The Effects of Parental Warmth on Adolescent Delinquency in the United States and South Korea: a Cross-Cultural Perspective

Despite the prevalence of delinquency during adolescence and the influence of culture on parenting behaviors and adolescent outcomes, few studies have examined the association between parental warmth and adolescent delinquency cross-culturally. Thus, this study sought to identify cultural differences in the levels of delinquency and their associations with parental warmth. First, the levels of delinquency and the protective effect of parental warmth on delinquency were examined using a U.S. sample from the Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Next, the same two research questions were investigated using a Korean sample from the Korean Youth Panel Survey (KYPS). Finally, differences in such associations were examined between the samples from the U.S. and South Korea. The findings from the independent sample t-test revealed that the levels of delinquency were lower for Korean adolescents than American adolescents. The results from multiple regression also demonstrated the protective effect of parental warmth on delinquency for American adolescents. Further, parental warmth by country interaction suggested that the protective effect of parental warmth was statistically stronger for American adolescents than Korean adolescents. Implications of the findings suggested cultural differences in perceptions of parental warmth and its role in reducing adolescent delinquency.