Positive parenting, family cohesion, and child social competence among immigrant Latino families.

The relation between positive parenting, family cohesion, and child social competence was examined among Latino families (predominantly from Mexico) who were recent immigrants to the United States. A mixed method study was conducted, including both pre- and post-test self-reported surveys (9-month interval) and qualitative data from focus groups. A total of 282 parents and 282 children (ages 9-12) participated in the survey study. Results at post-test follow-up indicated that family cohesion predicted improvements in child social problem-solving skills and social self-efficacy, and positive parenting predicted improvements in child social self-efficacy. A total of 12 mothers participated in the focus group study that was designed to explore barriers to positive parenting and family cohesion in this population. Results from focus groups revealed four major themes impacting parenting and family cohesion: (a) acculturation differences between parents and children and the resulting power imbalance; (b) difficulty getting involved in their child's education; (c) loss of extended family; and (d) discrimination against immigrants and legal status. The implications for family support programs for immigrant Latino families and their children are discussed.

Leidy MS ，Guerra NG ，Toro RI 《-》

Acculturation and adjustment among immigrant Chinese parents: mediating role of parenting efficacy.

This study examined parenting efficacy beliefs as a mediator of the association between acculturation and adjustment. The sample consisted of 177 immigrant Chinese mothers and fathers with early adolescent children in Canada. Acculturation was assessed bidimensionally as Canadian and Chinese orientations. A latent psychological adjustment variable was composed of symptoms of depression, feelings of self-esteem, and life satisfaction. Results showed that relations between Canadian orientation and psychological adjustment were partially mediated by parenting efficacy. As expected, the more parents were oriented toward Canadian culture, the more efficacious they felt in their parenting, which in turn was associated with better psychological adjustment. In contrast, mediation of relations between Chinese orientation and psychological adjustment was not supported, as Chinese orientation was not associated with parenting efficacy and was positively associated with psychological adjustment for mothers only. Similar results were found when the meditational model was extended to evaluate parenting practices as an outcome (i.e., warmth, reasoning, and monitoring). That is, parenting efficacy mediated the relation between higher Canadian orientation and more positive parenting practices, whereas Chinese orientation was unrelated to parenting practices. Invariance testing suggested that the models were similar for mothers and fathers. Results support the theory that higher orientation to Canadian culture may advance feelings of parenting efficacy because parents have the cultural knowledge and skills to feel confident parenting in a new intercultural context. Further, they support the expectation that parenting efficacy beliefs, in turn, are important determinants of psychological adjustment and effective parenting for immigrant parents.

Costigan CL ，Koryzma CM 《-》

Parent-child role reversal and psychological adjustment among immigrant youth in Israel.

Parent-child role reversal and its relation to psychological adjustment was investigated in Israel among immigrants from the former Soviet Union. Study 1 examined immigrant and Israeli-born college students (n = 184), and Study 2 examined adolescents (n = 180) by means of self-report questionnaires. Two major factors of role reversal emerged: child dominance and family support. The results of both studies clearly showed that immigrants assume more dominant roles and parental responsibilities in their families and receive less support from their parents than their Israeli-born peers. Role reversal dimensions had differential relations with adjustment. Child dominance was mostly not related to adjustment, except for a positive correlation with psychological distress among immigrants. Familial support appeared to be the most important factor related to better adjustment among all studied groups, immigrants included. It is interesting that language brokering (i.e., translating for parents), although associated with child dominance, was negatively related to self-perceptions. Possible explanations within the Israeli context are suggested for negative language brokering correlates, with support from the interviews conducted among the immigrants.

Oznobishin O ，Kurman J 《JOURNAL OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY》

Preventing children's aggression in immigrant Latino families: a mixed methods evaluation of the Families and Schools Together program.

Knox L ，Guerra NG ，Williams KR ，Toro R ... -  《-》

Understanding immigrant families from around the world: introduction to the special issue.

Investigations of immigrant families enable researchers to trace family processes and children's psychological adjustment in the presence of trenchant sociocultural change, cultural conflict, family dislocation, and the need for readjustment to new social environments. This special issue of 15 articles presents psychosocial research on immigrant families and children residing in Canada, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the United States. The articles focus on the psychosocial adaptation of immigrant families, parenting practices and their implications for child outcomes, and the importance of parent-adolescent relationships for adolescent mental health. Most of the articles are based on quantitative research methodologies. It is concluded that research on immigrant families is well suited to advance knowledge about the mutual dependence of dynamic sociocultural and family processes.

Chuang SS ，Gielen UP 《JOURNAL OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY》