Abstract
This study explored the construct of parental monitoring and its relation to antisocial behavior in children. The factor structure of the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire Poor Monitoring/Supervision Scale (Frick, 1991) was examined to determine whether the monitoring construct is unitary or multidimensional. The LISREL 8.3 program was used to perform confirmatory factor analyses and structural modeling analyses on the proposed theoretical models. A total of 419 elementary school children participated in this study. The results suggested that this measure of poor monitoring/supervision taps into two dimensions. The first (Wandering) represents child behaviors that make it difficult for parents to structure and track their child's whereabouts, activities and peer group, whereas the second (Supervision) represents parent behaviors/practices that interfere with parents' ability to obtain knowledge about where their child is and what he/she is doing. Results of this study were not consistent with the hypothesis that Wandering and Supervision factors differentially predict children's antisocial behavior. Recent research suggests that the effects of both Wandering and Supervision on antisocial behavior may be mediated by the child's level of disclosure of information and the means by which parents gain knowledge of their children's activities. The results of this study suggest several additional avenues for future research, particularly regarding measurement of the two monitoring dimensions and their relation to antisocial behavior.
Secrest, Laura A (2001). Multidimensionality of parental monitoring. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -2001 -THESIS -S37.