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Lotto CR, Altafim ERP, Linhares MBM. Maternal Emotional and Behavioral Regulation/Dysregulation and Parenting Practices: A Systematic Review. TRAUMA, VIOLENCE & ABUSE 2024:15248380241253036. [PMID: 38804703 DOI: 10.1177/15248380241253036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Emotional and behavioral regulations are crucial for the development of perceptive, responsive, and flexible parenting. Moreover, maternal emotional dysregulation constitutes a risk for maltreatment behaviors. The present study aimed to conduct a systematic review of empirical studies on the associations between mothers' emotional and behavioral regulations and parenting practices with their children or adolescents. A systematic review was conducted, including papers that addressed these variables, analyzing the direct effects, and moderation or mediation effects of maternal emotional and behavioral regulation on parenting practices, targeting child and adolescent samples. We identified 35 studies for analysis. Most of the studies (86%) showed significant associations between maternal emotional and behavioral regulation and parenting practices. Mothers' emotional dysregulation was related to a high risk of maltreatment and negative parenting, such as unsupportive reactions and harsh discipline. High maternal emotional dysregulation and negative parenting, in turn, were associated with children's aggressive behaviors. Conversely, when mothers exhibited high emotional regulation, they engaged in more positive and supportive parenting. Additionally, maternal behavioral regulation with inhibitory control and effortful control led to supportive and warm parenting. Individual and contextual factors, such as maternal victimization history and symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity, had effects on maternal emotional dysregulation, which, in turn, impacted their parenting practices. Consequently, emotional and behavioral regulation played a crucial role in mothers' parenting practices with their children and adolescents. The findings of the current review could contribute to planning parenting interventions, including maternal emotional and behavioral regulation skills, aimed at preventing maltreatment of their children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Regina Lotto
- Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
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2
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Holdroyd I, Bywaters P, Duschinsky R, Drayak T, Taylor J, Coughlan B. Fathers' mental Ill-health and child maltreatment: A systematic review of the literature. CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES REVIEW 2024; 157:107317. [PMID: 38333718 PMCID: PMC10847972 DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Background Parental mental ill-health is often described as a risk factor for child maltreatment. Yet the literature commonly foregrounds maternal mental ill-health. To obtain a more complete picture, it is crucial to also understand the associations between fathers' mental health and child maltreatment. Aim To provide a narrative synthesis of evidence about the relationship between fathers' mental health and child maltreatment. Method Four electronic databases were searched, identifying 5479 citations. 151 studies were brought to full-text review. 37 were included in the study. Results Studies revealed mixed evidence for associations between forms of paternal mental ill health and child maltreatment, with stronger evidence for paternal depression and weak or no evidence for PTSD and anxiety. Many confounding factors were identified across the papers. Discussion The small number and limited range of good quality studies indicate the need to correct the relative invisibility of fathers within research about mental health and child maltreatment. At present, the available evidence is not sufficient to draw firm conclusions about the association between fathers' mental health and child maltreatment or appropriate policy and practice responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Holdroyd
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Paul Bywaters
- Human and Health Sciences, University of Huddersfield, UK
| | - Robbie Duschinsky
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | - Barry Coughlan
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, UK
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Parenteau AM, Boyer CJ, Campos LJ, Carranza AF, Deer LK, Hartman DT, Bidwell JT, Hostinar CE. A review of mental health disparities during COVID-19: Evidence, mechanisms, and policy recommendations for promoting societal resilience. Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:1821-1842. [PMID: 36097815 PMCID: PMC10008755 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579422000499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Social and economic inequality are chronic stressors that continually erode the mental and physical health of marginalized groups, undermining overall societal resilience. In this comprehensive review, we synthesize evidence of greater increases in mental health symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic among socially or economically marginalized groups in the United States, including (a) people who are low income or experiencing homelessness, (b) racial and ethnic minorities, (c) women and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ+) communities, (d) immigrants and migrants, (e) children and people with a history of childhood adversity, and (f) the socially isolated and lonely. Based on this evidence, we propose that reducing social and economic inequality would promote population mental health and societal resilience to future crises. Specifically, we propose concrete, actionable recommendations for policy, intervention, and practice that would bolster five "pillars" of societal resilience: (1) economic safety and equity, (2) accessible healthcare, including mental health services, (3) combating racial injustice and promoting respect for diversity, equity, and inclusion, (4) child and family protection services, and (5) social cohesion. Although the recent pandemic exposed and accentuated steep inequalities within our society, efforts to rebuild offer the opportunity to re-envision societal resilience and policy to reduce multiple forms of inequality for our collective benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M. Parenteau
- Psychology Department, University of California-Davis
- Center for Poverty and Inequality Research, University of California-Davis
| | - Chase J. Boyer
- Department of Human Ecology, University of California-Davis
| | | | | | - LillyBelle K. Deer
- Psychology Department, University of California-Davis
- Center for Poverty and Inequality Research, University of California-Davis
| | | | - Julie T. Bidwell
- Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, University of California-Davis
| | - Camelia E. Hostinar
- Psychology Department, University of California-Davis
- Center for Poverty and Inequality Research, University of California-Davis
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Social Information Processing Theory Indicators of Child Abuse Risk: Cultural Comparison of Mothers from Peru and the United States. CHILDREN 2023; 10:children10030545. [PMID: 36980103 PMCID: PMC10047446 DOI: 10.3390/children10030545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Much of the research conducted on social information processing (SIP) factors predictive of child abuse risk has been conducted in North America, raising questions about how applicable such models may be in other cultures. Based on the premise that the parents’ child abuse risk is affected by both risk and protective factors, the current study considered how specific SIP socio-cognitive risk factors (acceptability of parent–child aggression as a discipline approach; empathic ability; frustration tolerance) as well as social support satisfaction as a resource related to child abuse risk by comparing a sample of mothers in Peru (n = 102) with a sample of mothers in the U.S. (n = 180). Using multi-group regression analyses, the current investigation identified that lower empathy was more salient for the abuse risk of U.S. mothers relative to the salience of lower frustration tolerance for Peruvian mothers. Although effects were observed for the approval of parent-aggression for the child abuse risk of both samples, such approval did not appear to be related to the Peruvian mothers’ actual use of such tactics. When considered alongside the socio-cognitive risk factors, greater social support satisfaction did not significantly relate to child abuse risk for either sample. The findings are discussed in reference to future cross-cultural work that may need to better examine how factors may or may not be universal to craft more culturally informed child abuse prevention programs.
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Chen Q, Lo CKM, Chen M, Chan KL, Ip P. The Occurrence and Co-Occurrence of Harsh Parenting and Family Conflict in Hong Kong. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:16199. [PMID: 36498275 PMCID: PMC9740018 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192316199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The violation of children's right to a safe home environment is a major public health problem in need of serious attention. Evidence has been limited about the family characteristics that go with the co-occurrence of harsh parenting and family conflict. By using a representative community sample of Hong Kong families, this study aims to examine the prevalence and risk factors of harsh parenting and family conflict. This study was conducted using a secondary analysis obtained from the 2017 Hong Kong Family Survey with a sample size of 1926 respondents who have children. Results showed that participants' ages are negatively related to the occurrence and co-occurrence of harsh parenting and/or family conflict. Married mothers reported less family conflict. Fathers with lower education levels reported more experiences of family violence. Mothers reporting a higher level of family satisfaction were less associated with harsh parenting. This study provides insights into the unique and shared familial elements that prevent harsh parenting and family conflict and help facilitate the development of effective intervention strategies for family violence co-occurrence. Family-based prevention for family violence may screen for the presence of harsh parenting and family conflict and take into consideration these signals to better support families in need.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiqi Chen
- Department of Social Work, School of Sociology and Anthropology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Camilla Kin Ming Lo
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong
| | - Mengtong Chen
- Department of Social Work, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
| | - Ko Ling Chan
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong
| | - Patrick Ip
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
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6
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Pu DF, Rodriguez CM, Dimperio MD. Factors Distinguishing Reciprocal Versus Nonreciprocal Intimate Partner Violence Across Time and Reporter. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2022; 37:NP13654-NP13684. [PMID: 33840301 PMCID: PMC8502788 DOI: 10.1177/08862605211001475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Although intimate partner violence (IPV) is often conceptualized as occurring unilaterally, reciprocal or bidirectional violence is actually the most prevalent form of IPV. The current study assessed physical IPV experiences in couples and evaluated risk and protective factors that may be differentially associated with reciprocal and nonreciprocal IPV concurrently and over time. As part of a multi-wave longitudinal study, women and men reported on the frequency of their IPV perpetration and victimization three times across the transition to parenthood. Participants also reported on risk factors related to personal adjustment, psychosocial resources, attitudes toward gender role egalitarianism, and sociodemographic characteristics at each wave. Participants were classified into one of four IPV groups (reciprocal violence, male perpetrators only, female perpetrators only, and no violence) based on their self-report and based on a combined report, which incorporated both partners' reports of IPV for a maximum estimate of violence. Women and men were analyzed separately, as both can be perpetrators and/or victims of IPV. Cross-sectional analyses using self-reported IPV data indicated that IPV groups were most consistently distinguished by their levels of couple satisfaction, across gender; psychological distress also appeared to differentiate IPV groups, although somewhat less consistently. When combined reports of IPV were used, sociodemographic risk markers (i.e., age, income, and education) in addition to couple functioning were among the most robust factors differentiating IPV groups concurrently, across gender. In longitudinal analyses, sociodemographic vulnerabilities were again among the most consistent factors differentiating subsequent IPV groups over time. Several gender differences were also found, suggesting that different risk factors (e.g., women's social support and men's emotion regulation abilities) may need to be targeted in interventions to identify, prevent, and treat IPV among women and men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doris F. Pu
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
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7
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Psychometric Evidence for Indirect Assessment of Child Abuse Risk in Child Welfare-Involved Mothers. CHILDREN 2022; 9:children9050711. [PMID: 35626887 PMCID: PMC9139299 DOI: 10.3390/children9050711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Most research on factors related to physical child abuse risk rely heavily on direct self-report measures, which is a methodological strategy susceptible to participant response distortions. Such methodological reliance obfuscates the interpretations rendered about the risk factors predictive of child abuse. Efforts to develop alternative indirect assessment approaches, such as analog tasks, show promise, although most of those studies have applied these methods to community samples rather than with child welfare-involved samples. The present study evaluated the psychometric evidence for four separate analog tasks that have not yet been considered with mothers identified for child maltreatment by child welfare services, also contrasted to a sociodemographically matched sample of mothers. The results indicate acceptable reliability for the analog tasks, with additional evidence of validity. However, the two groups of mothers did not substantively differ across measures, suggesting that identification for abuse through child protective services does not differentiate from those closely matched on critical sociodemographic characteristics. The promising preliminary results of these analog tasks in the current study suggest that indirect analog assessment approaches to estimate child abuse risk could be useful in efforts to minimize dependence on self-report methods.
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Spotlight on Maternal Perceptions of Child Behavior: A Daily Diary Study with Child Welfare-Involved Mothers. Behav Sci (Basel) 2022; 12:bs12020044. [PMID: 35200295 PMCID: PMC8868821 DOI: 10.3390/bs12020044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Research has documented a variety of factors—including stress, attributions, and anger—that may increase parents’ risk for child maltreatment, but most of this research is based on low-risk, community samples of parents’ perceptions about themselves and their children. Moreover, parents are usually asked to provide self-reports wherein they summarize their general impressions distal from actual parenting. The current study employed experience sampling methods with a high-risk sample. Mothers identified for child maltreatment reported on their stress and coping as well as their perceptions regarding children’s misbehavior and good behavior using end-of-day surveys for up to four weeks. Only maternal reports of children’s good behavior based on personality and mood were relatively stable; stress, coping, and reports on child misbehavior varied considerably across days, implying that contributors to daily fluctuations in these factors could represent intervention targets. Although maternal perceptions of misbehavior severity, anger, and negative attributions were interrelated, only anger about misbehavior related to maternal stress levels. Mothers who reported better coping perceived their child’s behavior more favorably that day and were more likely to ascribe positive behavior to the child’s mood and personality. Current findings highlight the importance of positive coping mechanisms in parental perceptions of children; such findings should be replicated to determine how to maximize parental resources that reduce child maltreatment risk.
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Lee SJ, Ward KP, Lee JY, Rodriguez CM. Parental Social Isolation and Child Maltreatment Risk during the COVID-19 Pandemic. JOURNAL OF FAMILY VIOLENCE 2022; 37:813-824. [PMID: 33462526 PMCID: PMC7807402 DOI: 10.1007/s10896-020-00244-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
On March 11, 2020, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The social isolation and economic stress resulting from pandemic have the potential to exacerbate child abuse and neglect. This study examines the association of parents' perceived social isolation and recent employment loss to risk for child maltreatment (neglect, verbal aggression, and physical punishment) in the early weeks of the pandemic. Participants (N = 283) were adults living in the U.S. who were parents of at least one child 0-12 years of age. Participants completed an online survey approximately 2 weeks after the World Health Organization declared that COVID-19 was a pandemic. The survey asked about recent changes (i.e., in the past 2 weeks) to employment status, parenting behaviors, use of discipline, use of spanking, and depressive symptoms. Nearly 20% of parents had hit or spanked their child in the past two weeks alone. Parents' perceived social isolation and recent employment loss were associated with self-report of physical and emotional neglect and verbal aggression against the child, even after controlling for parental depressive symptoms, income, and sociodemographic factors. Parents' perceived social isolation was associated with parental report of changes in discipline, specifically, using discipline and spanking more often in the past 2 weeks. Associations were robust to analyses that included two variables that assessed days spent social distancing and days spent in "lockdown." Study results point to the need for mental health supports to parents and children to ameliorate the strain created by COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawna J. Lee
- School of Social Work, University of Michigan, 1080 South University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
| | - Kaitlin P. Ward
- School of Social Work, University of Michigan, 1080 South University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
| | - Joyce Y. Lee
- School of Social Work, University of Michigan, 1080 South University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
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10
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Lavi I, Ozer EJ, Katz LF, Gross JJ. The role of parental emotion reactivity and regulation in child maltreatment and maltreatment risk: A meta-analytic review. Clin Psychol Rev 2021; 90:102099. [PMID: 34752992 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2021.102099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The prevalence and impact of child maltreatment make the scientific investigation of this phenomenon a matter of vital importance. Prior research has examined associations between problematic patterns of parents' emotion reactivity and regulation and child maltreatment and maltreatment risk. However, the strength and specificity of these relationships is not yet clear. To address this, we conducted a systematic literature search of four databases from inception through February 2021 to identify studies that reported these relationships. Our resulting meta-analysis of maltreatment involved parents of children who are up to 18 years of age (k = 46, encompassing 6669 parents). Our focus was the magnitude of the difference in levels of emotion reactivity and regulation between parents who maltreat or are at risk of maltreating and parents who do not maltreat their children or are not at risk of maltreating their children. As expected, results from meta-analyses using robust variance estimation indicated significantly higher problems with reactivity and regulation in maltreating parents / parents at risk (r = 0.40, k = 140; 95% CI [0.34, 0.45]), indicating that maltreating / at risk parents were more likely to have overall worse measures of reactivity and regulation. In comparison to non-maltreating parents, maltreating / at risk parents experience more negative emotions, display more negative emotion behavior, and are more dysregulated. These effects were fairly stable with little to no remaining heterogeneity. The current review concludes with a theoretical framework outlining the role of emotion reactivity and regulation in multiple risk factors of maltreatment, aiming to guide future study in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Lavi
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, UK; School of Social Work, University of Haifa, Israel.
| | - Emily J Ozer
- School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, United States of America.
| | | | - James J Gross
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, United States of America.
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Pu DF, Rodriguez CM. Spillover and Crossover Effects: Mothers' and Fathers' Intimate Partner Violence, Parent-Child Aggression Risk, and Child Behavior Problems. CHILD MALTREATMENT 2021; 26:420-430. [PMID: 33438464 PMCID: PMC8275686 DOI: 10.1177/1077559520985936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The high co-occurrence of intimate partner violence (IPV) and physical child abuse suggests that studying these forms of aggression simultaneously, bidirectionally, and longitudinally is critical. Guided by family systems theory, this study examined parent-child aggression (PCA) risk, IPV victimization, and child behavior problems as reported by mothers and fathers when their child was 18 months and at 4 years old, to evaluate whether negative processes can transmit across family subsystems (i.e., spillover hypothesis) and/or across individuals (i.e., crossover hypothesis). Results indicated that mothers' PCA risk predicted their subsequent IPV victimization and their reported child behavior problems (i.e., spillover effects) as well as fathers' reported IPV victimization (i.e., crossover effect). Maternal reports of child behavior problems also predicted mothers' reported IPV victimization and fathers' reported child behavior problems, indicating child-driven effects. Overall, mothers rather than fathers appear more vulnerable to harmful spillover effects. Findings underscore the need for early prevention and intervention given the complex, transactional nature of family violence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doris F. Pu
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL, USA
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12
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Rodriguez CM, Lee SJ, Ward KP. Underlying mechanisms for racial disparities in parent-child physical and psychological aggression and child abuse risk. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2021; 117:105089. [PMID: 33957487 PMCID: PMC8252690 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding factors that contribute to parents' use of physical and psychological parent-child aggression (PCA) is critical in efforts to mitigate child maltreatment. OBJECTIVE Extant research has not adequately distinguished risk factors that may differ by race. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS The present study investigated potential racial differences in worry, approval of PCA, justification for PCA use, negative child intent attributions, and discrimination experiences in relation to child abuse risk and physical and psychological PCA use in a sample of 292 Black (44.9 %) and White mothers. RESULTS As hypothesized, compared to White mothers, Black mothers demonstrated higher child abuse risk and reported more PCA use, stronger approval for using PCA, and more justification of their PCA to teach children obedience. Although Black mothers reported more discipline-relevant worry as well as more experience of discrimination, White mothers' lower trait worry related to their greater approval of PCA for discipline, which indirectly related to their abuse risk. Contrary to expectations, perceptions of greater discrimination were related to White mothers' increased child abuse risk, approval of PCA, and justification for PCA because of anger and to teach obedience-findings not observed for Black mothers. CONCLUSIONS The current results underscore the need for additional research on the role of discrimination and the cultural context of parenting and highlight the importance of explicitly testing racial differences to develop more culturally informed abuse prevention approaches.
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Rodriguez CM, Lee SJ, Ward KP, Pu DF. The Perfect Storm: Hidden Risk of Child Maltreatment During the Covid-19 Pandemic. CHILD MALTREATMENT 2021; 26:139-151. [PMID: 33353380 PMCID: PMC8093016 DOI: 10.1177/1077559520982066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic upended the country, with enormous economic and social shifts. Given the increased contact from families living in virtual confinement coupled with massive economic disarray, the Covid-19 pandemic may have created the ideal conditions to witness a rise in children's experience of abuse and neglect. Yet such a rise will be difficult to calculate given the drop in official mechanisms to track its incidence. The current investigation utilized two studies conducted early in the pandemic to evaluate maltreatment risk. In the first cross-sectional study, parents (n = 405) reported increased physical and verbal conflict and neglect which were associated with their perceived stress and loneliness. In the second study, parents (n = 106) enrolled in a longitudinal study reported increased parent-child conflict, which was associated with concurrent child abuse risk, with several links to employment loss, food insecurity, and loneliness; findings also demonstrated increases in abuse risk and psychological aggression relative to pre-pandemic levels. Findings are discussed in the context of a reactive welfare system rather than a pro-active public-health oriented approach to child maltreatment, connecting with families through multiple avenues. Innovative approaches will be needed to reach children faced with maltreatment to gauge its scope and impact in the pandemic's aftermath.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Doris F. Pu
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL, USA
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Pu DF, Rodriguez CM. Bidirectional Spillover in the Family across the Transition to Parenthood. FAMILY PROCESS 2021; 60:235-250. [PMID: 32436260 PMCID: PMC8101004 DOI: 10.1111/famp.12549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2019] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Although family systems theory posits reciprocal causality between subsystems of the family, such as intimate partner violence exacerbating harsh parenting and vice versa, longitudinal studies with cross-lagged models have been used infrequently to test these principles. As guided by the spillover model, this study examined bidirectional associations between couple dysfunction, parent-child aggression risk, and child functioning across the transition to parenthood to determine whether and how disruptions in one subsystem relate to problems in other family subsystems. Participants were 201 first-time mothers and 151 fathers from a diverse community sample, evaluated during pregnancy, and reassessed two more times through their child's first 18 months of life. Individual and dyadic path model results indicate bidirectional spillover effects between parent-child aggression risk and child functioning for both mothers and fathers, and spillover from parent-child aggression risk to couple dysfunction for mothers but not fathers. However, limited spillover effects were identified between couple functioning and child adjustment, in contrast to previous work. Findings suggest that spillover can happen reciprocally and early in the family, supporting transactional models of behavior and highlighting the need for early family level intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doris F Pu
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
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15
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Rodriguez CM, Granger DA, Leerkes EM. Testosterone Associations With Parents' Child Abuse Risk and At-Risk Parenting: A Multimethod Longitudinal Examination. CHILD MALTREATMENT 2021; 26:50-62. [PMID: 32500732 PMCID: PMC7718373 DOI: 10.1177/1077559520930819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The current investigation considered salivary testosterone as a potential biomarker of physical child abuse risk. Parents enrolled in a prospective, longitudinal, multimethod study beginning prenatally provided saliva when their toddlers were 18 months old. Mothers and fathers self-reported on their empathy, frustration tolerance, and child abuse risk, as well as completing analog tasks of frustration intolerance and child abuse risk and participating in structured parent-child interactions. In contrast to mothers, fathers' higher testosterone levels were associated with increased child abuse risk, less observed positive parenting, more observed negative parenting, and an analog task of frustration intolerance; such findings were reflected across time. Further, fathers' socioeconomic status moderated the association between testosterone levels and abuse risk. No evidence of partner effects was observed in dyadic analyses. The current findings suggest that higher testosterone levels reflect an increased likelihood that paternal physically abusive behavior may be expressed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Douglas A Granger
- 8788University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
- John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MA, USA
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Rodriguez CM, Wittig SMO, Silvia PJ. Refining social-information processing theory: Predicting maternal and paternal parent-child aggression risk longitudinally. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2020; 107:104563. [PMID: 32682144 PMCID: PMC7494567 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 04/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clarifying the pathways leading parents to engage in parent-child aggression (PCA) would benefit child abuse prevention efforts during the perinatal period. OBJECTIVE The present investigation empirically tested whether a social information processing (SIP) model could predict PCA risk from factors assessed in new mothers and fathers. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING This study recruited a diverse sample of 201 primiparous mothers in the last trimester of their pregnancy along with 151 fathers. METHODS Using a prospective longitudinal study, the hypothesized SIP model was refined statistically using SIP factors measured prenatally to predict PCA risk when their children were 18 months. This refined model was then validated with SIP factors assessed when infants were 6 months to predict PCA risk when toddlers were 18 months. RESULTS In general, findings indicated poor empathy related to greater overreactivity and more negative child behavior attributions. Moreover, approval of PCA use, negative child attributions, less knowledge of non-physical discipline alternatives, and higher child compliance expectations predicted subsequent PCA risk. The proposed SIP model for mothers demonstrated considerable stability. Although SIP processes predicted paternal risk, several SIP relations changed over time for fathers. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest comprehensive theoretical models like SIP theory can guide the specific processes to target for prevention and clarify how processes may be interconnected. SIP processes appear relevant and relatively stable targets for prevention and early intervention, particularly for mothers. SIP processes were applicable for fathers although the model was less consistent, suggesting work in examining paternal PCA risk remains an important research direction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Paul J Silvia
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro, United States
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Esper LH, Gherardi-Donato ECDS. Early stress, mindfulness, and mental health in mothers of children exposed to sexual violence. Arch Psychiatr Nurs 2020; 34:110-114. [PMID: 32513459 DOI: 10.1016/j.apnu.2020.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2019] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Larissa Horta Esper
- Department of Psychiatric Nursing and Human Sciences, University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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