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Effects of maternal employment patterns on adolescents' substance use and other risk-taking behaviors

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Abstract

Employment for mothers with school-age children has generated great concern regarding its possible harmful effects on adolescents and their families. We examined the influence of maternal employment on the risk-taking behavior of adolescents in two-parent families. Three hundred and eighty-nine high school students completed a 48-item survey in which they indicated their mother's and father's employment patterns, and their own risk-taking behaviors (e.g., substance use, driving while under the influence). Results showed no significant effects of maternal employment on adolescent risk-taking behaviors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Educational Psychology, College of Education, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI

    Stephen B. Hillman Ph.D. (Professor) & Marilyn J. Becker M.A. (Doctoral Candidate)

  2. Educational Evaluation and Research, College of Education, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI

    Shlomo S. Sawilowsky Ph.D. (Associate Professor)

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  1. Stephen B. Hillman Ph.D.
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  2. Shlomo S. Sawilowsky Ph.D.
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  3. Marilyn J. Becker M.A.
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Hillman, S.B., Sawilowsky, S.S. & Becker, M.J. Effects of maternal employment patterns on adolescents' substance use and other risk-taking behaviors. J Child Fam Stud 2, 203–219 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01321331

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