Problem Behavior and Acculturation in Moroccan Immigrant Adolescents in the Netherlands Effects of Gender and Parent-Child Conflict

• Published in: Journal of cross-cultural psychology Vol. 38; no. 3; pp. 310 - 317
• Main Authors: Stevens, Gonneke W.J.M., Vollebergh, Wilma A.M., Pels, Trees V.M., Crijnen, Alfons A.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-05-2007; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Acculturation; Adolescents; Behavior disorders; Cross cultural studies; Gender; Gender differences; Immigrants; Immigration; Minority & ethnic groups; Moroccan people; Morocco; Netherlands; Psychology; Teenagers; Morocco; Netherlands; internalizing and externalizing problems; acculturation; adolescents; Moroccans
• ISSN: 0022-0221; 1552-5422
• DOI: 10.1177/0022022107300277

The gender specificity of the relation between acculturation and problem behavior in Moroccan immigrant adolescents in the Netherlands was examined. Three previously identified classes of adolescents with similar patterns of acculturation were used: an integrated, separated, and ambivalent class. Girls with an ambivalent acculturation pattern showed more problems than the other girls on parent- and adolescent-reported internalizing and externalizing behavior. For boys, no effects of acculturation on problem behavior were found. The high number of conflicts between parents and their ambivalently acculturated daughters partly explained the relation between acculturation and problem behavior. The findings emphasized that gender and parent—child conflict should be considered when attempting to understand the complex relation between acculturation and problem behavior.