Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T06:42:18.217Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Contextual Variables Associated with Psychosocial Adjustment of Adolescents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 June 2013

Juliana Burges Sbicigo*
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil)
Débora Dalbosco Dell’Aglio
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Juliana Burges Sbicigo. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Instituto de Psicologia, Departamento de Psicologia do Desenvolvimento e da Personalidade. Av. Ramiro Barcelos, 2600/sala 115. CEP: 90035-003. Porto Alegre/RS. (Brazil). Phone: +51-33165253. Fax: +51-33165473. E-mail: julianasbicigo@gmail.com

Abstract

This study investigated associations of contextual variables of risk (stressful events and exposure to community violence), variables of protection (family environment, connectivity to the school and community perceptions) and demographic variables (gender and age) with indicators of psychosocial adjustment (self-esteem, involvement in illegal activities and alcohol use in past month) among adolescents. The participants were 685 students (61.5% girls) aged between 12 and 18 years (M = 15.10, SD = 1.52) of public schools in southern Brazil. They answered a questionnaire with 77 questions and an inventory for assessment of family relationships. Logistic regression analyses indicated that the negative perception of family environment, poor connectivity to the school and exposure to community violence were associated with low self-esteem. Involvement in illegal activities was associated with low connectivity to school, stressful events, exposure to community violence and male sex. Finally, alcohol use/month was associated with negative perception of the community, community violence, stressful events, and particularly at the ages of 15–16 years.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abasse, M., Oliveira, R., Silva, T. C., & Souza, E. (2009). Análise epidemiológica da morbimortalidade por suicídio entre adolescentes em Minas Gerais, Brasil [Epidemiological analysis of morbidity and mortality from suicide among adolescents in Minas Gerais, Brazil]. Ciência & Saúde Coletiva, 14, 407416. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1413-81232009000200010 Google Scholar
Avanci, J., Assis, S., Oliveira, R., Ferreira, R., & Pesce, R. (2007). Fatores associados aos problemas de saúde mental em adolescentes [Associated factors with mental health problems in adolescents]. Psicologia: Teoria e Pesquisa, 23, 287294. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0102-37722007000300007 Google Scholar
Bámaca, M. Y., Umaña-Taylor, A. J., Shin, N., & Alfaro, E. C. (2005). Latino adolescents’ perception of parenting behaviors and self-esteem: Examining the role of neighborhood risk. Family Relations, 54, 621632. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2005.00346.x Google Scholar
Barbetta, P. A. (2001). Estatística aplicada às ciências sociais [Statistics applied to social sciences] . Florianópolis, Brazil: UFSC.Google Scholar
Behnke, A., Plunkett, S., Sands, T., & Bámaca-Colbert, M. (2011). The relationship between latino adolescents’ perceptions of discrimination, neighborhood risk, and parenting on self-esteem and depressive symptoms. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 42, 11791197. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0022022110383424 Google Scholar
Bronfenbrenner, U., & Morris, P. (1998). The ecology of developmental processes. In Damon, W. (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology (pp. 9931027). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Caputo, V., & Bordin, I. (2008). Gravidez na adolescência e uso freqüente de álcool e drogas no contexto familiar [Teenage pregnancy and frequent use of alcohol and drugs in the home Environment]. Revista de Saúde Pública, 42, 402410. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0034-89102008000300003 Google Scholar
Catalano, R. F., Haggerty, K. P., Oesterle, S., Fleming, C. B., & Hawkins, J. D. (2004). The importance of bonding to school for healthy development: Findings from the Social Development Research Group. The Journal of School Health, 74, 252261. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2004.tb08281.x CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dell’Aglio, D. D., Koller, S. H., Cerqueira-Santos, E., & Colaço, V. F. R. (2011). Revisando o Questionário da Juventude Brasileira: Uma nova proposta [Reviewing the Brazilian Youth Questionnaire: A new proposal]. In Dell’Aglio, D. D. & Koller, S. H. (Eds.), Adolescência e Juventude: Vulnerabilidade e contextos de proteção [Adolescence and Youth: Vulnerability and protective contexts] (pp. 259270). São Paulo, Brazil: Casa do Psicólogo.Google Scholar
DeMatteo, D., & Marczyk, G. (2005). Risk factors, protective factors, and the prevention of anti-social behavior among juveniles. In Heilbrun, K., Goldstein, N. E. S. & Redding, R. E. (Eds.), Juvenile delinquency: Prevention, assessment, and intervention (pp.1944). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Dennis, J., Basañez, T., & Farahmand, A. (2010). Intergenerational conflicts among Latinos in early adulthood: Separating values conflicts with parents from acculturation conflicts. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 32, 118135. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0739986309352986 Google Scholar
Dessen, M. A., & Polonia, A. C. (2007). A família e a escola como contextos de desenvolvimento humano [Family and school as context for human development. Paidéia, 17, 2132. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0103-863X2007000100003 Google Scholar
Domburgh, L., Loeber, R. Bezemer, D., Stallings, R., & Stouthamer-Loeber, M. (2009). Childhood predictors of desistance and level of persistence in offending in early onset offenders. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 37, 967980. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10802-009-9329-x Google Scholar
Eichelsheim, V., Buist, K., Dekovic, M., Wissink, I., Frijns, T., Lier, P., … Meeus, W. (2010). Associations among the parent–adolescent relationship, aggression and delinquency in different ethnic groups: A replication across two Dutch samples. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 45, 293300. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00127-009-0071-z CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ennett, S. T., Foshee, V. A., Bauman, K. E., Hussong, A., Faris, R., Hipp, J. R., & Cai, L. (2010). A social contextual analysis of youth cigarette smoking development. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 12, 950962. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntq122 Google Scholar
Gallo, A. E., & Williams, L. C. de, A. (2008). A escola como fator de proteção à conduta infracional de adolescentes [Young offenders: the school as a protective factor for criminal behavior]. Cadernos de Pesquisa, 38, 4159. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0100-15742008000100003 Google Scholar
Gomes, B. M. de, R., Alves, J. G. B., & Nascimento, L. C. (2010). Consumo de álcool entre estudantes de escolas públicas da Região Metropolitana do Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil [Alcohol consumption by public school students in Greater Metropolitan Recife, Pernambuco State, Brazil]. Cadernos de Saúde Pública, 26, 706712. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0102-311X2010000400013 Google Scholar
Haggerty, R., Sherrod, L., Garmezy, N., & Rutter, M. (2000). Stress, risk, and resilience in children and adolescents. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Henry, K., Stanley, L., Edwards, R., Harkabus, L., & Chapin, L. (2009). Individual and contextual effects of school adjustment on adolescent alcohol use. Prevention Science, 10, 236247. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11121-009-0124-2 Google Scholar
Kristensen, C. H., Leon, J. S., D’Incao, D. B., & Dell’Aglio, D. D. (2004). Análise da freqüência e do impacto de eventos estressores em uma amostra de adolescentes [Analysis of the frequency and impact of stressful life events in a sample of adolescentes]. Interação em Psicologia, 8, 4555.Google Scholar
Kurdek, L. A., Fine, M. A., & Sinclair, R. J. (1995). School adjustment in sixth graders: Parenting transitions, family climate, and peer norm effects. Child Development, 66, 430445. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1131588 Google Scholar
Libório, R., & Koller, S. H. (2009). Adolescência e juventude: Risco e proteção na realidade brasileira [Adolescence and youth: Risk and protection in the Brazilian] . São Paulo, Brazil: Casa do Psicólogo.Google Scholar
Lisboa, C., & Koller, S. H. (2004). Interações na escola e processos de aprendizagem: Fatores de risco e proteção [Interactions in school and learning processes: Risk factors and protective]. In Boruchovitch, E. & Bzuneck, J. A. (Eds.), Aprendizagem: Processos psicológicos e o contexto social na escola [Learning: Processes psychological and social context in school] . Petrópolis, Brazil: Vozes.Google Scholar
Loukas, A., Ripperger-Suhler, K. G., & Horton, K. D. (2009). Examining temporal associations between school connectedness and early adolescent adjustment. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 38, 804812. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10964-008-9312-9 Google Scholar
Mayberry, M. L., Espelage, D. L., & Koenig, B. (2009). Multilevel modeling of direct effects and interactions of peers, parents, school, and community influences on adolescent substance use. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 38, 10381049. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10964-009-9425-9 Google Scholar
Morales, J., & Guerra, N. (2006). Effects of multiple context and cumulative stress on urban children’s adjustment in elementary school. Child Development, 77, 907923. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2006.00910.x Google Scholar
Moreira, T. C., Belmonte, E. L., Vieira, F. R., Noto, A. R., Ferigolo, M., & Barros, H. M. T. (2008). A violência comunitária e o abuso de álcool entre adolescentes: Comparação entre sexos [Community violence and alcohol abuse among adolescents: A sex comparison]. Jornal de Pediatria, 84, 244250. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0021-75572008000300010 Google Scholar
Mrug, S., & Windle, M. (2009). Initiation of alcohol use in early adolescence: Links with exposure to community violence across time. Addictive Behaviors, 34, 779781. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2009.04.004 Google Scholar
Mrug, S., Loosier, P., & Windle, M. (2008). Violence exposure across multiple contexts: Individual and joint effects on adjustment. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 78, 7084. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0002-9432.78.1.70 Google Scholar
Musitu, G., Jiménez, T., & Murgui, S. (2007). Funcionamiento familiar, autoestima y consumo de sustancias en adolescentes: Un modelo de mediación [Family functioning, self-esteem and substance use in adolescents: A mediational model]. Salud Pública México, 49, 310. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0036-36342007000100002 Google Scholar
Olson, D., Portner, J., & Lavee, Y. (1985). Faces III. St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota, Family Social Science Google Scholar
Ozer, E. (2005). The impact of violence on urban adolescents: Longitudinal effects of perceived school connection and family support. Journal of Adolescent Research, 20, 167192. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0743558404273072 Google Scholar
Patchin, B. M., Huebner, J. D., McCluskey, S. P., Varano, S. P., & Bynum, T. S. (2006). Exposure to community violence and childhood delinquency. Crime & Delinquency, 52, 307332. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0011128704267476 Google Scholar
Prelow, H., Bowman, M., & Weaver, S. (2007). Predictors of psychosocial well-being in urban African American and European American youth: The role of ecological factors. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 36, 543553. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10964-006-9038-5 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Raffaelli, M., Koller, S., Cerqueira-Santos, E., & Morais, N. (2007). Developmental risks and psychosocial adjustment among low-income Brazilian youth. Development and Psychopathology, 19, 565584. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0954579407070277 Google Scholar
Reppold, C. T., & Hutz, C. (2002, september). Auto-estima entre adolescentes de uma amostra não clínica: Prevalência, fatores influentes e subsídios para intervenção [Self-esteem among adolescents in a nonclinical sample: Prevalence, influencing factors and allowances for intervention]. Paper presented at the I Congresso Brasileiro Psicologia: Ciência e Profissão. São Paulo, Brazil.Google Scholar
Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Secretaria de Direitos Humanos (2008). Levantamento nacional do atendimento socioeducativo ao adolescente em conflito com a lei [National survey of adolescent in conflict with the law in care socio-educational] . Brasília, Brazil: Author Google Scholar
Seligman, M., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive psychology: An introduction. American Psychologist, 55, 514. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037//0003-066X.55.1.5 Google Scholar
Senad - Secretaria Nacional Antidrogas (2010). I levantamento nacional sobre os padrões de consumo de álcool na população brasileira [I National survey on the patterns of alcohol consumption in the Brazilian population] . Brasília, Brazil: Secretaria Nacional Antidrogas.Google Scholar
Shochet, I. M., Dadds, M. R., Ham, D., & Montague, R.(2006). School connectedness is an underemphasized parameter in adolescent mental health: Results of a community prediction study. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 35, 170179. http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/s15374424jccp3502_1 Google Scholar
Smetana, J., Campione-Barr, N., & Metzger, A. (2006). Adolescent development in interpersonal and societal contexts. Annual Review of Psychology, 57, 255284. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.57.102904.190124 Google Scholar
Song, E., Reboussin, B., Foley, K., Kaltenbach, L., Wagoner, K., & Wolfson, M. (2009). Selected community characteristics and underage drinking. Substance Use & Misuse, 44, 179194. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10826080802347594 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Steinberg, L. (2007). Risk taking in adolescence: New perspectives from brain and behavioral science. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16, 55–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2007.00475.x Google Scholar
Steinberg, L. (2010). A dual systems model of adolescent risk-taking. Developmental Psychobiology, 52, 216224. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/dev.20445 Google Scholar
Strauch, E. S., Pinheiro, R. A., Silva, R. A., & Horta, B. L. (2009). Uso de álcool em adolescentes: Estudo de base populacional [Alcohol use among adolescents: A population-based study]. Revista de Saúde Pública, 43, 647655.Google Scholar
Teodoro, M., Allgayer, M., & Land, B. (2009). Desenvolvimento e validade fatorial do Inventário do Clima Familiar para adolescentes [Development and factorial validity of Family Climate Inventory (FCI) for adolescents]. Psicologia: Teoria e Prática, 11, 2739.Google Scholar
Wathier, J., & Dell’Aglio, D. (2007). Sintomas depressivos e eventos estressores em crianças e adolescentes no contexto de institucionalização [Depressive symptoms and stressful events in children and adolescents in the institutionalized context]. Revista de Psiquiatria do Rio Grande do Sul, 29, 305314. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0101-81082007000300010 Google Scholar
Wilson, D. (2004). The interface of school climate and school connectedness and relationships with aggression and victimization. Journal of School Health, 74, 293299. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2004.tb08286.x Google Scholar
World Health Organization (2004). Sexually transmitted infections: Issues in adolescent health and development. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO.Google Scholar
Youngblade, L., Theokas, C., Schulenberg, J., Curry, L., Huang, I., & Novak, M. (2007). Risk and promotive factors in families, schools, and communities: A contextual model of positive youth development in adolescence. Pediatrics, 119, S47S53. http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2006-2089H Google Scholar