The Role of Parents’ Disapproval of Peers and Monitoring on Immigrant and Native Youth’s Participation in Organized Sports in Sweden: The Mediating Role of Engagement in Delinquent Activities

Abstract

The aim of the present study was (a) to investigate the effect of perceived parents’ disapproval of peer relations and perceived parental monitoring on youth’s engagement in organized sports activities, (b) to examine whether youth’s engagement in delinquent behaviors mediates the link between parents’ behaviors and youth’s participation in and dropout from organized sports, and (c) to test whether the mediation process is moderated by youth’s immigrant background. Data were collected from immigrant and Swedish adolescents ( N = 687) in seventh grade over two consecutive years. Our main findings revealed that youth who disclose their whereabouts to parents and whose parents practice control are less likely to engage in delinquent behaviors, and, in turn, more likely to engage in organized sports. The findings were similar with respect to sports dropout. Most importantly, these results hold for both immigrant and Swedish youth.