Language Brokering Among Latinx Youth and Parent-Reported Problem Behaviors: The Moderating Influence of Familism

• In Event: Poster Session 09
  In Poster Session: PS 09 Topic - Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Abstract

For Latinx children, language brokering (LB) for parents and other family members is common (Weisskirch, 2017). Although research reports the positive impact of LB on behavior outcomes (Schwartz et al., 2010), this varies by the aspect of LB under consideration (Weisskirch, 2007). In order to gain an understanding of LB's influence, factors that are salient in the Latinx community should be included. For example, the cultural value of familism for Latinx children in a myriad of contexts and circumstances is important to examine (Stein et al., 2017). Some early work has documented the association between LB and cultural values and notes its importance in this area of research (Weisskirch, 2005), but has not explicitly examined familism in these relations. Therefore, the purpose of the current investigation is to examine the relations involving LB, familism, and Latinx children's' problem behaviors. First, it is expected that LB negative feelings will be associated with problem behavior and not frequency and positive feelings. Next, it is also anticipated that familism will buffer the relationship between LB and problem behavior.
The sample included 207 Latinx adolescents (Mage = 14.17, SDage = 59% female) from three different high schools in the central California-area and their parents' reports. Latinx youth completed self-reported surveys on their language brokering experiences (Weisskirch, 2007), familism (Knight et al., 2010), and parents reported their child's problem behavior (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001).
First, regression analyses indicated that LB negative feelings was negatively associated with internalizing problem behaviors (b = 4.56, SE = 1.07, β = .31, p < .001), while LB frequency (b = -1.17, SE = 1.16, β = -.05, p >.10) and positive feelings (b = -.53, SE = .84, β = -.05, p > .10) were not. Furthermore, results indicated that LB negative feelings was negatively associated with externalizing problem behaviors (b = 3.36, SE = .89, β = .27, p < .001), while LB frequency (b = -.27, SE = 1.36, β = -.01, p > .10.) and positive feelings (b = -1.28, SE = .70, β = -.13, p < .10) were not.
Next, interaction analyses were conducted (see Figure 1) and results demonstrated that for externalizing problem behaviors, the LB frequency X familism interaction was significant (b = -4.33, SE = 1.79, β = -.17, p < .05) at low familism (see Panel A). In addition, for externalizing problem behaviors, the LB positive feelings X familism interaction was significant (b = -1.90, SE = .95, β = -.14, p < .05) at high familism (see Panel B).
The current study aimed to examine LB's effect on children through parent reports of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. The results showed that negative feelings resulted in high internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, but not for frequency and positive feelings of LB. Additionally, familism buffered the negative effects of behaviors problems when examining LB frequency and LB positive feelings; therefore, familism acted as a protective factor.

Group Authors

Fabiola Herrera, Rosa I. Toro

Authors

• Fabiola Herrera, Purdue University, West Lafayette
  Presenting Author

• Rosa I Toro, California State University, Fresno
  Non-Presenting Author