Developmental changes in the bidirectional relationships between parental monitoring and child delinquency

Using the data from a Korean Youth Panel Study, this study examined the bidirectional influence between parental monitoring and child delinquency and investigated whether the bidirectional influence differed by developmental stage. Different age cohorts for childhood (ages 9-12) and adolescence (ages 13-16) were analyzed. The findings from cross-lagged path models revealed interesting developmental shifts in the parent-child relationships. Delinquent behavior predicted less parental monitoring in childhood, while parent monitoring predicted less delinquent behavior in adolescence. Reciprocal effects between the two variables were evident only in the childhood-adolescent transition and early adolescence. This study presents the first demonstration of changes in monitoring-delinquency relationships across developmental stages.