Young Adolescents’ Perceptions of Parental Management of Peer Relationships

In two short-term longitudinal studies, the relation of direct parental management of peer relationships with young adolescents’ and their best friends’ antisocial behavior and academic achievement were examined. Ninth-graders reported perceptions of parental monitoring and parental prohibiting of peer relationships. Ninth-graders and best friends reported drug use, delinquent behavior, grade point average (GPA), and educational expectations. At Time 1, adolescents who reported higher levels of parental monitoring reported lower levels of drug use, lower levels of delinquent behavior, higher GPAs, and higher educational expectations. At Time 1, perceptions of moderate levels of prohibiting were associated with lower levels of drug use and delinquent behavior for adolescents and their peers. Adolescents who reported moderate levels of prohibiting reported higher levels of Time 3 academic achievement.