Parental Behaviour Research Articles

Trends in and factors associated with parental provision of alcohol to minors in Western Australia, 2013-2019.

Some parents provide alcohol to their underage children, despite a range of negative outcomes being associated with this practice. The present study aimed to assess factors associated with and changes in parental provision behaviours from 2013 to 2019 in Western Australia. Annual cross-sectional online surveys were conducted (total n = 2635). Assessed variables included parents' demographic characteristics, alcohol use, awareness of the relevant Australian alcohol guideline, attitudes to parental provision of alcohol and provision behaviours. A binary logistic generalised linear model was used to identify factors associated with parental provision of alcohol. Parental provision of alcohol prevalence decreased from 40% in 2013 to 27% in 2019. The following variables were significantly associated with parental provision: permissive attitudes to provision (β = 2.82); older parental age (β = 1.28); a lack of knowledge of the relevant guideline (β = 0.78); survey year (β = 0.083); and greater alcohol use (β = 1.12). Socioeconomic position was not associated with parental provision. Female parents were more likely to report that an adult in the household provided children with alcohol (β = 1.3) DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that (i) although still commonplace, parental provision of alcohol to minors in Western Australia has declined over time; and (ii) the effectiveness of campaigns aiming to reduce this behaviour may be enhanced by targeting households with parents who are older and heavier drinkers and by including content that challenges permissive views on alcohol provision to minors.

Can low-quality parents exploit their high-quality partners to gain higher fitness?

An individual's optimal investment in parental care potentially depends on many variables, including its future fitness prospects, the expected costs of providing care and its partner's expected or observed parental behaviour. Previous models suggested that low-quality parents could evolve to exploit their high-quality partners by reducing care, leading to the paradoxical prediction that low-quality parents could have higher fitness than their high-quality partners. However, these studies lacked a complete and consistent life-history model. Here, we challenge this result, developing a consistent analytical model of parental care strategies given individual variation in quality, and checking our results using agent-based simulations. In contrast to previous models, we predict that high-quality individuals always outcompete low-quality individuals in fitness terms. However, care effort may differ between high- and low-quality parents in either direction: low-quality individuals care more than high-quality individuals if their baseline mortality is higher, but less if their mortality increases more steeply with increasing care. We also highlight the ambiguity of the term 'quality' and stress the need for 'genealogical consistency' in evolutionary models.

Problematisation of Parental Alcohol Abuse Related Harm to Children: The Results of Professionals’ Response

Problematisations as taken-for-granted “truths” practices making it crucial to look at them critically and to draw attention to any potentially harmful consequences they may have. The main aim of this article is to examine how the issue of parental alcohol’s harm to children is problematised in the child protection and support processes in Lithuania. Data from 20 semi-structured interviews with key child welfare and protection experts were analysed using Bacchi’s problematisation approach strategy. Professionals think that parental intoxication is damaging to children, and because of the issues they perceive, most of their work is focused on measures to enhance parental behaviour. This approach to the problem distances professionals from the harm that children are experiencing. It is typical to remove children from intoxicated parents and re-unite them once the parents sober up. Professionals rely on their own moral principles and ideals, particularly the desire to maintain “family unity”. Long-term harm develops when children who need support are undervalued and neglected. Because child welfare practices focus on a small portion of the problems, the harm to the children’s personalities and development is not adequately addressed. Analyses showed that the problematisation of parental alcohol abuse-related harm to children by professionals impacts the presumed result, which is that children are the “visible but unprotected victims”. The professional field of problematisation of alcohol’s harm to children brought on by parental alcohol misuse must consider crucial elements such as understanding childhood trauma and its long-term effects on child development, knowing how to respond to it when it occurs, and understanding how to avoid harmful long-term consequences.

Indicators of contact visit quality in non‐kinship foster care: An observational checklist

AbstractThis study explores whether the frequency and diversity of behaviours observed during contact visits may be used as indicators of visit quality. We observed 20 contact visits and quantified the frequency and diversity of behaviours for both parent and child, classified as positive or negative with respect to the child's well‐being. Quality of visits was classified based on a list of parent and child behaviours and two indicators (diversity and frequency), to create two observational checklists and calculate an overall quality index. This observational tool will enable identification of areas where birth parents or their child require additional support.

Extra-pair paternity and sexual dimorphism in birds.

Differences in the strength of sexual selection between males and females can lead to sexual dimorphism. Extra-pair paternity (EPP) can increase the variance in male reproductive success and hence the opportunity for sexual selection. Previous research on birds suggests that EPP drives the evolution of dimorphism in plumage colour and in body size. Because EPP increases the intensity of sexual selection in males, it should lead to increased dimorphism in species with larger or more colourful males, but decreased dimorphism in species with larger or more colourful females. We explored the covariation between EPP and sexual dimorphism in wing length and plumage colouration in 401 bird species, while controlling for other, potentially confounding variables. Wing length dimorphism was associated positively with the frequency of EPP, but also with social polygamy, sex bias in parental behaviour and body size and negatively with migration distance. The frequency of EPP was the only predictor of plumage colour dimorphism. In support of our prediction, high EPP levels were associated with sexual dichromatism, positively in species in which males are more colourful and negatively in those in which females are more colourful. Contrary to our prediction, high EPP rates were associated with increased wing length dimorphism in species with both male- and female-biased dimorphism. The results support a role for EPP in the evolution of both size and plumage colour dimorphism. The two forms of dimorphism were weakly correlated and predicted by different reproductive, social and life-history traits, suggesting an independent evolution.

Sharing your snack: unusual observation of a chick–chick feeding occurrence in colonial king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus)

Abstract King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) are colonial seabirds presenting an extraordinary breeding cycle. Parents take over 14 months to raise a single chick to independence, upon which fledglings depart at sea for more than a year. Juveniles often return to the colony within the three austral summers following departure, and before the age of first reproduction (around 5–6 years old), possibly to acquire the essential skills involved in breeding. Little to nothing is known on the acquisition of parental behaviour. Here, we report an anecdotal, yet highly unusual, observation of chick–chick feeding behaviour in this species. The behaviour is highly unusual in that two non-sibling chicks, not yet independent, and hatched at different times (early and late) of the same breeding season were observed, the older chick feeding the younger one. Whereas alloparental feeding is known to occur in this species, this is the first reported observation of a chick–chick feeding event. This unusual behaviour raises the question of whether the early social environment plays a role in the acquisition of essential parenting skills in this species.

Parental Scaffolding during Book-Sharing Predicts Child General Intelligence.

While much variance in general intelligence or g is genetic, a substantial environmental component suggests a possible role for parent-child interaction. In particular, previous evidence suggests the importance of parental scaffolding, or provision of cognitive structure to shape child behaviour. A role for scaffolding is consistent with the proposal that, in adult cognition, a critical aspect of g is decomposition of complex problems into a structure of simpler parts. Building on previous work, we recruited 162 parents attending Children's Centres with a child aged 2-4 years, and examined parental scaffolding during a book-sharing activity. Scaffolding was measured as the first principal component of a variety of parental behaviours, including sensitivity, focusing attention, extending comprehension, and promoting child participation. Child g was measured as the first principal component of a broad cognitive battery, including language, attention, working memory, and executive function. Importantly, we assessed contributions of the parent's own intelligence, education, and family income. Though these variables were all associated with both child g and parental scaffolding, scaffolding remained predictive of child g even once the influence of these variables was removed. In contrast to the correlation with cognitive proficiency, scaffolding did not predict child pro-social behaviour. We suggest that parental scaffolding supports the child's development of a broad skill of attentional structuring, promoting the across-the-board cognitive proficiency that is reflected in g.

GAMBARAN PERILAKU ORANG TUA DALAM MEMBAWA ANAK IMUNISASI SELAMA MASA PANDEMI COVID-19

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the coverage of basic and advanced immunizations decreased. The purpose of this study was to describe the behaviour of parents in bringing their children immunized during the Covid-19 pandemic in the work area of Puskesmas III Denpasar Selatan. This study was a descriptive quantitative study with a cross sectional approach. The sampling technique was used non-probability sampling with purposive sampling technique. The sample used 71 parents which have babies and toddlers with the age of 0-24 months. The data were collected in the work area of Puskesmas III Denpasar Selatan for one month from March to April 2022. The research instruments used were Immunization Behavior Questionnaire during the Covid-19 pandemic. The result showed that most parents who have babies and toddlers aged of 0-24 months in the work area of Puskesmas III Denpasar Selatan have good immunization during the Covid-19 pandemic. Health service facilities are expected to be able to provide immunization services according to the technical instruction for immunization services during the Covid-19 pandemic so that parents feel safe when bringing their children for immunization.

Parental dieting impacts inpatient treatment outcomes for adolescents with restrictive eating disorders.

Parental feeding practices and disordered eating are potential risk factors for the development of disordered eating in children and adolescents. This study measured the relationship between parental dieting behaviours and inpatient treatment outcomes for adolescents with restrictive eating disorders (EDs). Parents of adolescents with restrictive EDs (N=45) admitted to a specialty integrated inpatient-partial hospital meal-based ED treatment programme completed questionnaires assessing parental eating and exercise behaviours. Adolescent clinical data, including percentage median body mass index (%mBMI) at admission and discharge and rate of weight gain, were abstracted from the electronic medical record. Adolescents whose parents reported dieting had a slower rate of weight gain (3.47 lbs./week) compared to participants whose parents were not dieting (4.54 lbs./week; p=0.017). Additionally, participants whose parents reported dieting had a lower %mBMI at programme discharge (M=93.56) than participants whose parents did not report dieting (M=95.99; p=0.033). Parental dieting behaviours may impact an adolescent's response to inpatient ED treatment. Findings suggest a need to assess parental dieting behaviour, and when appropriate, provide additional psychoeducation regarding the potential risks of weight or shape-focussed dialogue and the benefits of modelling adaptive meal behaviours.

“It’s About Safety Not Snooping”: Parental Attitudes to Child Tracking Technologies and Geolocation Data

Families are increasingly using new apps and devices that provide detailed information about the location and activities of children and other family members. While typically performed for benevolent reasons such as maintaining child safety, tracking technologies like Life360 and Find My iPhone raise concerns about snooping and surveillance. This paper examines parental behaviours and attitudes towards this controversial practice via an online survey that collected 112 responses from parents of children aged 5–18. A significant number of parents reported using tracking tools. Parents’ views about the practice were sometimes ambivalent and in disagreement. Perspectives variously included: defending geo-tracking as conducive to child wellbeing and family management and logistics, contesting the language of surveillance used to describe it, and opposing the use of these technologies as antithetical to child independence and choice. After exploring such themes, the paper identifies and critically discusses the socio-ethical issues of changing family norms associated with powerful child monitoring technology, child autonomy and consent, and the normalisation of geo-tracking and surveillance. The discussion employs Helen Nissenbaum’s (2009) concept of contextual integrity to evaluate family and child privacy and to illuminate the socio-ethical complexity of this evolving technological practice.

Parental engagement in child sexual abuse prevention education in Hong Kong

Objective: This study examined three dimensions of parental engagement in Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) prevention education (knowledge, attitudes and practices) to determine whether increased knowledge and attitudes favouring CSA education led to increases in parental behaviours while controlling for multiple factors. Design: A random, digitally selected sample of 508 Hong Kong parents with at least one child in primary school answered a 47-question telephone survey designed by social workers and educators at a local community agency. Method: Parental knowledge and attitudes were measured by scales, scored from 5 to 25 each. Three variables measured parental practices: sex-related topics discussed with the referenced child, CSA-prevention learning methods and a weighted score of CSA-prevention discussions. Univariate tests and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) were used to analyse the data. Results: A two-way MANCOVA indicated that attitudes were significantly associated with all the parental practices measured, while knowledge was correlated only with the covered sex-related topics. Parental gender and child gender revealed statistically significant differences in the results. Conclusion: To encourage parental engagement in CSA prevention, educators can empower parents to take on the roles of supporters, planners, implementers and collaborators to deliver sexual health education. Praxis-oriented topics such as ‘how to talk to children’ in a standardised CSA curriculum may improve parental participation and increase their motivation to become peer trainers.

“Never Learned to Love Properly”: A Qualitative Study Exploring Romantic Relationship Experiences in Adult Children of Narcissistic Parents

Narcissism is a personality trait characterised by selfishness, coldness, entitlement, and grandiosity. There has been much research on different parenting dimensions and their relationship to narcissism in grown-up children, with a notable lack of studies investigating the influence of narcissistic parents on their children. This study focused on individuals’ experiences in romantic relationships, using personal narratives from a popular ‘Reddit’ community for people who perceived to have grown up with narcissistic parents. Using an inductive thematic analysis on 77 Reddit posts, we identified four themes: (i) Strategies and emotions in current relationships, (ii) behaviours and characteristics of partners and their families, (iii) parent intrusiveness in current relationships, and (iv) journey to realisation and recovery. Themes are discussed in relation to existing literature and theory. We add to the sparse literature on narcissistic parents’ influence in adult relationships, highlighting the importance of process from parental behaviour to adult romantic relationships.

Effects of a parent-led childhood obesity management program for socioeconomically vulnerable families: A randomised controlled trial

Background There is little information on the effects of parent-led interventions on promoting obesity-specific parenting behaviours and reducing children’s obesity status among socioeconomically vulnerable families. Aim We examined the effects of a parent-led childhood obesity management program on parenting antecedent factors, parenting behaviours, children’s healthy lifestyle behaviours, and children’s obesity status, based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour framework. Methods A randomised controlled trial was conducted (Trial no. KCT0006351KCT0006351). The participants were 52 pairs of parents and their overweight/obese children who were enrolled in either one of the Dream Start Centres or Community Child Centres in Seoul, South Korea. They were randomly allocated into either the intervention group (n = 26) or the control group (n = 26). The intervention group received a 12-week program that consisted of multiple behavioural and environmental strategies implemented through four intervention modes including home visits. The primary outcome was parenting behaviour; secondary outcomes were parenting antecedent factors and children’s variables. Outcomes were measured at baseline and after 12 weeks. Findings Compared to the control group, the intervention group showed significantly higher overall scores of parenting behaviours with significantly increased levels of parenting antecedent factors, higher percentages of recommended fruit and vegetable intake and moderate physical activity (p < 0.05 for all), and lower body mass index z-scores among children (p < 0.001). Discussion and conclusion The parent-led childhood obesity management program may effectively improve parenting behaviours for promoting children’s healthy eating and activity behaviours and reducing children’s obesity status among socioeconomically vulnerable families.

Media Multitasking, Perception of Media Use for Families, and Obstacles of Its Use

The occurrence of social changes to the use of technology in everyday life makes multitasking media behavior increasingly potential for families. The use of these media raises various perceptions and assessments. This study aims to understand the behavior of multitasking media in parents as an initial information base for applying technology in parenting programs. This study describes the types of media, time of use, differences in media behaviour and perceptions of parents, barriers to the use of technology during parenting learning to the relationship between the number of barriers and perceptions of media use for families in parents. The research method used is quantitative descriptive and correlational. The subjects of this study were determined by purposive sampling technique, with the number of participants as many as 63 parents. This study found that 17.4% of parents were classified as heavy media multitaskers (HMM), 39.7% were classified as medium media multitaskers (MMM), and 42.9% of parents were classified as mild media multitaskers. Print media and television use for parents is relatively high and evenly distributed in computers, music, social media, browsing, and SMS. The duration of media use by parents is still dominated by 1 hour to 4 hours. There is no difference between mother and father with the Sig value (2-tailed)&gt; 0.05, namely 0.087 and 0.084. This study also found that the perception of media use for parents to learn parenting was still moderate. The obstacles in using the media for parenting activities are the number of advertisements that appear, harmful internet content, invalid and reliable information obtained, poor website appearance, confusing content, connection disruption, unfriendly users, no accessible applications offline, no media support, perception of time-consuming that much until the information is too general, and can’t directly ask if learning is done online. However, these obstacles are separate from the perception of media use in parents

Pattern of Parent - Child Relationship among High and Low Adjusted Higher Secondary Class (IX Class) Pupils as Perceived by Them

Perception of parental - behaviour by a child contributes in his socialization. The Childs adjustment status remains also effected by the perception of parental behaviour. In this study the parental behaviour of high and low adjusted pupils have been examined. The study has been conducted on Class - IX pupils. The parent-child relationship has been assessed by using “PCR Questionnaire” of Dr. R.A. Singh (1981) and adjustment status by using “Adjustment Inventory” of Dr. V.K. Mittal (1965). It has been reported that normally, the high adjusted pupils have their better perception of parental behaviour than to those low adjusted. However, the protecting, punishing and disciplining behaviour of parents significantly effect to the degree of adjustments of the pupils.

Disrespectful colleagues, dysfunctional parenting: The effect of workplace incivility on parental attitudes, well-being and behaviours.

Two dyadic studies address the link between workplace incivility and dysfunctional (i.e., authoritarian and permissive) parenting, and the role played by parent cognitions and well-being in these relationships. One hundred and forty-eight working mother-spouse dyads participated in Study 1. Mothers reported on their own workplace incivility experiences and parenting self-efficacy, while husbands rated mothers' authoritarian parenting behaviour. Results showed that parenting self-efficacy mediates the effects of workplace incivility on authoritarian parenting. Study 2 sought to replicate and extend these findings with a sample of one hundred and seventy-five working parent-spouse dyads. Working mothers and fathers reported on their own workplace incivility experiences, parenting self-efficacy and burnout, while their spouses rated their authoritarian and permissive parenting. The moderating effects of romantic relationship conflict were also assessed. Results supported the role of self-efficacy in mediating the relationship between workplace incivility and authoritarian parenting, with effects exacerbated among those experiencing higher levels of romantic relationship conflict. Moreover, incivility related to working parents' burnout, and in turn, permissive parenting. Our findings shed light on an understudied social context wherein workplace incivility may shape one's personal life, and broadens our understanding of the nature, scope, and impact of this workplace problem.

The Augmented Reality Book Model as an Educational Media in Improving Dental Health Maintenance Behavior for Parents and Dental Hygiene Status in Pre-School Age Children

The Augmented Reality Book Model as an Educational Media in Improving Dental Health Maintenance Behavior for Parents and Dental Hygiene Status in Pre-School Age Children

The parental umwelt: Effects of parenthood on sensory processing in rodents.

An animal's umwelt, comprising its perception of the sensory environment, which is inherently subjective, can change across the lifespan in accordance with major life events. In mammals, the onset of motherhood, in particular, is associated with a neural and sensory plasticity that alters a mother's detection and use of sensory information such as infant-related sensory stimuli. Although the literature surrounding mammalian mothers is well established, very few studies have addressed the effects of parenthood on sensory plasticity in mammalian fathers. In this review, we summarize the major findings on the effects of parenthood on behavioural and neural responses to sensory stimuli from pups in rodent mothers, with a focus on the olfactory, auditory, and somatosensory systems, as well as multisensory integration. We also review the available literature on sensory plasticity in rodent fathers. Finally, we discuss the importance of sensory plasticity for effective parental care, hormonal modulation of plasticity, and an exploration of temporal, ecological, and life-history considerations of sensory plasticity associated with parenthood. The changes in processing and/or perception of sensory stimuli associated with the onset of parental care may have both transient and long-lasting effects on parental behaviour and cognition in both mothers and fathers; as such, several promising areas of study, such as on the molecular/genetic, neurochemical, and experiential underpinnings of parenthood-related sensory plasticity, as well as determinants of interspecific variation, remain potential avenues for further exploration.

Challenging Parenting Behaviour and Anxiety Disorders in Emerging Adulthood

Challenging parenting behaviour (CPB) refers to parental encouragement of behaviours where children push their own limits through engaging them engage in safe risks, such as rough-and-tumble play (Bögels & Phares, 2008). Preliminary evidence suggests that CPB reduces the risk of child anxiety however, little is known about the relationship between CPB and specific forms of anxiety disorders and the factors that influence this relationship. The present study aims to examine current maternal and paternal CPB in relation to symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD) in emerging adulthood, and to identify whether intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and cognitive avoidance (CA) sequentially mediate this relationship. A sample of 190 UK-based adults (aged 18–25) completed a battery of online self-report measures. Greater maternal CPB, but not paternal CPB, was found to predict lower symptoms of SAD, but not GAD. IU and CA did not sequentially mediate the relationship between CPB and symptoms of GAD or SAD. This study suggests that CPB may be associated with certain forms of anxiety disorders such as SAD, but further investigation is needed to understand the mechanisms between CPB and anxiety in young people.

Mother and father interaction with their 3-month-old infants: Similarities and differences in parenting behaviour in well-resourced parents

Infancy is characterized by intensive parenting which may affect later child development. However, little is known about similarities and differences in maternal and paternal parenting behaviour, as the majority of the studies have mainly focused on mothers. The present study investigated similarities and differences in mothers’ and fathers’ parenting behaviour during parent-infant interaction in 56 mothers and 56 fathers of 3-months-old infants in a good-resourced sample. Parent-child interactions were videotaped and coded by the Global Rating Scales. Results suggested similar parenting behaviour in terms of maternal and paternal sensitivity, intrusiveness and remoteness. Moreover, regardless of sex infant’s behaviour was similar during interactions with mothers and fathers. The low-risk and non-clinical nature of our sample may have had a positive influence on mother-child and father-child dyadic exchanges. These findings suggest including family system models in research and clinical practice.