The Influence of Family Instability on Mexican-Origin Adolescent Delinquency through Parental Monitoring: Moderating Roles of Adolescent Family Obligation Values and Affiliation with Deviant Peers

Unaddressed adolescent delinquency may contribute to negative adult outcomes, such as poor mental and physical health (Harris-McKoy & Cui, 2013; J. Kim et al., 2020). Although family instability has been identified as a risk factor for adolescent delinquency (Vargas et al., 2013), the hypothesized underlying mechanism of parental monitoring remains relatively underexplored. This is especially the case for Mexican-origin families where parental monitoring is embedded within the cultural values of the family (e.g., family obligation values) and with the larger social context of youth (e.g., affiliation with deviant peers). The intersection of family, social, and cultural factors likely predicts variability in whether Mexican-origin youth engage in delinquent behaviors. Using longitudinal data (2013–2020) from 483 Mexican-origin families (Mwave1 age = 12.36, SDwave1 age = 0.92, 54% females) from low-income families (MWave 1 family income = $20,001–$30,000), the study found that parental-reported family instability was associated with lower adolescent-reported maternal monitoring, subsequently leading to higher adolescent-reported delinquency. Moreover, the promotive effect of parental monitoring in reducing delinquent behaviors was stronger among adolescents with higher levels of family obligation values or those who had more contact with deviant peers. These findings underscore the need for culturally sensitive interventions that strengthen parental monitoring to mitigate youth delinquent behaviors.