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Friend Affiliations and School Adjustment Among Mexican-American Adolescents: The Moderating Role of Peer and Parent Support

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Abstract

Studies examining friendships among Mexican-American adolescents have largely focused on their potentially negative influence. The current study examined the extent to which deviant and achievement-oriented friend affiliations are associated with Mexican-American adolescents’ school adjustment and also tested whether support from friends and parents moderates these associations. High school students (N = 412; 49 % male) completed questionnaires and daily diaries; primary caregivers also completed a questionnaire. Although results revealed few direct associations between friend affiliations and school adjustment, several moderations emerged. In general, the influence of friends’ affiliation was strongest when support from friends was high and parental support was low. The findings suggest that only examining links between friend affiliations and school outcomes does not fully capture how friends promote or hinder school adjustment.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by funding through the National Institute of Child and Human Development (R01HD057164). We would like to thank the school principals, teachers and students for their participation in this project.

Author contributions

GE participated in the design and coordination of the study, performed statistical analyses, drafted the initial manuscript, and primarily authored the manuscript. CG participated in the design and coordination of the study, assisted with statistical analyses, and provided feedback on drafts of manuscript. NG acquired funding for the study, participated in the design and coordination of the study, assisted with analyses and interpretation of data and provided feedback on drafts of manuscript. AF acquired funding for the study, participated in the design and coordination of the study, and provided feedback on drafts of manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Child and Adolescent Studies Department, California State University, Fullerton, 800 N State College Blvd., P.O. Box 6868, Fullerton, CA, 92834, USA

    Guadalupe Espinoza

  2. Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Cari Gillen-O’Neel & Andrew J. Fuligni

  3. Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

    Nancy A. Gonzales

  4. Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Andrew J. Fuligni

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  1. Guadalupe Espinoza
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  2. Cari Gillen-O’Neel
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  3. Nancy A. Gonzales
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  4. Andrew J. Fuligni
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Correspondence to Guadalupe Espinoza.

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Espinoza, G., Gillen-O’Neel, C., Gonzales, N.A. et al. Friend Affiliations and School Adjustment Among Mexican-American Adolescents: The Moderating Role of Peer and Parent Support. J Youth Adolescence 43, 1969–1981 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-013-0023-5

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