Child Relationship Research Articles

Parental strategies for handling sibling conflict and sibling relationships: Parent–child relationships as a mediator

This study examined the mediating effect of parent–child relationships in the link between parental strategies for handling sibling conflict and sibling relationships. We conducted a survey of the parents of 1,368 children who had siblings and were enrolled in kindergarten, using the Child-Centered Scale, the Control Scale, the Nonintervention Scale, the Sibling Relationship Scale, and the Parent–Child Relationship Scale. The results showed that control, childcentered, and nonintervention strategies for handling sibling conflict each predicted sibling relationships, and parent–child relationships partially mediated the impact that the strategies had on sibling relationships. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Developmental trajectories of children's playfulness in two- to six-year-olds

Even though playfulness has been found to be highly relevant to the development and wellbeing of young children, hardly any longitudinal findings are available on stability and changes in children's playfulness. This study examined developmental trajectories of children's playfulness in two- to six-year-olds over a two-year period and analyzed whether individual and family characteristics and transition to primary school explain these trajectories. The sample included 839 children (47.3% girls, MAge = 4.87 years, SDAge = 1.39) from 38 childcare centers and 47 kindergartens in Switzerland. Children's playfulness was assessed at three measurement time points at one-year intervals using the multidimensional Children's Playfulness Scale to gather parent and teacher reports. Second-order linear growth curve models showed significant interindividual differences in children's playfulness at initial baseline. These differences correlated with effects for age, migrant background, and maternal education. The growth-related processes varied depending on children's age, and the individual dimension of children's playfulness whether an increase, stability, or decline was observed. In particular, social components of playfulness were found to change. On average, children's playfulness increased in early years but decreased from school age onwards. However, closeness in parent–child relationships proved to be supportive of children's playfulness at all time points. The results indicate the significance of positive parenting to children's playfulness, but they also draw attention to how playful qualities can be maintained and more highly valued in the school environment. In general, the study can contribute to a better understanding of the construct of playfulness in childhood.

The Changsha historic urban area: a study on the evolution characteristics and influencing factors of the connectivity of construction land

This study aims to understand the connectivity characteristics of construction land during the spatial evolution of historic urban areas. The complex network analysis method is employed to examine the evolution of the spatial structure of construction land in the four periods of the Changsha historic urban area. The results indicate that the spatial network morphology of construction land follows a repeated development pattern resembling a cluster–mother–child relationship. Additionally, the vulnerability in the evolution of land use spatial relationships is very low, while the overall stability of the land use network structure decreases. The spatial equilibrium of land use shows a downwards trend, the accessibility of land where existing cultural relics and historic sites are located is generally moderate to low, and some plots require improvement. In the evolution of connectivity in the construction land of historic urban areas, the main development challenges are the uneven growth caused by imbalanced land value influenced by capital and the need to balance the preservation of land use patterns with improved accessibility to cultural relics and historic sites. Therefore, it is highly important to dynamically detect and optimize the network structure of construction land to protect and develop historic urban areas.

Post-Disaster Social Connectedness in Parent–Child Dyads: A Qualitative Investigation of Changes in Coping and Social Capital of Rural Australian Families Following Bushfires

Abstract The increasing frequency of natural disasters, such as bushfires, pose significant challenges for countries like Australia. This research investigates the changes in social connectedness following a bushfire disaster in 2019 in the rural community of Cudlee Creek, South Australia, Australia. Research has repeatedly highlighted the importance of social connectedness, social capital and secure attachment relationships in mitigating post-disaster mental health concerns. This study utilised semi-structured interviews with eight parent–child dyads twenty months post-disaster to understand changes in parent–child relationships, the quality of extended family ties and the role of the broader community in recovery and coping. Reflexive thematic analysis revealed three themes: (i) differences in children and parents in preferred forms of social support; (ii) a thinning of previously available support and (iii) altered patterns of communication in the parent–child relationships. The findings highlight the complex interactions of multi-systemic and intersectional disadvantages on social isolation and loss of social capital following disasters. The results also highlight the influence of stoic beliefs on patterns of miscommunication in parent–child dyads in rural contexts. Implications for the implementation of community-wide post-disaster supports, sociometric approaches to mental health screening and assessment, and targeted interventions for rural families.

Feasibility Study of a Mobile Health Parenting Intervention Among Somali/Somali Americans From Refugee Families in the United States

Mobile health parenting interventions often do not account for inequities in parenting education and health resources for racial minority, refugee, and low-income families. We examined the feasibility of a mobile health intervention to address maternal and child wellness needs in Somali/Somali Americans from refugee families. Using a community-engaged research approach, our interdisciplinary academic team, in collaboration with Somali/Somali American community members, healthcare providers, and state, county, and local health officials, developed a culturally sensitive audio-based messaging intervention. The messages contained four topics (parent–child relationships, child nutrition, child health, and maternal self-care) and were delivered in an audio-based format upon the community’s needs. Forty-six Somali/Somali American parents ( Mage = 31) participated in the feasibility study, and 12 parents provided feedback. Based on thematic analysis, Somali/Somali American parents found the content and delivery style helpful in caring for their children and themselves and expressed interest in continuing this intervention. We discuss the implications for using mobile health interventions to address health inequities in marginalized communities.

The quality of the stepfather–child relationship in sole and joint physical custody

AbstractObjectiveThis study examines whether the quality of the stepfather–child relationship differs among sole physical custody (SPC) and joint physical custody (JPC) families and compares the association between the father–child and the stepfather–child relationship across the two physical custody arrangements.BackgroundAn increasing number of families opt for JPC after separation or divorce. Because children in JPC families spend more time with their biological father than children in mother SPC families, the question arises whether JPC affects the quality of the stepfather–child relationship.MethodWe investigated 279 SPC and 182 JPC stepfather families with children aged 1 to 14 from the Family Models in Germany study. Ordinary least squares regression models and interaction effects were estimated.ResultsThe quality of the stepfather–child relationship was generally high in both SPC and JPC families and did not differ between the two arrangements. The father–child relationship was positively, albeit weakly, associated with the stepfather–child relationship in both arrangements, indicating spillover effects.ConclusionJPC does not affect the quality of the stepfather–child relationship.ImplicationsThis study does not provide any evidence that JPC is an ill‐suited physical custody arrangement when considering the quality of relationships in stepfamilies.

Postpartum Depression and Its Impact of the Mother Child Relationship

Introduction: Depression is one of the main complications of the postpartum period [1]. Yet it is often insufficiently prevented, diagnosed and treated. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of postpartum depression and its impact on the mother-baby relationship, and to identify associated risk factors. Materials and Methods: Descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study, over a three-month period from January 1 to March 31, 2022, of postpartum women using a hetero-questionnaire (socio-demographic data); Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) and Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ). Results: We enrolled 227 patients. The mean age of our patients was 28.8 ± 5.76 years.53.7% of our patients were primiparous, and 83.3% wanted their current pregnancy. 13.7% had given birth prematurely. The prevalence of postpartum depression was 21.1% and correlated with celibacy, low educational level, lack of desire for pregnancy and poor marital relationship. Post-partum depression is said to have an impact on family dynamics, mainly on the mother-baby relationship, and later on the child's psychological balance and development, as assessed by the PBQ. The PBQ came back disturbed in our study. Conclusion: Therapeutic, preventive and even curative measures should be proposed for postpartum women, from educational measures for women and their close circle, psychotherapeutic means to well timed and appropriate drug prescription before complications set in.

Childhood executive control and adolescent substance use: Mediation via parent–child relationship quality

AbstractObjectiveThe goal of the current study was to test prospective direct and indirect associations between preschool executive control (EC), parental affective quality and harsh discipline, and adolescent substance use (e‐cigarettes, cannabis, and alcohol) while accounting for participants' age, sex, family history of substance use, and family socioeconomic status.MethodParticipants were 313 youth (49% boys; 70.9% European American) and their parents who participated in a longitudinal cohort‐sequential study on the development of EC in preschool and its associations with subsequent health outcomes. Substance use initiation and frequency (e‐cigarettes, cannabis, and alcohol) were obtained via phone surveys from youth who participated in adolescent assessments. Parental affective quality and harsh discipline were obtained from parental questionnaires in adolescence.ResultsThe direct effects from preschool EC on adolescent substance use were statistically nonsignificant for e‐cigarettes, cannabis, and alcohol. Mediation analyses revealed a statistically significant indirect effect from preschool EC to adolescent use of e‐cigarettes through harsh discipline (b = −0.07 [95% CI = −0.18; −0.01]; β = −0.04). The associations between preschool EC and any of the substance use outcomes in adolescence through parental affective quality were nonsignificant.ConclusionsThis study fills significant gaps in the emerging literature on longitudinal contributions of child characteristics to parenting behaviors, suggesting that early EC deficiencies may elicit more harsh discipline during adolescence, ultimately leading to higher adolescent engagement in e‐cigarette use.

Mary Main's written legacy: a bibliometric analysis

ABSTRACT Mary Main’s written work profoundly changed the direction of attachment research through her publications and through her teachings. The current study describes the scientific impact of her her published and unpublished work. We identified 85 such works. Web of Sciences contained k = 7,571 citations to these works from by 13,398 unique authors. The topics of citing work clustered around clinical psychological research, early dyadic relationships, romantic attachment, traumatic experiences, and the adult attachment interview itself. Based on co-citation patterns, Main shared an intellectual space with authors known for developmental psychopathology and child development, parent–child relationships, adult attachment, psychodynamic theorizing, and reciprocity in interaction and infant mental health. We discuss the impact of the “move to the level of representation” and how new ties with researchers unfamiliar with these ideas will be important to realize unused potential in the ideas and methods given to the field by Mary Main.

Meningkatkan Pemahaman Interaksi Sosial dengan Metode Permainan pada Anak Panti Asuhan

The community service carried out is entitled Increasing Understanding of Social Interaction with Game Methods for Children in Orphanages. The problem that arises is that orphanage children who come from different family backgrounds tend to often cause the orphanage children's social relationships to be less harmonious, even though they live together in the orphanage. This service aims to provide an understanding of how good social interaction is to improve relationships. between one orphanage child and another orphanage child so that harmony is created in the family of the orphanage child. The method that will be used for this service is a pre-post test, games that support social interaction, and feedback or evaluation of the games provided. The result of this activity is that after gaining information and insight into social interaction through games and sharing sessions as well as feedback from each game, the orphanage children finally understand and understand how good social interaction is. Besides that, the orphanage children can capture the meaning and benefits of the games that have been played. This activity concludes that the children from the orphanage responded quite well, and looked happy and enthusiastic so they got an idea and knowledge about what good social interaction is like, which also includes good communication, collaboration with friends, sharing, and learning from each other togetherness.

Negotiating housing insecurity: Parenting in poverty and the struggle for home

Among the arenas that reproduce inequality for marginalized groups, housing remains one of the most important. Guided by scholarship on housing insecurity among the poor and parenting amidst poverty, this article investigates the lived experience of parenting within the intricate landscape of housing insecurity. To do so, we draw on in-depth interviews with 100 low-income parents who rent a house in Israel. Our findings show that amidst severe housing challenges, parents constantly enact strong social agency by striving to secure decent housing for their children. Our analysis also reveals how three main facets of housing insecurity permeate and shape everyday parent–child relationships: overcrowded living conditions, economic tensions, and emotional and health challenges. We employ the concept of “negotiation” to offer a threefold conceptualization of our findings regarding parenting experience in the shadow of housing insecurity.

Maternal Ambivalence in Avni Doshi’s Burnt Sugar and Zehra Naqvi’s The Reluctant Mother

ABSTRACT This article examines the concept of maternal ambivalence in the Indian cultural milieu through a critical analysis of Avni Doshi’s Burnt Sugar and Zehra Naqvi’s The Reluctant Mother. These novels illustrate how societal glorification of maternal archetypes imposes significant emotional burdens on mothers who defy established norms, leading to inner conflicts laden with guilt, uncertainty, and the struggle to balance personal aspirations with societal expectations. We demonstrate how the novels subvert the entrenched heteropatriarchal order and advocate for a departure from rigid standards of what Andrea O’Reilly calls ‘patriarchal motherhood’. The article focuses on the mother–child relationship, which is characterised by ‘ambiguous intersubjectivity’ and ethical dilemmas linked to maternal discontent. We argue that a phenomenological exploration of maternal ambivalence, in conjunction with cultural norms, offers valuable insights into the complexities of maternal subjectivity and mirrors the conflicts within the maternal psyche. This approach grounds conceptions of gender and motherhood in lived experiences rather than normative ideals, providing a unique lens to examine social realities beyond individual literary works. We show how maternal ambivalence lies at the heart of the motherhood experience and how these narratives vindicate the individuality and autonomy of mothers.

Optimizing pediatric periprocedural pain management part II-Adjunct therapies to support the use of infiltrative anesthetics.

Pediatric procedure-related pain management is often incompletely understood, inadequately addressed, and critical in influencing a child's lifelong relationship with the larger healthcare community. We present a comprehensive review of infiltrative anesthetics, including a comparison of their mechanisms of action and relative safety and efficacy data to help guide clinical selection. We also describe the multimodal utilization of adjunct therapies-in series and in parallel-to support the optimization of pediatric periprocedural pain management, enhance the patient experience, and provide alternatives to sedation medication and general anesthesia.

Induction Lactation in Islamic Law Studies and Indonesian Positive Law

This study aims to examine the legal status of the practice of induced lactation using synthetic hormone injections under Islamic law and Indonesian positive law, as well as its impact on the status of the nursing child and mahram relationships. This is a literature study that analyzes texts from Indonesian positive law, the perspectives of the four Islamic schools of thought, fatwas from the Indonesian Ulama Council on radha'ah , and other supporting articles. The focus is on elucidating legal values and norms, as well as supporting arguments, using a comparative method between Islamic and Indonesian positive law. The library data are analyzed comparatively using a juridical-normative approach to illustrate the legislative scope of both legal systems and highlight aspects that remain contentious. Findings indicate that the practice of induced lactation with synthetic hormone injections is permissible in both Islamic and Indonesian positive law, provided that the substances used are free from haram elements and do not pose health risks to the woman or the child. However, according to the four Islamic schools of thought, the status of the nursing child is still determined by the origin of the milk production, not by the use of synthetic hormones.

A Qualitative Exploration of the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Parents’ Experiences of Parental Alienation in the United Kingdom

In the aftermath of the global COVID-19 pandemic, it has been highlighted how measures necessary to fight the disease inadvertently exacerbated family violence and placed strain on the judicial system. Across the four countries within the United Kingdom, delays were, and still are, particularly prevalent in family law proceedings, partly due to new breaches in child arrangement orders associated with the pandemic lockdown. The present study therefore examined the experiences of nonresident parents (NRPs) who self-identified as targets of behaviors representative of parental alienation (PA) during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Using an online survey, 76 nonresidential parents’ responses (92% male;Mage= 45.1 years of age; standard deviation = 7.9) were thematically analyzed. Several themes emerged, including (a) experiences of PA (i.e., risks for children and risks for parents), (b) intimate partner violence (i.e., emotional abuse, physical abuse, and financial abuse), and (c) institutional abuse (i.e., COVID-19, family law, and safeguarding). Specifically, parents detailed several alienating behaviors such as belittling, manipulation, and coercive control, as well as novel forms of coercive controlling patterns, which illustrated how the COVID-19 lockdowns created new opportunities for alienating parents to manipulate the NRP–child relationship. The implications of the results are discussed, including recommendations on improving safeguarding protocols for children with contact orders in place and adopting policy measures to support NRPs. These are also discussed in the context of reforming the justice system utilizing COVID-associated “lessons.”

Impact des attentats du 13 novembre 2015 sur les enfants des civils exposés et sur les relations parents–enfants

IntroductionSanté publique France carried out a web-based epidemiological survey (ESPA 13 Novembre) between 8 and 12 months after the terrorist attacks of the 13 November 2015. This was done in order to explore the post-traumatic psychological impact of the attacks on the directly exposed civilians and responders as well as their use of healthcare services. The survey took the form of a series of closed-ended questions as well as several open-ended questions. We present here an analysis of the responses of civilians to the following specific question: “If you have children, can you tell us whether you think the experience you went through had an effect on them, or on your relationship with them? Can you explain?”. ObjectiveTo find out about the impact of the attacks on the children of exposed civilians and on parent–child relationships, something that has never been studied in the context of mass attacks. MethodWe carried out a thematic analysis of civilians’ responses to this specific question, building up general themes by data reduction. ResultsThe analyses revealed four main themes which relate to the impact of the exposure to terrorist attacks on parent-child relationships, the changes experienced in their role as parents, their children's reactions and, finally, the ways in which they tried to protect their children. DiscussionThe parents highlighted the psychological changes that operated in them, their unease, their fear of the outside world, and their concern for their children's safety. They discussed the consequences of the attacks on their children in terms of stress, insecurity, psychological disturbances, and even of the emergence of real disorders. The parents have tried to fulfil their protective role in a variety of ways, sometimes with a feeling of powerlessness reinforced for some by the difficulty of finding suitable care spaces. Attachment bonds have, for the most part, tightened in these families demonstrating their reassuring function within the group. It seems essential to care for children, and the family as a whole, alongside their parents, in order to re-establish secure attachment bonds which are a factor in resilience.

Exploring the psychological problems of mothers having the experience of death of children with untreatable genetic disorders: A qualitative study.

A newborn with an untreatable genetic disorder could disrupt a family and affect parents' mental health, psycho-social interaction, and parent-child relationships. This study was conducted to explore the psychological problems of mothers having the children with untreatable genetic disorders. This qualitative study was performed using the conventional content analysis method on 15 mothers having the children with untreatable genetic disorders selected by purposeful sampling. In-depth and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. The recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim immediately and imported into MAXQDA10 software. Lundman and Granheim's content analysis method and Guba and Lincoln's proposed criteria for assessing rigor of the results were used. Overall, 1067 primary codes were extracted from the interviews and after the integration of similarities grouped into 19 sub-categories and three major categories including psychological reactions before diagnosis, after determined diagnosis, and after the child's death. The results showed that having the child with untreatable genetic disorder is considered as a notable psychological trauma and causes painful psychological reactions in parents. In this regard, the following approaches are recommended to health professionals: continuous monitoring of mental health of these families, developing a family education program, emotional and psychological support, and genetic counseling.

어머니-유아 문해상호작용과 유아의 비판적 사고 간의 관계에서 유아 읽기흥미와 공감능력의 순차 매개효과

This study examines the relationship of mother-child literacy interaction and children’s critical thinking through the sequentially mediating effect of children’s reading interest and empathy ability. Using the questionnaire survey method, 158 5-year-old children and 150 teachers working at kindergarten in Daejeon Province participated for the study. The children’s reading interest and empathy ability sequentially mediated the relationship between mother-child literacy interaction and children’s critical thinking. Specifically, it was found that the mother-child literacy interaction indirectly affects children’s critical thinking through the sequentially mediating effect of children’s reading interest and empathy ability. The results of this study provide the basic data to explore ways to improve the children’s critical thinking.

Research on Toy Systems to Develop the Affection and Social Relationships of Preschool Children

Emotions and social relationships are important for the comprehensive development of children. The affection and social relationships of preschool children develop best through play activities, the center of which is the role-playing game. One of the most important tasks to support the development of emotions and social relationships is the need to build a system of toys appropriate for children and suitable for the conditions in each school. Hildren learn to express themselves and listen to others through group activities such as building, playing with dolls, and role-playing games. These activities encourage children to exchange ideas, share, and collaboratively create stories or imaginary scenarios, thus developing their communication and language skills. Through playing together, children learn how to cooperate, share, and resolve conflicts. Group games help children understand patience, compromise, and respect for others' opinions, thereby forming the foundation of healthy social relationships.

Association of early parent–child separation with depression, social and academic performance in adolescence and early adulthood: a prospective cohort study

ObjectiveThe present study aimed to investigate the long-term effects of parent–child separation during infancy and early childhood on depression, social relationships including parent–child and peer relationships, and academic performance during adolescence and early adulthood.MethodsData from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) were analyzed, which included a sample of 3829 children aged 4–15 years from 25 provinces over a period of 8 years. The study examined the association between early parent–child separation and outcomes related to depression, social and academic performance, comparing outcomes between individuals with and without early separation experiences. A series of subgroup analyses were conducted to further explore these associations.ResultsParent–child separation lasting 3 months or longer was found to be associated with moderate to severe levels of depression and impaired social relationships during adolescence and early adulthood, particularly among males, adolescents, urban dwellers, and those with less educated mothers. Children who experienced parent–child separation for 3 months or longer showed a positive correlation between separation duration and depression. Short-term separations under 3 months did not show this association. The duration of separation also had a negative correlation with parent–child and peer relationships, as well as academic performance.ConclusionEarly parent–child separation has significant adverse effects on the mental health, social and academic performance of adolescents and early adulthood, especially among males, adolescents, urban residents, and those with lower maternal education. The severity of depression was found to be related to the duration of separation, highlighting the importance of minimizing separation to less than 3 months for children under the age of 3. These findings underscore the critical role of early parental care and the need for targeted interventions for high-risk populations.