Academic performance and delinquent and aggressive behaviors among children with substance using mothers

Abstract

The present study examined the longitudinal trajectory of academic performance and associated ecological correlates among children with substance using mothers. The promotive effects of academic performance in ameliorating delinquent and aggressive behaviors were also examined. The sample consisted of 183 children (Mage = 11.5; SD = 2.6; 48% female) whose mothers sought outpatient treatment through a local substance use treatment facility in the United States. Participants were assessed using a battery of self-assessments questionnaires querying academic performance, delinquent and aggressive behaviors, parenting behaviors, peer relationships and coping. A group-based trajectory analysis revealed three distinct trajectory groups of academic performance: high-, medium-, and low- performing groups, and higher levels of academic performance were associated with lower levels of delinquent and aggressive behaviors. Findings also showed that mother’s support for child’s psychological autonomy and child’s task-oriented coping were positively associated with child’s academic performance, implicating crucial intervention targets to improve academic performance of children with substance using mothers.