earticle

영어

This study aims to analyze the structural relationships among parentification, family strengths, shame, self-differentiation, and internalizing/externalizing problems of children in multicultural and monocultural families in Korea. A survey was administered to 378 multicultural children and 382 monocultural children in 4th, 5th and 6th grades from 13 elementary schools and 8 multicultural family support centers based in Seoul, Gyeong-gi, Incheon, Chungcheong, and Kangwon regions. For statistical analysis, structural equation modeling was used. The main results were as follows: First, parentification of multicultural children had a negative influence and reduced the internalizing/externalizing problems. Second, family strengths partially mediated the effects of parentification on self-differentiation and shame for both multicultual and monocultural families. Third, for both types of families, parentification influenced internalizing problems through family strengths and shame, respectively, while it influenced internalizing/externalizing problems through family strengths and self-differentiation. Fourth, for multicultural families, parentification influenced internalizing and externalizing problems through family strengths and self-differentiation, respectively. For monocultural families, however, parentification influenced only externalizing problems through family strengths and shame, respectively.