Socio-demographic and family determinants of emotional competence of high school students in Hong Kong: a 6-year longitudinal study

Abstract To understand adolescent development in the Chinese context, developmental trajectories of adolescent emotional competence over time and the related socio-demographic and family determinants were examined in a 6-year longitudinal study. Over six waves of data collection, students were invited to complete a questionnaire measuring emotional competence, paternal and maternal control, father-child and mother-child relationship, family functioning and socio-demographic characteristics. Results showed that adolescent emotional competence showed a linear increase across time. At the initial stage, gender, paternal and maternal control, father-child and mother-child relationship and family functioning influenced adolescent emotional competence. Over time, maternal control, mother-child relationship and family functioning predicted changes in the trajectory of adolescent emotional competence. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.