Parent-child Conflict Research Articles

Validating the TeenHITSS to Assess Child Abuse in Adolescent Populations.

The purpose of this study is to establish the psychometric properties and diagnostic accuracy of the Teen Hurt-Insult-Threaten-Scream-Sex (TeenHITSS), a 5-item measure used to screen adolescents for family violence in clinical settings. Study participants included 251 adolescent participants (n=197 not at-risk subsample; n=56 at-risk subsample), recruited from ambulatory care clinics, a medical center at-risk referral clinic, and area shelters. Participants completed a cross-sectional survey, including the TeenHITSS and Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scales (CTSPC) questionnaires. We calculated internal reliability, validity, and sensitivity and specificity for the full sample and both subsamples for each screening instrument. Concurrent validity between the TeenHITSS and CTSPC was strong (r=.71,P<.000). We determined an optimal cutpoint based on sensitivity and specificity for correctly identifying abuse victims as a score of one or greater on the TeenHITSS. The TeenHITSS also proved slightly superior to the CTSPC in differentiating between victims and nonvictims of adolescent abuse (AUC=.79 vs .73, respectively). The TeenHITSS screening tool performed as well as the CTSPC in correctly classifying at-risk and not-at-risk teenagers and offers much greater utility to providers by supplying an actionable cut score. The findings of this study suggest that TeenHITSS is a valid and reliable tool to screen for physical and sexual abuse in children ages 13 years and older in clinical settings and can help health care providers detect adolescent abuse and initiate intervention and prevention of future abuse.

Socio-emotional adjustment in children attending family centres: The role of the parent–child relationship

Abstract Family services offer the possibility of producing data sets, capable of primary analyses to measure service efficacy, and secondary analyses to develop nuanced understandings of family needs. In this article, we report secondary analysis of data drawn from 1,151 families elicited upon intake to family centres in Ireland. The aim was to examine correlates of children’s socio-emotional functioning, with focus on the quality of relationships between children and parents. Participating families completed surveys containing socio-demographic questions and standardised instruments tapping into children’s social, emotional and behavioural strengths and difficulties, parents’ mental health, and closeness and conflict in parent–child relationship. Findings indicated that parents’ perceptions of their children’s socio-emotional functioning significantly influenced the quality of the child–parent relationship. Higher levels of conflict were significantly associated with psychological difficulties, whilst greater closeness was significantly related to prosocial behaviours. These relationships held after controlling for a range of child, parent and family socio-demographic variables, such as the child’s experience of chronic illness or stressful life events, both of which independently predicted poorer outcomes. Results are discussed in terms of the dynamic, reciprocal nature of family relationships whereby parent–child conflict and children’s problematic socio-emotional functioning likely influence, and are influenced by, each other.

The intergenerational transmission of executive function: The mediating effect of parental harsh discipline

BackgroundThe important roles of parental EF in shaping children's EF is less clear, especially in Chinese families. Moreover, it is suggested that the negative parenting behavior may be important environmental mechanisms underlying the EF transmission. ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine the transmission of EF across generations and the mediating roles of parental harsh discipline in this transmission in a Chinese sample. Participants and settingA total of 311 Chinese preschool-aged children and their fathers and mothers were recruited from three public kindergartens in Beijing. MethodsThe Chinese version of Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version (BRIEF-A), Parent-child Conflict Tactics Scales (CTSPC) and Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschooler Version (BRIEF-P) were respectively used to assess parental EF, harsh discipline and children's EF. ResultsBoth paternal and maternal EF positively predicted children's EF (βpaternal = 0.16, p < .01; βmaternal = 0.42, p < .001), and maternal but not paternal psychological aggression (standardized indirect estimate = 0.03, p < .05) and corporal punishment (standardized indirect estimate = 0.02, p < .05) mediated the above transmission. ConclusionsThese findings broaden our understanding of the distal or proximal factors and processes that account for the development of child EF in Chinese culture. Interventions focusing on improving parental especially maternal parenting practices would be helpful to shape children's EF or to interrupt the transmission of poor EF.

Comparing the effectiveness of mindfulness-based parenthood intervention for mothers and self compassion intervention for girls on resilience of teenage girls having parent-child conflict in COVID-19 Pandemic

Aim: The present study is conducted with the aim of comparing the effectiveness of mindfulness-based parenthood intervention for mothers and self-compassion intervention for girls on resilience of teenage girls that have parent-child conflict. Method: The research method was quasi-experimental with a pre-test post-test design. It also had control group and follow-up. The statistical population of the study consisted of 14 and 15 years old teenage girls who were studying in public schools in district 14 of Tehran, in the school year 2021-22 and their mothers. The sample of the study was 34 students who were selected by purposive sampling method and randomly divided into three groups. The first group were 10 of the student's mothers who received mindfulness-based parenthood intervention (Bogels &amp; Restifo, 2014) and the second group consisted of 12 students who received self-compassion intervention (Gilbert, 2010). Besides, the control group consisted of 12 students who didn’t receive any intervention. Data:were collected with resilience scale (Conner &amp; Davidson, 2003). Results: The outcomes of the analysis of mixvariance demonstrated that mindfulness-based parenthood intervention for mothers and self-compassion intervention for girls were significantly effective on resilience, compared to the control group (F=19/63, P=0/001). and there were no significant differences between the effectiveness of the two methods and the effects of intervention over time remained constant (p≤0.001). Conclusion: Therefore, these interventions can be used in school counseling environments so as to increase resilience, improve relationships, for adolescents who have conflict with their parents.

Investigating the Relationship between Parent-Child Conflict and Attachment Styles with Future Anxiety in Nursing Students

Investigating the Relationship between Parent-Child Conflict and Attachment Styles with Future Anxiety in Nursing Students

Sensitive Periods for the Effect of Child Maltreatment on Psychopathology Symptoms in Adolescence

Introduction: Child maltreatment is among the strongest risk factors for mental disorders. However, little is known about whether there are ages when children may be especially vulnerable to its effects. We sought to identify potential sensitive periods when exposure to the 2 most common types of maltreatment (neglect and harsh physical discipline) had a particularly detrimental effect on youth mental health. Methods: Data came from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), a birth cohort oversampled from “fragile families” (n = 3,474). Maltreatment was assessed at 3, 5, and 9 years of age using an adapted version of the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS-PC). Using least angle regression, we examined the relationship between repeated measures of exposure to maltreatment on psychopathology symptoms at age 15 years (Child Behavior Checklist; CBCL/6–18). For comparison, we evaluated the strength of evidence to support the existence of sensitive periods in relation to an accumulation of risk model. Results: We identified sensitive periods for harsh physical discipline, whereby psychopathology symptom scores were highest among girls exposed at age 9 years (r² = 0.67 internalizing symptoms; r² = 1% externalizing symptoms) and among boys exposed at age 5 years (r² = 0.41%). However, for neglect, the accumulation of risk model explained more variability in psychopathology symptoms for both boys and girls. Conclusion: Child maltreatment may have differential effects based on the child’s sex, type of exposure, and the age at which it occurs. These findings provide additional evidence for clinicians assessing the benefits and drawbacks of screening efforts and point toward possible mechanisms driving increased vulnerability to psychopathology.

Self-compassion mitigates the cognitive, affective, and social impact of courtesy stigma on parents of autistic children.

Due to the courtesy stigma of autism spectrum disorder, many parents of autistic children are devaluated and discriminated against by the public. Despite the high prevalence of this courtesy stigma, very few studies have examined its negative effects on parents of autistic children and explored the factors that may protect the parents from these negative effects. The present study utilized a 2-year, two-wave prospective longitudinal design to examine the associations of courtesy stigma with adverse cognitive (self-stigma), affective (depressive and anxiety symptoms), and social (parent-child and inter-parental conflicts) consequences for parents of autistic children and to test whether these associations would be moderated and mitigated by self-compassion. A total of 381 parents of autistic children completed questionnaires about courtesy stigma, self-compassion, self-stigma, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and parent-child and inter-parental conflicts at time 1 (T1) and time 2 (T2). Courtesy stigma interacted with self-compassion at T1 in predicting self-stigma, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and parent-child and inter-parental conflicts at T2. Specifically, the associations of courtesy stigma with the adverse psychological consequences were weaker for parents with high self-compassion than for those with low self-compassion. Our results demonstrate the prospective associations of courtesy stigma with adverse cognitive, affective, and social consequences for parents of autistic children, as well as the protective effects of self-compassion against such associations. These results highlight the importance of increasing parents' self-compassion to help them cope with courtesy stigma and improve their psychological well-being.

Spending leisure time together: Parent child relationship in families of children with an intellectual disability

BackgroundRelationship quality between a parent and a child typically differs between families with a child with intellectual disability (ID) and families with other children. Parent-child relationship quality matters in ID as it has been linked with child outcomes. However, there are few research studies examining factors that are related to parent-child relationship quality in ID. AimsThe aim of the present study was to investigate factors associated with parent-child relationship quality in families of children with ID. In particular, we aimed to examine the association between the amount of time parents and children spend together in leisure activities and parent-child relationship quality. Methods and proceduresThe sample was drawn from the 1000 Families Study, a survey including parent-reported data from families of children with ID aged 4–16 years. Measures of parent-child relationship quality and shared parent-child time were available. OutcomesRegression analyses showed that parental investment in shared leisure time was significantly associated with parent-child closeness and conflict, even after controlling for a number of factors related to relationship quality. Parental psychological distress was also associated with parent-child relationship quality. Conclusions and implicationsInterventions that aim to improve parent-child relationship quality may want to investigate the role of shared parent-child time in leisure activities as one of the mechanisms of change.

Harsh parental discipline and school bullying among Chinese adolescents: The role of moral disengagement and deviant peer affiliation

School bullying is prevalent worldwide and poses a serious threat to the safety of school and students. However, few studies have explored the relationship between harsh parental discipline and adolescents’ school bullying. The current study aims to explore the internal mechanism between the two in the Chinese cultural context, and further test the mediating effect of moral disengagement and the moderating effect of deviant peer affiliation. This study recruited 1,246 students in eastern and southern China (average age = 14.48 ± 1.48) to complete the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale, Moral Disengagement Scale, Deviant Peer Affiliation Scale, and the Olweus Bully Questionnaire. The results showed that: The prevalence of school bullying among adolescents accounted for 33.5 %, from most to least are verbal bullying, relational bullying and physical bullying. Harsh parental discipline positively predicted school bullying among Chinese adolescents. After controlling for gender and school type, moral disengagement partially mediated the association between harsh parental discipline and school bullying, and deviant peer affiliation moderated the first and second halves of the mediation effect. Current findings reveal that parents should adopt proper parenting styles and intervene appropriately in their children’s dating choices.

Teacher- and parent-child relationships and children's adjustment behaviors in grade 1: The role of temperament.

This study aimed at investigating the reciprocal longitudinal associations between teacher- and parent-child relationships and children's adjustment behaviors during Grade 1, and the role of the child's temperament in this interplay. The longitudinal study followed Lithuanian children (229 in kindergarten [T0], 337 at the beginning of Grade 1 [T1], 341 at the end of Grade 1 [T2]), their parents, and their Grade 1 teachers (n = 24). The parents and teachers reported on the quality of their relationship with the children during Grade 1. In addition, parents reported on the children's temperament in kindergarten, and the teachers reported on the children's adjustment behaviors during Grade 1. The results showed evocative effects of children's adjustment behaviors at the beginning of Grade 1 on the relationship quality at the end of Grade 1. In particular, prosocial behavior positively predicted teacher-child closeness, and high externalizing problems positively predicted teacher-child and parent-child conflict. In addition, we identified two indirect paths from children's temperamental surgency to closeness with teachers via prosocial behavior and to conflicts with teachers via externalizing problems. The results of the present study suggest that children's characteristics, such as temperament and adjustment behaviors, predict particularly teachers' and, to some extent, parents' perceptions of their relationship quality with the child at the beginning of children's school career. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Parent-Child Relationships, Digital Media Use and Parents' Well-Being during COVID-19 Home Confinement: The Role of Family Resilience.

Research has provided substantial evidence on the role of parents' well-being in the quality of parent-child relationships and children's adjustment. Parents' stress and parental couple conflict have been linked to children's adverse developmental outcomes. However, little is known about the factors that affect parents' well-being when coping with multiple stressors such as those brought by the recent COVID-19 global pandemic. Our study intended to examine the predictors of parental well-being by looking at the contextual factors of COVID-19 home confinement, i.e., the use of digital media and parents' domestic workload, and family resilience in two countries: Ireland and Italy. Additionally, the age and number of children were controlled as potential variables impacting parents' well-being. A three-step hierarchical regression analysis was applied. The results showed that family resilience was a very strong predictor of parents' well-being after controlling for any other variable. Parental couples' conflict over the use of technology predicted lower levels of parents' well-being, while, notably, parent child-conflict and domestic workload were not associated with parents' well-being. Additionally, the age of children did play a role: the higher the mean age of children in the family the better the parents' well-being. The findings are discussed in the light of cross-country differences and their implications for research and practice.

Association Between Social Determinants of Health and Deliberate Self-Harm Among Youths With Psychiatric Diagnoses.

The authors sought to examine the association between adverse social determinants of health (SDoHs) and risk for self-harm among youths. The authors performed a retrospective longitudinal analysis of Ohio Medicaid claims data (April 1, 2016-December 31, 2018) of 244,958 youths (ages 10-17 years) with a primary psychiatric diagnosis. SDoHs were identified from ICD-10 codes and classified into 14 categories, encompassing abuse and neglect, child welfare placement, educational problems, financial problems, exposure to violence, housing instability, legal issues, disappearance or death of a family member, family disruption by separation or divorce, family alcohol or drug use, parent-child conflict, other family problems, social and environmental problems, and nonspecific psychosocial needs. Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to examine the association between SDoHs and self-harm (i.e., nonsuicidal self-injury or suicide attempt). Analyses controlled for demographic characteristics and comorbid psychiatric and general medical conditions. During follow-up after an index claim event, 51,796 youths (21.1%) had at least one adverse SDoH indicator, and 3,262 (1.3%) had at least one self-harm event. Abuse and neglect (hazard ratio [HR]=1.90, 99% CI=1.70-2.12), child welfare placement (HR=1.32, 99% CI=1.04-1.67), parent-child conflict (HR=1.52, 99% CI=1.23-1.87), other family problems (HR=1.25, 99% CI=1.01-1.54), and nonspecific psychosocial needs (HR=1.41, 99% CI=1.06-1.89) were associated with significantly increased hazard of self-harm. Adverse SDoHs were significantly associated with self-harm, even after controlling for demographic and clinical characteristics, underscoring the need for capturing SDoH information in medical records to identify youths at elevated suicide risk and to inform targeted interventions.

Maternal educational practices and mental health disorders of school-age children

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between emotional and behavioral difficulties in schoolchildren and maternal educational practices. MethodsParticipants and Setting: 631 mother-child pairs were evaluated in a poor urban district in Recife, northeastern Brazil. Cross-sectional study carried out between 2013 and 2014. It integrates a prospective cohort study designed to investigate the consequences of intimate partner violence that occurred during pregnancy, postpartum, and seven years after birth for the physical and mental health of women and their children. Maternal educational practices were assessed using the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale (CTSPC - mother-child version) and the child's behavioral and emotional disorders through the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) mother-version. The association was estimated through crude and adjusted prevalence ratios, using Poisson regression considering the 95% confidence interval. ResultsThe prevalence of violent maternal educational practices was 91.8% (572/631) being 89.7% (566/631) of psychological aggression and 75.6% of physical aggression, subdivided into corporal punishment (73.5%), physical maltreatment (35.8%) and severe physical maltreatment (1.7%). Corporal punishment (Adjusted PR 1.5; CI 95%: 1.1–2.1; p = 0.010) and severe physical maltreatment (Adjusted PR 1.9; CI 95%: 1.3–2.8; p = 0.002) were associated with emotional and behavioral difficulties in schoolchildren. ConclusionThe high prevalence of violent maternal educational practices, especially corporal punishment and severe physical maltreatment is associated with emotional and behavioral disorders in children. Therefore, it is necessary to interventions that promote parental support and effective use of non-violent discipline in conducting the educational process to establish healthier family relationships and to prevent/mitigate the impact of emotional and behavioral problems in children.

Cooperation with Teachers as a Mediator of the Relationship between Family Conflict and Children's Psychological Difficulties.

Parent–child conflict can have a series of negative consequences concerning youth emotional and behavioral development. The link between family conflict and children’s externalizing symptoms is well established, whereas the association with internalizing symptoms is less explored. Within the school context, children are engaged in other meaningful relationships (i.e., with teachers and peers) which contribute to their growth. This cross-sectional study aimed at understanding whether a cooperative behavior with the teachers is able to mediate the association between parent–child conflict and children’s psychopathological symptoms. We recruited 319 (150 boys) school-aged children (M = 11.3 years; SD = 1.8 years) and their parents and teachers. Children self-reported on their internalizing symptoms, whereas parents completed a questionnaire concerning their relationship with the child, and teachers rated children’s behavior and internalizing/externalizing symptoms. Analyses conducted through Hayes’ PROCESS tool showed that cooperation with the teacher partially mediated the association between parent–child conflict and child-reported depressive symptoms. Notably, cooperative behavior fully mediated the link between parent–child conflict and children’s internalizing and externalizing symptoms reported by teachers. Difficulties exhibited at school partly derive from a conflictual home environment. Our findings showed that such problems can be reduced thanks to a cooperative relationship with the teacher.

An investigation of associations between parenting and binge eating across pubertal development in pre-adolescent and adolescent female participants.

Puberty is a period of increased risk for the development of binge eating in female adolescents. Although developmental changes in autonomy-seeking behaviors and body weight and shape may influence both parenting styles and binge eating during puberty, studies have yet to examine how parenting practices may be differentially associated with youth outcomes depending on developmental stage. The current study examines whether interactions between puberty and parenting are associated with higher levels of binge-eating symptoms during/after puberty in female youth. Analyses used cross-sectional data from a previous study of disordered eating and puberty in 999 female youth (ages 8-16) and their parents from the Michigan State University Twin Registry. Youth self-reported binge eating, pubertal development, and perceived parental care and overprotection. Both parents and youth reported on parent-child conflict. Mixed linear models were used to examine whether pubertal development moderates the strength of associations between parenting (parent-child conflict, parental care, and parental overprotection) and offspring binge eating. Although higher levels of parental overprotection and conflict, and lower levels of parental care were all significantly associated with binge eating, none of the associations were significantly moderated by pubertal development or age. The quality of the parent-child relationship is significantly associated with binge eating in female youth regardless of developmental stage, highlighting the need for targeting harmful parenting strategies during adolescent eating disorder intervention. This is the first study to examine whether parenting/binge-eating associations in female participants differ across pubertal development. In a large population-based sample, we found lower parental care, higher parent-child conflict, and higher parental overprotection were all associated with higher levels of binge eating. Notably, associations did not differ across pubertal stage or age, suggesting that parenting is significantly associated with binge eating, regardless of developmental stage.

1.77 Parental Stress as a Mediator of the Impact of the COVID-19 Crisis on Parent-Child Conflicts in Families with a Child in Treatment at a Mental Health Outpatient Clinic

This study explored how the COVID-19 crisis affected parental stress and parent-child conflict in families with a child currently treated in an outpatient mental health service. Specifically, we wanted to: 1) investigate the effects of parental stress, relative to general stress, as a mediator of the impact of COVID-19 on parent-child conflict; and 2) test potential moderators of this mediation effect within the family functioning to identify a target for intervention.

1.26 The Association Between Parent-Child Conflict, Inflammation, and Depression in Children and Adolescents

Adolescents with MDD demonstrate preclinical markers of cardiovascular disease. A hypothesized mechanism of this association is through inflammatory pathways. In addition, exposure to psychosocial stressors, such as parent-child conflictual relationships, is a key risk factor for depression and heightened levels of inflammation; however, the mechanism through which these factors interact is less clear. This study examines the interactive effects of depression and parent-child conflict on inflammation in youth.

Protective and Risk Factors of Mental Health in Iranian Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review Study

Objectives With the emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the world, including Iran, the need for its prevention and treatment became a national priority for the countries. Children, as one of the most vulnerable groups, are affected by this pandemic in various dimensions. This study aims to identify and categorize the protective and risk factors of mental health problems in Iranian children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This is a systematic review. A search was conducted in international and national databases for the related studies, and the results were reported based on the PRISMA diagram. The quantitative studies were assessed by Joanna Briggs Institute’s Critical Appraisal Checklist. Finally, 9 studies were selected for the review. Results Among the reviewed studies, only one study was conducted in the entire Iran; more than 44% were conducted in Tehran. The study populations of more than 77% of studies were the children selected from the general population. The protective factors of mental health problems (anxiety and fear of COVID-19) in children included: High level of self-differentiation, positive parent-child conflict resolution tactics, older age, parents’ increased time of staying at home, and high educational level of mothers. On the other hand, the risk factors of mental health problems (anxiety, fear of COVID-19, and aggression) in children were: COVID-19-related anxiety in mothers, anxiety/stress/depression in mothers, children’s awareness of COVID-19, infection or death of a relative due to COVID-19, employment of parents as a medical staff, parents’ intrusion and hyperarousal, being a single child, and hearing loss. Conclusion Compared to other countries, limited studies have addressed the social determinants of mental health problems (anxiety, fear of COVID-19, and aggression) of children in Iran during the pandemic. Identifying and addressing the factors that threaten, exacerbate, or enhance Iranian children’s mental health through interventions and social measures can lead to breaking the ineffective cycle of inequality and discrimination, promoting mental health, and reducing harm in the face of future pandemics.

The influence of academic pressure on adolescents' problem behavior: Chain mediating effects of self-control, parent-child conflict, and subjective well-being.

As a negative social issue, teenagers’ problem behavior not only affects individuals’ physical and mental health and social function development but is also not conducive to social harmony and stability. This study mainly discusses the influence of academic pressure on adolescents’ problem behavior, and the potential relationship between these and academic pressure, examining issues such as self-control, parent–child conflict, and subjective well-being. The data were collected from the fifth wave of the China Family Panel Studies (2017–2018). The data of 2,465 teenagers aged 10–15 were analyzed by LISREL8.8 software. The results show that academic pressure positively affects adolescents’ deviant behavior. The mediation model finds that parent–child conflict and self-control play a direct mediating role between academic pressure and adolescents’ behavioral problems. Parent–child conflict, self-control, and subjective well-being have important chain mediation effects between academic pressure and adolescents’ problem behavior. Therefore, in order to reduce the risk of such problems, it is necessary to further strengthen individuals’ ability to maintain self-control, promote or cultivate adolescents’ character strengths, create a harmonious family atmosphere, reduce the probability of parent–child conflict, and increase the subjective well-being of teenagers.

Child-to-Parent Violence: Examining Cumulative Associations with Corporal Punishment and Physical Abuse

PurposeCorporal punishment (CP) and physical abuse (PA) in childhood are associated with increased risk of child-to-parent violence (CPV). Without context of discipline (i.e., the intention of behavior change, and use of reasonable force), both CP and PA represent the use of physical force against a child. It is still unclear if their associations with CPV are similar when they co-occur, or when they occur in isolation. The current study examined the differential and cumulative association of different types of physical force in childhood with rates of CPV.MethodThe sample consisted of 1,132 participants, between 18 to 87-years-old (M = 50.95, SD = 14.24) and included 59.5% female and 39.2% male participants who completed an online survey measuring CP, PA and CPV. Participants formed three groups: low CP or PA (group low), high CP only (group HCP), or high PA and CP (group PA + CP).ResultsTwo one-way ANOVAs with planned contrasts were conducted separately for CPV against mothers and fathers. The group HCP reported significantly higher CPV against both the mother and the father than group low and there was no significant difference between group HCP and group PA + CP.ConclusionsHigher rates of CP are associated with higher rates of CPV; however, this rate does not increase further when there is concurrent PA. This suggests that there may be a low sensitivity for retaliation from a young person, or coercive training (through high parent–child conflict), in environments where there is physical force from a parent.