Predicting externalizing problems in Moroccan immigrant adolescents in the Netherlands

Background Although an increasing proportion of the population in Western countries originates from non-Western parts of the world, little research has been conducted on predictors of externalizing problems in immigrant adolescent samples. This study on the predictors of externalizing problems in Moroccan immigrant adolescents in the Netherlands was aimed to contribute to the knowledge in this field. Methods We obtained 415 parent-reports, 376 self-reports and 238 teacher-reports on problem behavior in a general population sample of randomly selected 11- to 18-year-old Moroccan immigrant adolescents, using the Child Behavior Checklist, Youth Self-Report and Teacher’s Report Form. Results The data revealed a clear relation between externalizing problems and several child (gender, internalizing problems), proximal family (parental monitoring and affection, support from father and mother, and parent–child conflict), contextual family (conflicts between parents about parenting, destructive communication between parents, and total number of life-events), school/peer (problems at school, involvement with deviant peers, hanging out), and migration variables (adolescent’s perceived discrimination). Hardly any association was observed between externalizing problems and parental psychopathology, and between externalizing problems and global family variables (e.g., family employment level). Most findings matched results found in earlier studies on non-immigrant youth. Conclusions Our results suggest that the child, school/peer, and proximal family factors are essential in models predicting the development of externalizing behavior. The impact of the migration factor on externalizing problems turned out to be relatively small.