The Journal of Early Adolescence

The present study explored the extent to which hope plays a mediating role in the relation between social support and depressive symptoms in early adolescence in a sample of 546 seventh and eighth grade students. Longitudinal data were gathered at two timepoints using the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale, Children’s Hope Scale, and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children. Results showed that perceived support from parents, teachers, classmates, and close friends independently predicted lower depressive symptoms, mediated by higher hope. Only parent and classmate support uniquely predicted lower depressive symptoms, mediated by hope. No gender differences emerged in mediation analyses. These findings suggest that hope is an important pathway in enhancing the general benefits of social support to lower depression in early adolescence.

This study investigates gender differences in the longitudinal relationship between family functioning and risky behaviors among Chinese adolescents. A total of 1301 participants (mean age: 12.46 ± 0.63; boys: 51.2%) were assessed at three time points, one year apart. Using a cross-lagged panel model, the study identifies a cycle where risky behaviors negatively predict family functioning, which in turn negatively predict risky behaviors. Additionally, the results of subgroup analysis revealed the possibility that the associations between family functioning and risky behaviors differ by gender. For girls, there was a bidirectional negative association between family functioning and risky behaviors. In contrast, for boys, only risky behaviors at T2 negatively predicted family functioning at T3. These findings emphasize the need for personalized education and interventions by parents and educators. For boys, managing risky behaviors appropriately is crucial, while interventions for girls should emphasize both improving family functioning and reducing risky behaviors simultaneously.

Based on cultural-ecological theory, the development of appreciation depends on culture (e.g., China), everyday activities and interactions (e.g., parenting goals and behaviors), personal characteristics (e.g., parental education), and time, and their interconnected associations. However, previous studies focusing on children’s appreciation have not been adequately based on theory, have conflated appreciation and gratitude, and have mismatched conceptualization and operationalization. Therefore, using a sample of 496 Chinese parent–child dyads (child M_age = 10.25, 53.6% females; Wave 1, W1), the study examined, over three waves (with an approximately eight-month interval between waves), the interdependent relations among parental socialization goals (PSG) and behaviors (PSB) for child appreciation, children’s appreciation, and the moderating role of parental educational level (at W1) in such associations. Results indicated that PSG at W1 related to PSG and PSB at Wave 3 (W3) via children’s appreciation at Wave 2 (W2) when children’s gratitude was not included. Children’s gratitude at W1/W2 related to subsequent PSG/PSB at W2/W3 regardless of parental educational level, with PSG at W1 associated with children’s appreciation at W2 only when parents had a high school diploma or above. Such findings highlight the interdependent associations and role of parental educational level in parent–child interactions regarding children’s appreciation, and the importance of treating appreciation and gratitude differently.

Adolescents’ emotion regulation (ER) is linked to psychosocial adjustment, with familial emotion socialization playing a crucial role. This study explored how specific maternal reactions to anger (i.e., supportive, unsupportive) and the general mother-adolescent relationship (i.e., closeness, negative interactions) relate to adolescents’ internalizing and externalizing problems, and whether these associations are mediated by adolescents’ use of functional (e.g., reappraisal) and dysfunctional (e.g., rumination) ER strategies. Path analyses (N = 427 adolescents, 10–15 years, 59% female) showed that functional ER mediates the relationships of supportive reactions and closeness with externalizing symptoms. Dysfunctional ER mediated the associations of closeness and negative interactions with both externalizing and internalizing problems. Path comparisons revealed a stronger association of general closeness with functional ER compared to the relation between specific supportive reactions to anger and functional ER. The findings highlight the importance of maternal emotion socialization and, particularly, a close mother-adolescent relationship for adolescents’ ER and adjustment.

This study explores the ethnic-racial identity (ERI) development of early adolescent Latinas in a Spanish-English dual immersion school setting. Employing a critical ethnographic approach grounded in Chicana feminist epistemology, this research utilizes Umaña-Taylor and Fine’s (2004) Model of Ethnic Identity Development among Adolescents as a theoretical framework. Data was collected through classroom observations, interviews and survey data. The study focused on four main participants: Xochitl, Alexis, Onyx, and Flora, each representing different ERI typologies. Findings reveal the complex interplay between ERI processes and content, highlighting how the dual immersion environment facilitates identity-relevant experiences and peer ethnic-racial socialization. This study contributes to the evolving conceptualization of ERI development, emphasizing the importance of qualitative, narrative-based approaches in understanding the experiences of Latina early adolescents in majority-minority educational settings.