Youth externalizing problems in African American single-mother families: A culturally relevant model.

this at-risk group. Accordingly, this study examined the family as a context for youth externalizing problems among 194 African American single mother-youth dyads. Findings demonstrated that higher levels of mother-coparent conflict were associated directly, as well as indirectly via compromises in coparent (but not maternal) warmth, with youth externalizing problems. The spillover from mother-coparent conflict to coparent warmth to child externalizing problems did not vary depending upon family income. Findings suggest that prevention and intervention programs targeting African American youth from single mother homes may be strengthened with greater attention to variability in family processes, as well as a more sensitive assessment of which adults are centrally involved in childrearing.