The Effect of Parental Neglect on Multicultural Adolescents’ School Adjustment: Multiple Mediating Effects of Self-Esteem and Resilience

• In Event: Redefining Korean Families and Their Roles in Children’s Academic Success in South Korea

Proposal

Korean society is facing a multicultural phenomenon in the wake of the recent rapid globalization trend. However, social prejudice and negative perceptions of the students from multicultural families are giving rise to various psychological difficulties and maladjustment in school life. This study identified the multiple mediating effects of self-esteem and resilience in relation to the effect of parental neglect on school adjustment among multicultural adolescents. In addition, this study investigated how these effects differed according to gender. Using data from the fifth year of the Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study (MAPS) conducted by the National Youth Policy Institute (NYPI) in Korea, a total of 1,348 students were analyzed using the structural equation model and multiple-group analysis. The key findings of this study are outlined below. First, parental neglect of multicultural adolescents had a direct impact on their school adjustment. Second, individual mediated effects of self-esteem and resilience between parental neglect and school adjustment were found. However, the relative magnitude of the mediated effect for resilience was greater than self-esteem. Third, while checking if a gender played a role in the relationship, it was shown that the effect of parental neglect on children's school adjustment was greater for girls than for boys. By contrast, it was shown that the effect of resilience on children's school adjustment was greater for boys than for girls. Based on the following results, this study discusses the effects of self-esteem and resilience in the relationship between parental neglect and school adjustment.

Authors

• Jiyoon Ban, Seowon University

• IN SOO OH, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea