The impact of paternal alcoholism and maternal social position on boys' school adjustment, pubertal maturation and sexual behavior: a test of two competing hypotheses

The Secondary Harms of Parental Substance Use on Children's Educational Outcomes: A Review

Parental substance use, that is alcohol and illicit drugs, can have a deleterious impact on child health and wellbeing. An area that can be affected by parental substance use is the educational outcomes of children. Current reviews of the literature in the field of parental substance use and children's educational outcomes have only identified a small number of studies, and most focus on children's educational attainment. To grasp the available literature, the method from Arksey and O'Malley (2005) was used to identify literature. Studies were included if they were empirical, after 1950, and focused on children's school or educational outcomes. From this, 51 empirical studies were identified which examined the relationship between parental alcohol and illicit drug use on children's educational outcomes. Five main themes emerged which included attainment, behavior and adjustment, attendance, school enjoyment and satisfaction, academic self-concept, along with other miscellaneous outcomes. This paper highlights the main findings of the studies, the gaps in the current literature, and the challenges presented. Recommendations are made for further research and interventions in the areas of parental substance use and child educational outcomes specifically, but also for broader areas of adversity and child wellbeing.

Individual differences in the development of youth externalizing problems predict a broad range of adult psychosocial outcomes

This study examined how youth aggressive and delinquent externalizing problem behaviors across childhood and adolescence are connected to consequential psychosocial life outcomes in adulthood. Using data from a longitudinal, high-risk sample (N = 1069) that assessed children and their parents regularly from early childhood (ages 3-5) through adulthood, multilevel growth factors of externalizing behaviors were used to predict adult outcomes (age 24-31), providing a sense of how externalizing problems across development were related to these outcomes via maternal, paternal, teacher, and child report. Findings indicated strong support for the lasting connections between youth externalizing problems with later educational attainment and legal difficulties, spanning informants and enduring beyond other meaningful contributors (i.e., child sex, cognitive ability, parental income and education, parental mental health and relationship quality). Some support was also found, although less consistently, linking externalizing problems and later alcohol use as well as romantic relationship quality. Delinquent/rule-breaking behaviors were often stronger predictors of later outcomes than aggressive behaviors. Taken together, these results indicate the importance of the role youth externalizing behaviors have in adult psychosocial functioning one to two decades later.

Testosterone, Physical Aggression, Dominance, and Physical Development in Early Adolescence

The associations among testosterone, physical development, social dominance, and antisocial behaviour during early adolescence were assessed in a sample of boys followed from 6 to 13 years. Saliva testosterone level was positively correlated with height, and uncorrelated with measures of fatness, including the body mass index. Physical aggression and social dominance were not significantly correlated. Regression analyses revealed that testosterone level and body mass additively predicted social dominance, whereas only body mass predicted physical aggression. Thus, early adolescents with high levels of testosterone were more likely to be socially dominant, especially if they had a large body mass. Those who had a large body mass were more likely to be physically aggressive, independently of their testosterone level. The observed pattern of correlations between testosterone, body mass, dominance, and physical aggression offers an interesting example of the complex hormone-physique-behaviour relations at puberty. They support the hypothesis that testosterone level and social dominance are related, and that the association between testosterone level and physical aggression is probably observed in contexts where physical aggression leads to social dominance.

Parental separation, parental alcoholism, and timing of first sexual intercourse

PURPOSE

We examined timing of first voluntary sexual intercourse as a joint function of parental separation during childhood and parental history of alcoholism.

METHODS

Data were drawn from a birth cohort of female like-sex twins (n = 569 African ancestry [AA]; n = 3,415 European or other ancestry [EA]). Cox proportional hazards regression was conducted predicting age at first sex from dummy variables coding for parental separation and parental alcoholism. Propensity score analysis was also employed to compare intact and separated families, stratified by predicted probability of separation.

RESULTS

Earlier sex was reported by EA twins from separated and alcoholic families, compared to EA twins from intact nonalcoholic families, with effects most pronounced through the age of 14 years. Among AA twins, effects of parental separation and parental alcoholism were largely nonsignificant. Results of propensity score analyses confirmed unique risks from parental separation in EA families, where consistent effects of parental separation were observed across predicted probability of separation. For AA families, there was poor matching on risk factors presumed to predate separation, which limited interpretability of survival-analytic findings.

CONCLUSIONS

In European American families, parental separation during childhood is an important predictor of early-onset sex, beyond parental alcoholism and other correlated risk factors. To characterize risk for African Americans associated with parental separation, additional research is needed where matching on confounders can be achieved.

Child maltreatment and household dysfunction: associations with pubertal development in a British birth cohort

BACKGROUND

We aimed to establish the association between adverse childhood experiences (maltreatment and household dysfunction) and pubertal maturation, which is associated with later health outcome(s).

METHODS

The 1958 British birth cohort (n = 17 638) includes all born in one week, March 1958, followed up to mid adulthood. Pubertal stage was rated by medical personnel at 11 and 16 years of age (y). Childhood maltreatment (neglect or abuse) and household dysfunction scores were constructed from information ascertained in childhood and at 45 y.

RESULTS

Childhood neglect, assessed at 7 y, was associated with late pubertal development on several markers after adjusting for early life circumstances: relative risk ratio (RRRadjusted) was 1.13 (95% CI: 1.06,1.21) and 1.06 (1.00,1.12) for late menarche and breast development (females) per unit increase in neglect score ranging 0-7, respectively; 1.14 (1.08,1.20) for late voice change and 1.07 (1.02,1.13) for pubic hair growth (males). The RRRadjusted for late pubic hair (females) and genitalia and facial hair (males) development was 1.04 (P = 0.052 to 0.085). Abuse score (0-3, for physical, sexual or psychological abuse) was associated in females with late menarche [RRRadjusted = 1.17 (1.01,1.36)] and in males with late pubic hair growth [RRRadjusted = 1.16 (1.01,1.34)] per unit increase, but not with other pubertal markers. Neither score (neglect or abuse) was associated with early puberty, but sexual abuse was associated with early [RRRadjusted = 1.86 (1.06,3.29)] as well as late menarche [RRRadjusted = 1.66 (1.02,2.71)] and witnessing abuse with early genitalia development [RRRadjusted = 1.57 (1.02,2.41)]. Household dysfunction score was not associated consistently with pubertal markers.

CONCLUSIONS

Cumulative neglect by 7 y was associated with delayed development of several pubertal markers. The underlying role of pubertal development in linking childhood neglect with future adult health warrants further consideration.

The Case for Examining and Treating the Combined Effects of Parental Drug Use and Interparental Violence on Children in their Homes

This review examines what have been, to this point, generally two divergent lines of research: (a) effects of parental drug abuse on children, and (b) effects of children's exposure to interparental violence. A small, but growing body of literature has documented the robust relationship between drug use and intimate partner violence. Despite awareness of the interrelationship, little attention has been paid to the combined effect of these deleterious parent behaviors on children in these homes. Thus, we argue for the need to examine the developmental impact of these behaviors (both individually and combined) on children in these homes and for treatment development to reflect how each of these parent behaviors may affect children of substance abusers.

Family rearing antecedents of pubertal timing

Two general evolutionary hypotheses were tested on 756 White children (397 girls) studied longitudinally: (1) rearing experiences would predict pubertal timing; and (2) children would prove differentially susceptible to rearing. Analysis of pubertal measurements, including some based on repeated physical assessments, showed that mothering and fathering, earlier and later in childhood, predicted pubertal development, but only for girls, with negative parenting appearing most influential; maternal harsh control predicted earlier menarche. Rearing effects varied by infant negative emotionality, proving stronger (and opposite) for girls who in infancy were lower rather than higher in negativity. Maternal menarche, controlled in all analyses, was a stronger predictor than rearing. Findings are discussed in terms of theory development, genetic and nutritional influences, and sample restrictions.

Le père, une roue du carrosse familial à ne pas oublier ! État des recherches québécoises et canadiennes sur la paternité

La recherche sur la paternité requiert de la part du chercheur d’adopter une lorgnette distincte qui élargit le regard porté sur son objet d’étude. Elle l’incite à un recadrage créatif et générateur d’idées nouvelles, autant sur les plans théoriques, méthodologiques que pratiques. L’intégration des pères comme objet de recherche nécessite de dépasser l’analyse du contexte dyadique d’interaction parentale, d’aller au-delà du système familial, pour considérer les caractéristiques des environnements sociaux, culturels et politiques, tout en misant sur la richesse des connaissances issues de la longue tradition de recherche auprès des mères. L’image de la roue du carrosse illustre ici le défi de taille des chercheurs pour comprendre une réalité complexe malgré son apparente simplicité et ce, dans une perspective positive de recadrage, afin de voir comment cette roue peut favoriser ou freiner le développement ou le bien-être des membres de la famille. Cet article vise à fournir certains éléments de réponse à cette question, à la lumière d’une synthèse de l’état des recherches québécoises et canadiennes sur la paternité, dans une perspective écologique. Celle-ci permet de considérer les caractéristiques des environnements macro systémiques qui influencent l’engagement paternel, tout en identifiant des créneaux prometteurs d’avancement dans ce domaine de connaissances pour les chercheurs et les intervenants.

Social and psychological characteristics of Greek secondary school students with learning difficulties

In Greece there is an almost total lack of special education after the primary school (6th grade). This is a descriptive study that aimed to examine social, academic and psychological characteristics of secondary school students with a history of special placement during primary school. It compared 86 students with a placement (group A) with their 1284 schoolmates with no such placement history (group B) with respect to scores on School Adjustment Scale, Academic Motivation Self-Rating Inventory and Youth Self-Report. Group A presented more family social, academic and psychological problems such as: One-parent family, lower socioeconomic status, poor adjustment, low motivation and (especially for boys) high internalizing and externalizing scores. The high rates of failure and dropout of these students indicate that in Greece there is a need to set up appropriate services to help secondary school students with learning difficulties.

Intercourse debut age: poor resources, problem behavior, or romantic appeal? a population-based longitudinal study

The most important predictors of early intercourse debut are reported to be poor social resources and early developing problem behaviors. In this study we have a new, additional emphasis on variables related to self-concept and social acceptance. In a population-based longitudinal study, 1399 Norwegians were followed over a 7-year span. We analyzed data using multivariate Cox-regression techniques. Early intercourse debut was part of a broader spectrum of problem behaviors, including early alcohol intoxication and early-developing conduct problems. A new finding was that a positive self-concept in the domain of romantic appeal was also a strong predictor, but only for boys. We suggest that the findings may have important implications for prevention and more research should be conducted along this line.

Intergenerational transmission of risks for problem behavior

The intergenerational transmission of risk factors for problem behaviors was examined across three generations. Two hundred fifty-four 2-year-old toddlers, one or two of their parents, and one grandmother of each toddler were studied. Grandmothers and parents were individually interviewed. Data were analyzed for the male and female toddlers combined. Correlations and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed. Findings indicate that the grandmother-parent relationship, parental personality attributes, marital harmony, and drug use and the parent-toddler relationship, predict the toddlers' behavior. The investigation provides evidence for a longitudinal, intergenerational process whereby the grandmother-parent relationship and the parents' personality and behavioral attributes are transmitted across generations through their association with the parent-child relationship.

Effects of parent personality, upbringing, and marijuana use on the parent-child attachment relationship

OBJECTIVE

To examine the predictors of the quality of the parent-child attachment relationship among a sample of 248 young adults with children.

METHOD

In this longitudinal study, data were collected during early adulthood in 1992 and in 1996/1997 via a structured questionnaire. Using logistic regression and multiple regression analyses, the authors assessed the extent to which participants' personality attributes, substance use, and relationships with their mothers predicted the quality of the parent-child bond.

RESULTS

Logistic regression models showed that participants with certain personality attributes (e.g., high sensitivity), less frequent marijuana use, or a close relationship with their mothers had a greater likelihood of having a close parent-child attachment relationship with their own children at a later time. Regression analysis also showed that the risk of earlier substance use on the parent-child relationship was offset by protective factors in the parents' personality domain. In addition, protective factors in the various parental domains synergistically interacted with a low frequency of marijuana use, relating to a closer parent-child attachment relationship.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that certain parenting styles are transmitted across generations and interventions in the personality and drug use domains can help increase the likelihood that parents will form close attachment relationships with their own children.

Pubertal maturation and the development of behavioural and emotional problems in early adolescence

Development of problem behaviour in early adolescence was predicted from change in pubertal stage and timing of pubertal development. Parent-reported (Child Behavior Checklist) and self-reported (Youth Self-Report) problem behaviour, pubertal stage and life events were assessed twice from a community sample of nearly 1300 Dutch children, aged 10-12 years at T1 and 12-14 years at T2. Pubertal change was a significant predictor of development in most parent-reported problems. Once initial differences in problems had been accounted for, the slower the progress in pubertal development, the higher the problem score at T2. Development of self-reported problems was independent of pubertal change. Pubertal timing predicted development of two parent-reported and three self-reported problem scales. Of the parent-reported problems, early maturation was associated with a decrease in boys' social problems and attention problems. Late maturing increased girls' social problems. Of the self-reported problems, early maturation was associated with an increase in girls' withdrawn and delinquent behaviour. Late maturing increased boys' attention problems. We conclude that pubertal development has small but significant effects on the development of problem behaviour in early adolescence.