The Relationship Between Perceived Parental Rejection and Adjustment for Arab,Canadian,and Arab Canadian Youth

Abstract

The present study examined whether psychological well-being, life satisfaction, and risk behavior differed among European Canadian (n = 147), Arab Canadian (n = 129), and Arab youth in Egypt and Lebanon (n = 131). Using parental acceptance-rejection theory, we also examined the strength of associations between perceived parental rejection and positive and negative outcomes for these youth. Our results suggested that European Canadian youth were less likely to perceive parental rejection and had higher life satisfaction than both Arab groups. However, although Arab Canadians and Arabs perceived more parental rejection than their European Canadian counterparts, it had less of an effect on their adjustment. We argued that culturally normative aspects of parent-youth relationships in Arab families may mitigate the effects of perceived parental rejection and that immigration may not exert a negative effect on Arab families in Canada. Instead, we suggested that researchers need to focus on the strengths of youth and families, rather than the negative effects of immigration and/or cultural group status.