Skip to main content

Parent and Peer Attachment and Psychosocial Adjustment of Chinese Immigrant Adolescents in Italy

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Book cover Global Perspectives on Well-Being in Immigrant Families

Part of the book series: Advances in Immigrant Family Research ((ADIMFAMRES,volume 1))

Abstract

There is much interest in understanding acculturation processes of Asian immigrants, because they represent one of the prominent immigrant populations in many European and non-European countries. However, knowledge about the relation of acculturation and attachment processes of these groups is still scarce. Most research in the field involves only parenting or adaptation outcomes of Asian immigrant groups primarily in the USA, Canada, and few European countries. Understanding acculturation outcomes in Chinese minority groups is a prominent venue of research as they represent one of the largest and fastest growing immigrant groups in Europe. To the best of our knowledge, no study so far has investigated the role of attachment to parents and peers on adaptation outcomes of Chinese immigrant youth in Italy, who are a relatively recent immigrant group characterized by strong ethnic enclaves and cohesive community. Therefore, this chapter addresses the question of whether immigrant youth differ from their native Italian peers with respect to their attachment and adaptation outcomes. Specifically, we examine parent and peer attachment and psychological adjustment of youth of Chinese descent living in Italy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ainsworth, M. D. S., Bell, S. M., & Stayton, D. (1971). Individual differences in strange situation behavior of one-year-olds. In H. R. Schaffer (Ed.), The origins of human social relations (pp. 17–57). London: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arends-Tóth, J., & van de Vijver, F. J. R. (2008). Family relationships among immigrants and majority members in the Netherlands: The role of acculturation. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 57, 466–487.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Armsden, G. C., & Greenberg, M. T. (1987). The inventory of parent and peer attachment: Individual differences and their relationship to psychological well-being in adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 16, 427–454.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barban, N., & White, M. J. (2011). Immigrants’ children’s transition to secondary school in Italy. International Migration Review, 45, 702–726.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barrett, M. P., & Holmes, J. (2001). Attachment relationships as predictors of cognitive interpretation and response bias in late adolescence. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 10, 51–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beiser, M., Hou, F., Hyman, I., & Tousignant, M. (2002). Poverty, family process and the mental health of immigrant children in Canada. American Journal of Public Health, 92, 220–227.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berry, J. W., Phinney, J. S., Sam, D., &, V. (2008). Response to Rudmin’s book review of immigrant youth in cultural transition. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 39, 517–520.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowlby, J. (1988). A secure base. Clinical applications of the attachment theory. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Breslau, J., Borges, G., Hagar, Y., Tancredi, D., & Gilman, S. (2009). Immigration to the USA and risk for mood and anxiety disorders: Variation by origin and age at immigration. Psychological Medicine, 39, 1117–1127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buis, K. L., Dekovic, M., Meeus, W., & van Aken, M. A. G. (2004). The reciprocal relationship between early adolescent attachment and internalizing and externalizing problem behaviour. Journal of Adolescence, 27, 251–266.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caritas Migrantes. (2011). Immigrazione: Dossier statistico [Immigration: Statistical dossier] Pomezia. Italy: Arti grafiche.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chang, A. (2012). 20th century Chinese migration to Italy: The Chinese diaspora presence within European international migration. History Compass, 10, 179–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, S. H., Zhou, Q., Eisenberg, N., Valiente, C., & Wang, Y. (2011). Parental expressivity and parenting styles in Chinese families. Prospective and Unique Relations to Children’s Psychological Adjustment, Parenting, 11, 288–307.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, J. J., Chen, T., & Zheng, X. X. (2012). Parenting styles and practices among Chinese immigrant mothers with young children. Early Child Development and Care, 182, 1–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chiu, M. L., Feldman, S. S., & Rosenthal, D. A. (1992). The influence of immigration on parental behavior and adolescent distress in Chinese families residing in two Western nations. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 2, 205–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crosnoe, R., & Lopez Turley, R. N. (2011). K–12 educational outcomes of immigrant youth. The Future of Children, 21, 129–152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dente, A. (2008). La comunità cinese dell’Esquilino e il suo rapporto con le istituzioni locali. In V. Pedone (Ed.), Il vicino cinese [The Chinese neighbour] (pp. 15–25). Rome: NER.

    Google Scholar 

  • Derogatis, L. R. (1977). SCL-90-R: Administration, scoring, and procedures manual. Baltimore: Clinical Psychometrics Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Di Bartolomeo, A. (2011). Explaining the gap in educational achievement between second-generation immigrants and natives: the Italian case. Journal of Modern Italian Studies, 16, 437–449.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The satisfaction with life scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, 71–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dimitrova, R. (2011). Children’s social relationships in the northern Italian school context: Evidence for the immigrant paradox. Journal of Modern Italian Studies, 16, 478–491.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dimitrova, R., & Chasiotis, A. (2012). Are immigrant children in Italy better adjusted than mainstream Italian children? In C. Garcia-Coll (Ed.), The impact of immigration on children’s development. Contributions to human development (pp. 35–48). Basel: Karger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fondazione, I. S. M. U. (2011). Sedicesimo Rapporto sulle Migrazioni 2010 [Sixteen Report on Migrations, 2010]. Milano: Franco Angeli.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fuligni, A. J. (1997). The academic achievement of adolescents from immigrant families: The roles of family background, attitudes, and behavior. Child Development, 68, 261–273.

    Google Scholar 

  • Georgiades, K., Boyle, M. H., & Duku, E. (2007). Contextual influences on children’s mental health and school performance: The moderating effects of family immigrant status. Child Development, 78, 1572–1591.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harker, K. (2001). Immigrant generation, assimilation, and adolescent psychological well-being. Social Forces, 79, 969–1004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hauser, R., & Warren, J. (1997). Socio-economic indexes for occupations: A review, update, and critique. Sociological Methodology, 27, 177–298.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Havighurst, R. J. (1952). Developmental tasks and education. New York: Davis McKay.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hollingshead, A. B. (1975). Four factor index of social status. New Haven: Yale University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hu, P., & Meng, Z. (1996). An examination of infant-mother attachment in China. Poster presented at the meeting of the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development. Quebec: Quebec City.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kluckhohn, C. (1949). Mirror for man: The relation of anthropology to modern life. New York: Whitley House.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laghi, F., D’Alessio, M., Pallini, S., & Baiocco, R. (2009). Attachment representations and time perspective in adolescence. Social Indicators Research, 90, 181–194.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laible, D. J., Carlo, G., & Raffaelli, M. (2000). The differential relations of parent and peer attachment to adolescent adjustment. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 29, 45–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leung, D. C., & Karnilowicz, W. (2009). The adaptation of Chinese adolescents in two societies: A comparison of Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong and Australia. International Journal of Psychology, 44, 170–178.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lim, S., Yeh, M., Liang, J., Lau, A. S., & McCabe, K. (2009). Acculturation gap, intergenerational conflict, parenting style, and youth distress in immigrant Chinese American families. Marriage & Family Review, 45, 84–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manzi, C., Regalia, C., Pelucchi, S., & Fincham, F. D. (2011). Documenting different domains of promotion of autonomy in families. Journal of Adolescence, 35, 289–298.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meeus, W., Oosterwegel, A., & Vollebergh, W. (2002). Parental and peer attachment and identity development in adolescence. Journal of Adolescence, 25, 93–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mleczko, A. (2011). Identity formation as a contemporary adaptation strategy, Chinese immigrants in Italy. European Education, 42, 25–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Motti-Stefanidi, F., Pavlopoulos, V., Obradović, J., Dalla, M., Takis, N., Papathanassiou, A., & Masten, A. S. (2008). Immigration as a risk factor for adolescent adaptation in Greek urban schools. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 5, 235–261.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muris, P., Meesters, C., van Melick, M., & Zwambag, L. (2001). Self-reported attachment style, attachment quality, and symptoms of anxiety and depression in young adolescents. Personality and Individual Differences, 30, 819–818.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen, H. H. (2006). Acculturation in the United States. In D. L. Sam & J. W. Berry (Eds.), Cambridge handbook of acculturation psychology (pp. 311–330). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Nickerson, A. B., & Nagle, R. J. (2004). The influence of parent and peer attachments on life satisfaction in middle childhood and early adolescence. Social Indicators Research, 66, 35–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Offer, D., Ostrov, E., Howard, K., & Dolan, S. (1992). Manual for offer self-image questionnaire, revised. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pallini, S., Bove, G., & Laghi, F. (2011). Classification of professional values based on motivational content: An exploratory study on Italian adolescents. Measuring and Evaluation on Counselling and Development, 44, 16–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pedone, V. (2010). La parabola dell’import-export cinese a Roma: Ascesa, apogeo e decadenza della capitale europea del commercio cinese. In C. Migrantes (Ed.), Osservatorio Romano sulle migrazioni, VI Rapporto, [Roman Observatory on migrations, VI official report] (pp. 232–240). Rome: Anterem.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pedone, V. (2011). ‘As a rice plant in a wheat field’: Identity negotiation among children of Chinese immigrants. Journal of Modern Italian Studies, 16, 492–503.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rudmin, F. W., Ferrada-Noli, M., & Skolbekken, J. A. (2003). Questions of culture, age, and gender in the epidemiology of suicide. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 44, 373–381.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sam, D. L., Vedder, P., Liebkind, K., Neto, F., & Virta, E. (2008). Immigration, acculturation and the paradox of adaptation in Europe. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 5, 138–158.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, S. J., & Unger, J. B. (2010). Rethinking the concept of acculturation. Implications for theory and research. American Psychologist, 65, 237–251.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slodnjak, V., Kos, A., & Yule, W. (2002). Depression and parasuicide in refugee and Slovenian adolescents. The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention, 23, 127–132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strohmeier, D., & Schmitt-Rodermund, E. (2008). Immigrant youth in European countries: The manifold challenges of adaptation. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 5, 129–137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suarez-Orozco, C., & Carhill, A. (2008). Afterword: New directions in research with immigrant families and their children. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 121, 87–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suárez-Orozco, C., Rhodes, J., & Milburn, M. (2009). Unraveling the immigrant paradox: Academic engagement and disengagement among recently arrived immigrant youth. Youth & Society, 41, 151–185.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tambelli, R., Laghi, F., Odorisio, F., & Notari, V. (2012). Attachment relationships and internalizing and externalizing problems among Italian adolescents. Children and Youth Service Review, 34, 1465–1471.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Geel, M., & Vedder, P. (2010). The adaptation of non-western and Muslim immigrant adolescents in the Netherlands: An immigrant paradox? Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 51, 398–402.

    Google Scholar 

  • van Geel, M., & Vedder, P. (2011). The role of family obligations and school adjustment in explaining the immigrant paradox. Journal of Youth and Adolescence , 40, 187–196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, A. (2008). Chinese family developments and change. In C. B. Hennon & S. M. Wilson (Eds.), Families in a global context (pp. 325–352). New York: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson, R. B. (2004). The role of parental and peer attachment in the psychological health and self-esteem of adolescents. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 33, 479–493.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wong, M. (2008). Il tuo destino in uno sguardo. In V. Pedone (Ed.), Il vicino cinese [The Chinese neighbour] (pp. 141–151). Rome: NER.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wulian, W. (2008). Made in China. In V. Pedone (Ed.), Il vicino cinese [The Chinese neighbour] (pp. 15–25). Rome: NER.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamamoto, Y., & Li, J. (2012). Quiet in the eye of the beholder: Teacher perceptions of Asian immigrant children. In C. G. Coll (Ed.), The impact of immigration on children’s development (pp. 1–16). Basel: Karger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zimmermann, P. (2004). Attachment representations and characteristics of friendships relations during adolescence. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 88, 83–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fiorenzo Laghi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Laghi, F., Pallini, S., Baiocco,, R., Dimitrova, R. (2014). Parent and Peer Attachment and Psychosocial Adjustment of Chinese Immigrant Adolescents in Italy. In: Dimitrova, R., Bender, M., van de Vijver, F. (eds) Global Perspectives on Well-Being in Immigrant Families. Advances in Immigrant Family Research, vol 1. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9129-3_14

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics