Coercive Parenting Research Articles

Mothering under political violence: Post-traumatic symptoms, observed maternal parenting practices and child externalising behaviour.

Using the family stress model as our conceptual framework, we explored whether observed maternal parenting practices (positive and coercive) account for the associations between mothers' post-traumatic stress symptoms and children's externalising behaviours. Mothers' self-reported post-traumatic stress symptoms, observed maternal practices, and reports of children's externalising behaviour were collected from 123 Israeli mothers and their children, who were exposed to ongoing rocket attacks in southern Israel. A structural equation model revealed that mothers' post-traumatic stress symptoms were linked with greater maternal coercive parenting practices, which in turn were associated with more externalising behaviours in children. The study highlights the crucial role of maternal distress and mothers' parenting skills in the development of externalising behaviours in children exposed to chronic political violence. These results suggest that prevention interventions designed to promote parenting skills for mothers exposed to political violence may be beneficial for children's healthy development.

Development of Aggression Subtypes from Childhood to Adolescence: a Group-Based Multi-Trajectory Modelling Perspective

The persistence of elevated subtypes of aggression beginning in childhood have been associated with long-term maladaptive outcomes. Yet it remains unclear to what extent there are clusters of individuals following similar developmental trajectories across forms (i.e., physical and indirect) and functions (i.e., proactive and reactive) of aggression. We aimed to identify groups of children with distinct profiles of the joint development of forms and functions of aggression and to identify risk factors for group membership. A sample of 787 children was followed from birth to adolescence. Parent and teacher reports, and standardised assessments were used to measure two forms and two functions of aggressive behaviour, between six and 13 years of age along with preceding child, maternal, and family-level risk-factors. Analyses were conducted using a group-based multi-trajectory modelling approach. Five trajectory groups emerged: non-aggressors, low-stable, moderate-engagers, high-desisting, and high-chronic. Coercive parenting increased membership risk in the moderate-engagers and high-chronic groups. Lower maternal IQ increased membership risk in both high-desisting and high-chronic groups, whereas maternal depression increased membership risk in the high-desisting group only. Never being breastfed increased membership risk in the moderate-engagers group. Boys were at greater risk for belonging to groups displaying elevated aggression. Individuals with chronic aggression problems use all subtypes of aggression. Risk factors suggest that prevention programs should start early in life and target mothers with lower IQ. Strategies to deal with maternal depression and enhance positive parenting while replacing coercive parenting tactics should be highlighted in programming efforts.

The aggressive child.

Aggression in children is a common transdiagnostic symptom associated with a wide range of developmental and mental health problems. It emerges early and without intervention, may increase in severity as the child grows stronger. Aggressive children are more likely to experience physical and mental illness, unemployment, poverty and forensic problems as adults. Strategies to prevent aggression must address risk factors: low maternal education, adolescent pregnancy, in utero exposure to tobacco and alcohol, poverty, coercive parenting, childhood maltreatment and bullying victimisation. The aggressive child requires a comprehensive assessment to identify and manage underlying or comorbid problems, to understand the reasons for the aggressive behaviour and to detect modifiable factors that exacerbate or perpetuate the aggression. Psychosocial interventions include parenting skills training and child-directed cognitive behavioural therapy, whereas pharmacotherapy may be used to treat underlying developmental or mental health problems or to manage the aggression.

Maternal Employment and Family Socioeconomic Status: Unique Relations to Maternal Stress, Parenting Beliefs, and Preschoolers' Adjustment in Taiwanese Families.

With the rapid increase in women's labor force participation in Asia, a greater understanding of the impact of maternal employment on parenting and child development in Asia is much needed. The present study examined the concurrent relations between maternal employment status and family characteristics (e.g., socioeconomic status/SES, family structure) in Taiwanese families, and the unique relations of maternal employment and family SES to maternal stress, parenting beliefs, and preschoolers' socioemotional adjustment. In a school-based sample of 511 preschoolers (age range = 4-6 years, 52.9% girls), their mothers, and teachers in Taipei and Taitung, mothers reported their employment status, family characteristics, perceived stress and parenting beliefs. Mothers and teachers rated preschoolers' adjustment. Results showed that compared to unemployed mothers in Taiwan, employed mothers were more likely to come from families with higher SES and fewer children, and nuclear (vs. extended) families. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized model. Mothers from lower-SES families reported higher stress and higher endorsement of coercive parenting, and lower endorsement of authoritative parenting than mothers from higher-SES families. Controlling for SES, employed mothers endorsed higher coercive parenting than unemployed mothers. Mothers' endorsement of authoritative parenting was associated with better child adjustment by mothers' (but not teachers') reports, whereas maternal stress and coercive parenting were associated with poorer child adjustment (by mothers' reports only). In sum, maternal employment was intricately associated with family SES in Taiwanese families, and the two contextual factors shape parenting and child adjustment in different processes.

Longitudinal Association Between Peer Victimization and Sleep Problems in Preschoolers: The Moderating Role of Parenting

This study examined the moderating role of parental behaviors in the longitudinal link between peer victimization and sleep problems during preschool. The sample consisted of 1,181 children (594 girls) attending day care between the ages of 3 and 6 years. Participants were part of the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, a longitudinal study of child development led by the Institut de la Statistique du Quebec. Controlling for potential confounders, latent growth curve analyses revealed that the association between peer victimization and sleep problems varied depending on parents’ behaviors. Coercive parenting exacerbated the link between peer victimization and parasomnias. In contrast, positive parenting mitigated the link between peer victimization and insomnia. The findings suggest that persistent sleep problems at a young age may be an indicator of chronic peer victimization but that parents’ behaviors can play a key role in victimized children’s sleep problems.

Externalizing behavior from early childhood to adolescence: Prediction from inhibition, language, parenting, and attachment.

The aim of the current research was to disentangle four theoretically sound models of externalizing behavior etiology (i.e., attachment, language, inhibition, and parenting) by testing their relation with behavioral trajectories from early childhood to adolescence. The aim was achieved through a 10-year prospective longitudinal study conducted over five waves with 111 referred children aged 3 to 5 years at the onset of the study. Clinical referral was primarily based on externalizing behavior. A multimethod (questionnaires, testing, and observations) approach was used to estimate the four predictors in early childhood. In line with previous studies, the results show a significant decrease of externalizing behavior from early childhood to adolescence. The decline was negatively related to mothers' coercive parenting and positively related to attachment security in early childhood, but not related to inhibition and language. The study has implications for research into externalizing behavior etiology recommending to gather hypotheses from various theoretically sound models to put them into competition with one another. The study also has implications for clinical practice by providing clear indications for prevention and early intervention.

Parental Emotion Regulation and Mentalization in Families of Children With ADHD

Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the role of parental emotion regulation (ER) and parental mentalization as possible contributors to hostile and coercive parenting in families of children with ADHD. Method: Seventy-four Israeli families (64 mothers and 48 fathers) seeking parent training for child ADHD completed measures during the intake session. Measures included parental ER; parental mentalization; hostile, coercive, and submissive parenting; and child symptoms. Results: Findings suggested a relationship between parental ER and coercive parenting independent of child age, symptom level, and parental mentalization. Parental mentalization appeared to buffer against hostility specifically among parents with low ER capacities. Patterns were parallel for mothers and fathers. Conclusion: Study findings highlight the importance of evaluating and addressing parental ER in interventions attempting to reduce coercive parenting. The findings also highlight the potential role of parental mentalization as a protective mechanism against hostile parenting in families of children with ADHD.

Children's Early Disruptive Behavior Predicts Later Coercive Behavior and Binge Drinking by Mothers

PurposeWe examined the prospective influence of early child problematic behavior on later coercive interactions and binge drinking by mothers. Design and methodsCanadian participants are from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, born between spring 1997 and 1998, which allowed a longitudinal birth cohort design. At the 41months, 628 parents reported on children's oppositional, aggressive, turbulent, and inattentive/hyperactive behavior. Mothers then reported on their own coercive and binge drinking behavior at the 60month follow-up. ResultsWe estimated a series of ordinary least-squares regressions to examine the relationship between early child behavior problems and later parental coercion and binge drinking, above and beyond many key pre-existing/concurrent confounding factors including prior parenting stress and binge alcohol use. Oppositional, aggressive, and turbulent child behaviors at 41months predicted harsh, negative parenting at 60months. Early inattentive/hyperactive child behavior also forecasted later binge alcohol use by mothers within the same time frame. ConclusionNegative preschool behavior predicted harsh, negative maternal behavior kindergarten entry. Early inattentive/hyperactive behavior also forecasted later binge alcohol use by mothers. Coercive parenting and alcohol use are clinically signs of adult distress. Such parents might use alcohol excessively because of its perceived stress-dampening effects and mental evasion from their life difficulties and frustration experiences. Practice implicationsProblematic preschool behavior can lead to less effective child-rearing and unhealthy parental behavior. Such at-risk mothers would benefit from professional caring practices. Practitioners can inspire change, especially using interaction interventions which encourage positive parent-child relations that, in turn, diminish parental distress.

The International Parenting Survey: Rationale, Development, and Potential Applications

ABSTRACTThe quality of parent-child interactions and family relationships has a powerful influence on children’s development and well-being. The International Parenting Survey (IPS) is a brief, web-based survey developed to provide a cross-national, community-level, population snapshot of the experiences of parents related to raising children. The IPS was developed as a planning tool to assist policy makers and community agencies plan, implement, and evaluate parenting programs and as a tracking tool to evaluate parenting support programs in different countries. We report the preliminary psychometric properties of the IPS on various domains of measurement in an international sample of over 9,000 parents. Moderate to high reliabilities were obtained for all domains of measurement. High internal consistency reliabilities (α = .88–.97) were obtained for the domains of children’s behavior and emotional maladjustment, for parental self-efficacy, parental distress and parental beliefs. Moderate levels of reliabilities (α = .52–.83) were obtained for domains of parental consistency, coercive parenting, positive encouragements, and parent-child relationships. Overall, the measure appears to have satisfactory reliability justifying further psychometric validation studies in population level studies of parenting. Examples of uses of the IPS are described and directions for future research and policy explored.

Randomized Clinical Trial of Mindfulness Skills Augmentation in Parent Training

The development of mindfulness parenting programs in recent years offers a promising direction for targeting parental emotional dysregulation in families of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Nevertheless, research on the effectiveness of mindfulness parenting programs is limited, and little is known about the contribution of mindfulness skills to parenting when integrated with parent training (PT). The present study evaluated a mindfulness skills augmentation to PT for ADHD. We hypothesized that mindfulness-enhanced PT would improve parental emotion regulation and reduce hostile and coercive parenting. We developed a 90-min mindfulness skills protocol and integrated it with a nonviolent resistance (NVR) PT program addressing ADHD and behavior difficulties. A total of 79 families were randomly assigned to PT or mindfulness-enhanced PT. Forty-three families completed intervention. We used multilevel modeling to evaluate parental emotion regulation, hostile and coercive parenting, and child behavioral symptoms across treatments and over time. Across treatment conditions, mothers’ negative feelings, escalating behaviors, and capacity for emotion regulation improved significantly following treatment. Fathers in the mindfulness condition reported greater improvement in the capacity for emotion regulation, reduced negative feelings, and reduced parental submission compared with fathers in the PT condition. We found no differences in child externalizing symptoms, which decreased significantly in both groups. Study results suggest that PT in NVR is effective in improving maternal capacity for emotion regulation and in reducing hostile and coercive parenting. For fathers, a mindfulness-based skills augmentation may be important for enhancing treatment benefits.

The Influences of Paternal Parenting Behavior on the Relational Aggression of Children: The Mediating Effects of Internal Attribution and Normative Beliefs About Aggressive Behavior

Objective The purpose of this study was to explore whether there are gender differences in the influences of paternal parenting behavior on the relational aggression of adolescents and to examine the mediating effects of internal attribution and normative beliefs about aggressive behaviors. Methods This study assessed 492 fifth to sixth graders from an elementary school (237 males and 255 females). Results The results of this study were as follows: First, the effect of paternal affectionate parenting behavior on girls’ reactive aggression was partially mediated by internal attribution. Second, the effect of paternal coercive parenting behavior on boys’ proactive aggression was completely mediated by normative beliefs about aggressive behavior. Third, girls’ proactive aggression was partially mediated by normative beliefs about aggressive behavior. Conclusion These results suggest the need to further examine relational aggression and to help children gain positive relationships with peers. Keywords: paternal parenting behavior, relational aggression, internal attribution, normative beliefs about aggressive behavior

A harsh parenting team? Maternal reports of coparenting and coercive parenting interact in association with children's disruptive behaviour.

Parenting and coparenting are both important for children's adjustment, but their interaction has been little explored. Using a longitudinal design and considering two children per family, we investigated mothers' and fathers' perceptions of coparenting as moderators of associations between their coercive parenting and children's disruptive behaviour. Mothers and fathers from 106 'intact' families were included from the Twins, Family and Behaviour study. At Time 1 (Mchild age =3years 11months, SDchild age =4.44months) parents reported on their coercive parenting and children's disruptive behaviour via questionnaire; at Time 2 (Mchild age =4years 8months, SDchild age =4.44months) perceptions of coparenting and the marital relationship were collected by telephone interview. Questionnaire-based reports of children's disruptive behaviour were collected at follow-up (Mchild age =5years 11months, SDchild age =5.52months). Multilevel modelling was used to examine child-specific and family-wide effects. Conservative multilevel models including both maternal and paternal perceptions demonstrated that maternal perceptions of coparenting and overall coercive parenting interacted in their prediction of parent-reported child disruptive behaviour. Specifically, accounting for perceived marital quality, behavioural stability, and fathers' perceptions, only in the context of perceived higher quality coparenting was there a positive association between mother-reported overall coercive parenting and children's disruptive behaviour at follow-up. When combined with highly coercive parenting, maternal perceptions of high quality coparenting may be detrimental for children's adjustment.

Differential susceptibility to effects of maternal sensitivity? A study of candidate plasticity genes-CORRIGENDUM.

Development and Psychopathology 27 (2015), 725–746 # Cambridge University Press 2014 doi:10.1017/S0954579414000844 Differential susceptibility to effects of maternal sensitivity? A study of candidate plasticity genes JAY BELSKY, a DANIEL A. NEWMAN, b KEITH F. WIDAMAN, a PHIL RODKIN, b MICHAEL PLUESS, c R. CHRIS FRALEY, b DANIEL BERRY, b JONATHAN L. HELM, a AND GLENN I. ROISMAN d a University of California, Davis; b University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign; c Kings College London; and d University of Minnesota Abstract Here we tested whether there was genetic moderation of effects of early maternal sensitivity on social–emotional and cognitive–linguistic development from early childhood onward and whether any detected Gene Environment interaction effects proved consistent with differential-susceptibility or diathesis–stress models of PersonEnvironment interaction (N ¼ 695). Two new approaches for evaluating models were employed with 12 candidate genes. Whereas maternal sensitivity proved to be a consistent predictor of child functioning across the primary-school years, candidate genes did not show many main effects, nor did they tend to interact with maternal sensitivity/insensitivity. These findings suggest that the developmental benefits of early sensitive mothering and the costs of insensitive mothering look more similar than different across genetically different children in the current sample. Although acknowledgement of this result is important, it is equally important that the generally null GeneEnvironment results reported here not be overgeneralized to other samples, other predictors, other outcomes, and other candidate genes. The differential-susceptibility hypothesis, which stipulates that some individuals are more susceptible than others to both positive and negative environmental effects, perhaps most especially parenting, has received substantial attention and empirical support in recent years (Belsky, Bakermans- Kranenburg, & van IJzendoorn, 2007; Belsky & Pluess, 2013; Ellis, Boyce, Belsky, Bakermans-Kranenburg, & van IJzendoorn, 2011; Pluess & Belsky, 2009, 2010), including in research on Gene Environment (G E) interaction (Ba- kermans-Kranenburg & van IJzendoorn, 2011; Belsky et al., 2009; Belsky & Pluess, 2009; Berry, Deater-Deckard, McCartney, Wang, & Petrill, 2013). Here we test the specific proposition that a set of 12 candidate “plasticity genes,” se- lected principally on the basis of prior reviews of relevant research (Belsky et al., 2009; Belsky & Pluess, 2009), will moderate the effects of maternal sensitivity on children’s social–emotional and cognitive–linguistic development in a manner consistent with the differential-susceptibility hypothe- sis. Toward this end, we employ two new statistical methods, applying them to longitudinal data collected from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (NICHD SECCYD; NICHD Early Child Care Research Network [ECCRN], 2005), in response to questions raised about the adequacy and appro- priateness of existing statistical criteria for evaluating differen- tial susceptibility (Belsky, Pluess, & Widaman, 2013; Roisman et al., 2012; Widaman et al., 2012). The application of appro- priate analytic criteria for differential susceptibility is necessary to minimize Type 1 errors and failures to replicate that have fru- strated previous work on candidate genes and broad phenotypes of human cognition, personality, and social behavior (Charney & English, 2012; Deary, 2012; Wacker, Mueller, Hennig, & Stemmler, 2012). Theories of Socialization and Maternal Sensitivity Extraction and genotyping for the NICHD SECCYD was performed at the Genome Core Facility in the Huck Institutes for Life Sciences at Penn State University under the direction of Deborah S. Grove, Director for Genetic Analysis. Genotyping was principally supported by a Research Board grant from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (to P.R. and G.I.R.). This work was also supported by NSF Grant BCS-0720538 (to G.I.R. and R.C.F.) and by NICHD Grant R01 HD064687 to Rand Conger, which are gratefully acknowledged. Finally, we dedicate this work to the memory of our friend and coauthor Phil Rodkin. In addition to his major contributions to this manuscript, Phil fully embodied the collaborative and collegial spirit that ultimately birthed this contribution to the literature. Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Jay Belsky, Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis, 1331 Hart Hall, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616; E-mail: jbelsky@ucdavis.edu. A central assumption of many developmental perspectives on socialization, whether based, for example, on theories of at- tachment (Ainsworth, 1973; Sroufe, 2000), social learning (Patterson, 1986), or evolution (Belsky, Steinberg, & Draper, 1991), is that parenting matters when it comes to how children develop. Although a myriad of parenting constructs are mea- sured in socialization research, including, for example, author- itative parenting (Baumrind, 1967, 1991), coercive parenting (Patterson, 1986), and mutually responsive relationships (Ko- chanska, 2002), the focus in the present report is on sensitive parenting, a construct emphasized in attachment theory. Ac-

The Development of Comorbid Conduct Problems in Children With ADHD

Objective: We describe interactions among factors that contribute to the development of conduct problems among children with ADHD. Method: An integrative developmental psychopathology analysis combines various approaches and posits one model of how diverse risk factors operate together to contribute to the development of conduct problems among children with ADHD. Results: Substantial genetic risk increases covariation between ADHD and conduct problems. Candidate genes are associated with CNS monoaminergic neurotransmission. Subsequent neurodevelopmental impairment interferes with executive function, with impaired verbal working memory playing an important role. Parent/child bi-directional influences exacerbate the risk for conduct problems when ADHD symptoms increase the likelihood of a coercive parenting style. Parent stress in reaction to child comorbid ADHD and conduct problems, and parent attribution for the child’s conduct problem behavior, add to the potential for coercion and reduce constructive parent-child interaction that might otherwise enhance the development of verbal working memory. Conclusion: In an integrated manner, these variables increase the risk that a child with ADHD will subsequently develop conduct problems.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Family Transitions Triple P: A Group-Administered Parenting Program to Minimize the Adverse Effects of Parental Divorce on Children

This randomized controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of Family Transitions Triple P (FTTP), a 12-session, group-delivered positive parenting program designed to prevent adverse outcomes for children following parental divorce. Participants were 204 parents who had been divorced less than 2 years and had a child ages 2 to 14 years. Parents were randomized into 1 of 3 conditions: FTTP–E with enhanced engagement, FTTP–S with standard engagement, or waitlist control. Interventions were delivered through community relationship centers by relationship counselors. Results showed that parents in the FTTP conditions reported significantly greater reductions in child behavior problems and coercive parenting compared to the waitlist control condition. There were no significant differences between the FTTP–E and FTTP–S conditions. At 12-month follow-up for both FTTP intervention groups, there were sustained improvements in the levels of parental distress (depression, anxiety, stress, and anger) and improvements in coparent communication and acrimony. Implications of findings are discussed.

Adolescent mental health and subsequent parenting: a longitudinal birth cohort study

BackgroundAdolescent mental health problems are associated with a range of adverse outcomes in adulthood but little is known about the effects on adult parenting practices. This study aimed to examine...

Comorbidities and continuities as ontogenic processes: toward a developmental spectrum model of externalizing psychopathology.

Research on child and adolescent mental health problems has burgeoned since the inaugural issue of Development and Psychopathology was published in 1989. In the quarter century since, static models of psychopathology have been abandoned in favor of transactional models, following the agenda set by editor Dante Cicchetti and other proponents of the discipline. The transactional approach, which has been applied to autism, depression, self-injury, and delinquency, (a) specifies vulnerabilities and risk factors across multiple levels of analysis spanning genes to cultures, (b) identifies multifinal and equifinal pathways to psychopathology, and (c) transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. However, as noted by Rutter and Sroufe (2000), specific mechanisms of continuity, discontinuity, and comorbidity of psychopathology must be identified if we wish to understand etiology fully. In this article, we present a model of early-onset externalizing behavior in which comorbidities and continuities are viewed as ontogenic processes: products of complex longitudinal transactions between interdependent individual-level vulnerabilities (e.g., genetic, epigenetic, allostatic) and equally interdependent contextual risk factors (e.g., coercive parenting, deviant peer group affiliations, neighborhood criminality). Through interactions across levels of analysis, some individuals traverse along the externalizing spectrum, beginning with heritable trait impulsivity in preschool and ending in antisociality in adulthood. In describing our model, we note that (a) the approach outlined in the DSM to subtyping externalizing disorders continues to obscure developmental pathways to antisociality, (b) molecular genetics studies will likely not identify meaningful subtypes of externalizing disorder, and (c) ontogenic trait approaches to psychopathology are much more likely to advance the discipline in upcoming years.

An examination of parental self-efficacy among mothers and fathers.

Sevigny and Loutzenhiser, in their 2010 examination of parental self-efficacy (PSE) in fathers, did not identify data supporting the importance of self-efficacy beliefs in the paternal parenting role. However, a task-specific measure of PSE was used, and because the tasks mothers and fathers typically perform differ, task-specific measures may not be applicable to both mothers and fathers. The present study addressed this limitation by using a domain PSE measure (where specific tasks are not identified) in a sample of 49 mothers and 33 fathers of 3- to 5-year-old children. Parents also completed measures of constructs purported to be associated with PSE including: general self-efficacy (GSE), parenting behavior, affect, and child behavior problems. Results indicated that PSE was significantly and positively associated with, and predicted by, GSE for both mothers and fathers, suggesting one’s general sense of competence is important for both maternal and paternal PSE beliefs. Findings also indicated that maternal PSE was predicted by hostile or coercive parenting behaviors and child behavior problems, whereas supportive or engaged parenting behaviors emerged as the only other variable to predict paternal PSE. Results also suggested that previously used measurement strategies of paternal self-efficacy may have identified tasks more applicable to mothers than fathers.

Parent–child interaction therapy: A manualized intervention for the therapeutic child welfare sector

Children who have experienced maltreatment can often display behavioral difficulties; their parents may lack disciplinary knowledge, be less sensitive to their children, and engage in coercive parenting practices. Parent–child interaction therapy (PCIT) is a well-known, evidence-based treatment (EBT) for child behavior problems and within the last decade has garnered significant evidence to suggest its utility for parents engaged in child maltreatment. This article uses a case example to describe PCIT treatment phases and PCIT research within the child maltreatment sector is synthesized with particular focus on treatment modifications. Successful augmentations and modifications include a motivation component, keeping therapeutic time shorter rather than longer, and whether to incorporate individual counseling and in-home PCIT are also considered. Practical strategies from both a therapeutic and research experience are discussed.

Expressed emotion in homeless families: A methodological study of the five-minute speech sample.

Conducted in an emergency homeless shelter, this study aimed to validate parents' expressed emotion (EE) from the Five-Minute Speech Sample (FMSS) with observed parenting practices in a very high-risk population and examine how different aspects of parents' EE, including positive emotional expressions, related to observed parenting and children's school adjustment. Using 3 different coding approaches, we assessed the reliability and validity of 4 aspects of the FMSS-critical statements, positive statements, negative affect, and warmth-in relation to negative and positive parenting behaviors and children's behavioral and relational adjustment in school. The FMSS was administered to 39 parents about their 4- to 7-year-old children. Parent-child dyads participated in a 45-min videotaped sequence of games and tasks later coded for parenting behavior. Results indicated that parents' warmth during the FMSS was related to more positive and effective observed parenting behaviors. Critical statements and negative affect during the FMSS were related to more coercive parenting behaviors. Negative affect also was related to teachers' reports of children's increased externalizing behavior, less prosocial behavior with peers, and more conflict with teachers. Criticism maintained associations with observed parenting, even for parents who provided less than 5 min of speech. This study provides preliminary but promising evidence for the validity of FMSS scores in a high-risk sample of families and, specifically, for aspects of the FMSS to be efficient correlates of parenting behavior and aspects of children's school adjustment. Challenges, limitations, and promising features of the FMSS for use with highly disadvantaged parents are discussed.