Stress, Social Support, and Maladjustment of Adolescents

청소년의 스트레스와 사회적 지원 및 부적응

The present study explored a factor, social support, that could mediate the relationship between negative life events and behavioral problems during adolescence. It was hypothesized that social support from parents, peers, and teachers would be an effective mediator between negative life events and delinquent behavior. Data were collected from 161 of the 9th graders in a high school in a coastal community of Oregon. A series of path analyses using regression techniques was used to examine the research hypotheses. Results indicated that social support mediated the relationship between negative life events and delinquent behavior, implying the importance of social support from family, peers, and school in preventing delinquent behavior among adolescents. That is, negative life events were found to exert influence indirectly upon delinquent behavior through its direct effect on social support. Results were discussed in relation to the effects of negative life events on social support and delinquent behavior.