An Ecological Model of Externalizing Behaviors in African-American Adolescents: No Family Is an Island

Abstract

This study examined the utility of a two-step ecological model in predicting externalizing behavior among African-American seventh and eighth graders. It was predicted that the exosystem variables of parental work environment and parental social support would have an indirect impact on externalizing by influencing the microsystem variables of parental warmth, parental use of restrictive control, and conflict within the family. Path analysis indicated that this two-step model adequately fit the data. An additional set of analyses showed that the complete ecological model was a better fit than a more restricted model in which exosystem variables were excluded. The potential value of an ecological model of development for studying ethnic minority youth and families is discussed.