laird, R. D., Marrero, M. D., Melching, J. A. & Kuhn, E. S. (2013). Information management strategies in early adolescence: Developmental change in use and transactional associations with psychological adjustment. Developmental Psychology, 49, 928–937. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0028845
  • Loeber, R. & Stouthamer-Loeber, M. (1986). Family factors as correlates and predictors of juvenile conduct problems and delinquency. In M. H. Tonry & N. Morris (еds.): Crime and Justice: An Annual Review of Researchvol, 7 (pp. 29–149). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  • Patterson, G. R. & Stouthamer-Loeber, M. (1984). The correlation of family management practices and delinquency. Child Development, 55(4), 1299– 1307. https://doi.org/10.2307/1129999
  • Pettit, G. S. & Laird, R. D. (2002). Psychological control and monitoring in early adolescence: The role of parental involvement and earlier child adjustment. In B. K. Barber (еds.): Intrusive parenting: How psychological control affects children and adolescents (pp. 97–123). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10422-004
  • Reitz, E., Deković, M. & Meijer, A. M. (2006). Relations between parenting and externalizing and internalizing problem behaviour in early adolescence: Child behaviour as moderator and predictor. Journal of Adolescence, 29(3), 419–436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2005.08.003
  • Smetana, J. G. & Metzger, A. (2008). Don’t ask, don’t tell (your mom and dad): Disclosure and nondisclosure in adolescent–parent relationships. In M. Kerr, H. Stattin & R. C. M. E. Engels (еds.): What Can Parents Do? New Insights into the Role of Parents in Adolescent Problem Behavior (pp. 65–87). John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470774113.ch3
  • Soenens, B., Vansteenkiste, M., Luyckx, K. & Goossens, L. (2006). Parenting and adolescent problem behavior: An integrated model with adolescent selfdisclosure and perceived parental knowledge as intervening variables. Developmental Psychology, 42(2), 305–318. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.42.2.305
  • Stattin H. & Kerr M. (2000). Parental monitoring: A reinterpretation. Child Development, 71, 1072–1085. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00210
  • Waizenhofer, R. N., Buchanan, C. M. & Jackson-Newsom, J. (2004). Mothers’ and fathers’ knowledge of adolescents’ daily activities: Its sources and its links with adolescent adjustment. Journal of Family Psychology, 18(2), 348–360. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.18.2.348