YOUTH&SOCIETY/March2002 Strometal./AFRICANAMERICANMOTHERS AFRICAN AMERICAN MOTHERS OF EARLY ADOLESCENTS Perceptions of Two Generations ROBERTSTROM ArizonaStateUniversity JILLDOHRMANN NorthernArizonaUniversity PARISSTROM AuburnUniversityatAuburn DIANNEGRISWOLD AuburnUniversityatMontgomery TROYBECKERT SHIRLEYSTROM ELSIEMOORE KATHRYNNAKAGAWA ArizonaStateUniversity Thisstudysoughttodeterminehow271AfricanAmericanmothersof10-to14-year- olds viewed their strengths and limitations as parents and to detect how 292 children from this age group perceived the parent performance of their mothers. Significant generationaldifferenceswerefoundinfourofsixscalesand30of60itemsonthePar- ent Success Indicator. The independent variable with the greatest influence on how both generations saw parent success was the amount of time they spent together. The transition to adolescence is accompanied by stronger ties amongpeers,amovementtowardautonomy,seekinganindependent identity, and changes in self-worth as well as mental competence. Thesechangesoftenaffecttheparent-childrelationshipaswell-estab- lishedpatternsofinteractionbegintoshift(Harris,1998).Parentcon- cernisfurthermotivatedbytheavailabilityofillegaldrugsatyounger ages, influence of gangs, possibility of pregnancy, and the potential forexposuretoAIDS.Theserisk-takingbehaviorsmakegrowingup morehazardousthaninthepast(Giannetti&Sagarese,1997).Inaddi- 394 YOUTH&SOCIETY,Vol.33No.3,March2002 394-417 ©2002SagePublications