The relation between family economic hardship and antisocial behavior in adolescence

The role of economic stress, family dynamics, and importance of school related outcomes in the etiology of antisocial behavior is long recognized and depicted in various theoretical perspectives under the realm of social structure and social process theories of adolescents’ antisocial behavior (e.g. Agnew’s General Strain Theory, Hirschi’s Social Bond Theory). Yet, a more comprehensive developmental framework which would combine different aforementioned social, family and school related factors and their possible interrelations in etiology of antisocial behavior is missing. In this paper, we explored empirically the possible pathways through which family economic strain could exert its influence on antisocial behavior of adolescents. It is hypothesized that the effect of parents’ perceived economic hardship on antisocial behavior of adolescents could be mediated by parenting inadequacy, adolescent’s experience of family economic pressure and school related outcomes. Participants in the study were elementary and high school students (N=280) and their parents. Adolescents completed questions about their experience of family economic pressure, antisocial behavior, school achievement, school engagement, and parenting behavior of their parents. Parents provided information about family economic hardship. Data from the first wave of a longitudinal study on parents’ work, family economic hardship and well-being of parents and children were used to estimate the possible pathways of influence. The results indicated multiple and complex pathways through which family economic hardship affects adolescents’ antisocial behavior. Research findings are discussed under the Family Economic Stress Model framework and its extensions based on previous empirical evidence and inclusion of antisocial behavior as a proposed developmental outcome.