Relation of Filial Responsibility to the Personal and Social Adjustment of Latino Adolescents From Immigrant Families

A multidimensional model of filial responsibility encompassing caregiving activities in the home and perceptions of fairness was examined in relation to multiple self- and teacher-reported indices of competence and distress in a sample of Latino adolescents from immigrant families ( N = 129, mean age = 16.8, 64% girls). Whereas most research of Latino adolescents has focused on felt familial obligations and attitudes, this study found that reports of actual caregiving activities were associated with higher competence for the sample as a whole and fewer acting out problems among boys. Perceived fairness was associated with lower levels of distress and moderated the curvilinear association of caregiving with behavioral restraint. High levels of filial caregiving predicted high levels of restraint, but only when the balance of give-and-take at home was perceived as fair. These results are consistent with a model that views filial responsibilities as a source of both personal distress and competence.