Positive Neighbors Can Help Teens Without Mother-Child Bond: Study

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Psychology News

Researchers at the University of Michigan provided interesting insights into positive neighbor involvement. The study is published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.

The Study

The researchers surveyed data from 1,883 children of ages 1, 3, and 15. It came from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study that cataloged children born in 20 U.S. cities between the years 1998–2000. The participants were asked 39 questions to determine children’s attachment, early mother-child bonding, and adolescent social skills.

The Findings

The results revealed that positive neighbor involvement and social cohesion help teenagers develop social skills that go beyond the initial skills developed from parent-child relationships.

One of the lead researchers, Sunghyun Hong, elaborated: “[The study] underscores the value of children having access to supportive and loving relationships with the mother and the surrounding community, even from early childhood. This means that when we think about policies and programs to empower our children in the community, we must consider directly supporting the family relations and investing in their surrounding community relations.

To Know More You May Refer To

Hong, S., Hardi, F., & Maguire-Jack, K. (2022). The moderating role of neighborhood social cohesion on the relationship between early mother-child attachment security and adolescent social skills: Brief report. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 026540752211180. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075221118096

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  • Positive Neighbors Can Help Teens Without Mother-Child Bond: Study