Developmental Commentary: Ecological Perspectives on Parental Influences During Adolescence

Abstract

Adolescence is marked by change and renegotiation in almost every arena—biological, social, and cognitive development; identity development; changes in peer relations and friendships; a renegotiation of family relationships, especially the parent–adolescent relationship; and school transitions. Further, for African Americans, adolescence is also marked by the exploration of ethnic or racial identity, which is shaped by parents' ethnic socialization and interactions with an increasingly diverse peer group. This article provides a developmental, cultural, and contextual framework for understanding changes in parenting and parental influences vis-à-vis peers. The normative developmental changes in adolescent outcomes, parenting, and parent–adolescent relationships are discussed as they are shaped by neighborhood characteristics, family-level socioeconomic status, and ethnicity and are related to mental health and developmental outcomes across late childhood through adolescence.