The Combined Influence of Monitoring and Early Puberty on Disruptive Behavior Problems in African American Girls

Adolescent girls’ disruptive behavior problems (DBP) are associated with risk for other mental health challenges and legal system involvement. Existing literature suggests early pubertal timing and low maternal monitoring might confer risk for DBP; however, few studies examine the combined influence of these factors, particularly in samples at risk for both DBP and early pubertal timing. This longitudinal study examined whether perceived pubertal timing moderated the association between maternal monitoring and DBP in a treatment-seeking sample of 256 African American adolescent girls (ages 12–16) and their female caregivers. Hierarchical linear regression analyses demonstrated that pubertal timing moderated the association between maternal monitoring and DBP. For early-developing girls, maternal monitoring and DBP at 1-year were negatively associated. Maternal monitoring was not related to DBP at 1-year for on-time and later-developing girls. Findings suggest that maternal monitoring may be a more effective parenting practice for preventing DBP in early-developing girls as compared to their on-time and later-developing peers.