Parent-child relationship, academic grade, life-satisfaction and delinquency: Comparison of primary, junior high, senior high and university students.

초록

This presentation explores factors that influence the educational attainment, life-satisfaction and delinquency of Korean adolescents, from primary school age to adulthood. The first part of this presentation articulates theoretical and conceptual framework that outlines factors that influence the value and behavior orientation of adolescents, focusing specifically on the influence of Korean society, family, school, and friends. The second section reviews empirical studies that examine the relationship between parent-child relationship, academic achievement, life-satisfaction and delinquency. A sample of 1,074 students (primary school=278, junior high school=266, senior high school=252, and university=269) participated in the study. In all groups parental academic pressure and perceived warmth were high and perceived parental hostility and neglect were low. Two-way ANOVA revealed major group differences and some sex differences. Primary school students reported highest means on perceived parental warmth, parental control, parental social support, parents' knowledge, and the amount of time spent with parents. Perceived parental hostility and control were highest for male primary students when compared with female primary school students. The opposite pattern was found for the high male and female school students. Multiple regression analyses revealed that parental social support and perceived parental warmth were important predictors of life-satisfaction. Low academic grade, perceived parental neglect, perceived parental hostility were significant predictors of parent-child conflict. Parent-child conflict was a significant predictor of delinquent behavior. Factor analysis revealed a different set of results for primary and junior high school students on the one hand and high school and university students on the other. In the former group high parental control loaded together with high achievement motivation, while for the latter group it loaded together with low