A longitudinal association between parental supervision and problem behaviors among Chinese adolescents: role of school adjustment and parental marital relationship

Parental supervision has been identified as an important family factor associated with adolescent adjustment. However, the mechanisms and contextual conditions underlying this association remain insufficiently understood. This study investigates the longitudinal relationship between parental supervision and adolescent problem behaviors, specifically examining the indirect association through school adjustment and the moderating role of parental marital relationship quality. Data were drawn from the CEPS database, including questionnaires from 8,475 first-year middle school students with matched parent information across two national survey waves (2013–2014 [T1] and 2014–2015 [T2]). Results showed that: (1) parental supervision at T1 was significantly associated with fewer adolescent problem behaviors at T2; (2) parental supervision was indirectly associated with adolescent problem behaviors through school adjustment; (3) parental marital relationship quality moderated the indirect association: the association between parental supervision and school adjustment was stronger at higher levels of parental marital relationship quality, although parental marital relationship quality did not significantly moderate the direct association between parental supervision and adolescent problem behaviors. These findings highlight the importance of considering both family and school contexts in understanding adolescent behavioral development and suggest that supportive parental supervision and positive family relationship contexts may contribute to adolescents’ adjustment.