Parent/peer relationship patterns among Mexican-origin adolescents

Abstract

This study examined patterns of mothers’ and fathers’ acceptance and youths’ friendship intimacy among 246 Mexican-origin 7th graders. Three patterns were identified using mixture modeling: (a) low mother and father acceptance, and average friendship intimacy (Low Parent Profile); (b) average mother acceptance, high father acceptance and friendship intimacy (Positive Profile); and (c) high mother acceptance, average father acceptance, and low friendship intimacy (Low Friend Profile). Profiles differed with respect to cultural characteristics and youth adjustment. Findings demonstrated the benefit of a person-oriented approach to illuminate how parental and peer experiences are connected in different ways for different youth and are linked with youth adjustment. Results highlighted the need for research to attend to the unique cultural experiences of minority youth.