Children’s emotion dysregulation, children’s appraisals, maternal psychological functioning, and harsh discipline were investigated as potential mediators in the putative link between exposure to intimate partner violence and poor child outcomes. Participants included 132 children ages 6–8 and their mothers who had been enrolled in a longitudinal study of parenting and children’s social development. The mothers were receiving some form of government-based economic assistance or other social services, and were currently involved in a romantic relationship. Results of structural equation modeling indicated children’s emotion dysregulation mediated the links between exposure to IPV and both internalizing and externalizing problems. Harsh discipline mediated the link between exposure to IPV and externalizing, but not internalizing, symptoms. Child appraisals and maternal psychological functioning mediated the link between exposure to IPV and internalizing, but not externalizing, symptoms.

The impact of two types of neglect on obesity varied across age, highlighting the importance of differentiating between types of neglectful parenting when addressing the high rate of childhood obesity in disadvantaged children.

The primary goal of the study was to determine whether mother and peer's responses to direct and indirect aggression would contribute to children's use of direct and indirect aggression. Using adaptations of the Direct and Indirect Aggression Scale, a multi-informant strategy, and a sample of disadvantaged families, data were collected from 296 mothers of children ages 4-11; 237 children ages 6-11; and 151 teachers of those children. Mothers and peers were reported to react more harshly in response to direct aggression compared to indirect aggression, and higher rates of direct aggression were associated with reduced popularity. These findings were seen as being consistent with the hypothesis that different forms of aggression result in differential responding by mothers and peers, as well as the notion that direct aggression is a higher cost option than indirect aggression. Results also replicated previous findings that boys tend to use physical aggression more than girls, but girls use indirect aggression more than boys. Finally, low IQ was correlated with higher direct aggression in girls but had no relation with aggression in boys.In an attempt to understand the different ways in which children express aggression, factors influencing the use of indirect aggression have received increased attention. Indirect aggression was originally defined as "a type of behavior in which the perpetrator attempts to inflict pain in such a manner that he or she [often] makes it seem as though there has been no intention to hurt at all" (Björkqvist, Lagerspetz, & Kaukiainen, 1992, p.118), and was distinguished from direct aggression, characterized by "straightforward attacks that are often visible, disruptive, and frightening even to the spectators" (Salmivalli, Kaukiainen, & Lagerspetz, 2000, p.18). Indirect aggression included such acts as gossiping, excluding a child from the play group, or writing critical notes about a targeted child. In indirect aggression, the aggressor often uses others in the social group to harm the target and may avoid direct confrontation, whereas in direct aggression, the aggressor either physically or verbally confronts the target. Closely related to indirect aggression are forms of aggression labeled relational aggression (c.f. Crick & Grotpeter, 1995) or social aggression (c.f. Glen & Underwood, 1997), which have been operationalized as children using the peer group to damage another child's social relationships or social standing. Although subtle differences in the conceptual frameworks underlying indirect, relational, and social aggression have been offered (e.g., Underwood, 2003), based on an integrated review of the literature, Archer and Coyne (2005) concluded that indirect aggression was the preferred superordinate category and that knowledge of aggression would be better advanced by focusing on the common essential features of indirect aggression. Thus, the present study focused on indices of indirect aggression.Early research concluded that indirect aggression was predominantly...

Child temperament has been implicated as a possible mediator or moderator of the relation between parenting and child outcomes. However, previous studies have lead to ambiguous interpretation of the results due to methodological problems. Sanson et al., (2004) conducted a review of the relation between temperament and social development and outlined four methodological problems with previous research in the field of temperament: 1) the genetic link between parents and children, 2) the use of parental report for both child temperament and parenting behaviors, 3) lack of controlling for earlier parenting history, and 4) the use of correlational data. The present study was designed to address the first two methodological problems. The present study examined the moderating role of the three broad child temperament factors on the relation between three forms of parenting practices: punitive discipline, deficient parenting, and poor parental monitoring and child aggressive behavior. Using a multimethod and multisource design, parent report, child report, direct observational data, and behavioral tasks were used to create the construct when possible. The behavioral tasks used to assess negative

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Background: Increasingly, adolescents are presented to hospital emergency departments with suicidal ideation (SI) and depression. Even among those who come in with other complaints, depression and SI are common. Emergency personnel are placed in the default position of providing care for these patients, but often lack sufficient knowledge and skills to do this effectively. Objective: The aim of this paper is to offer guidance to emergency personnel and describe goals and strategies for screening and brief interventions. Method: We review risk factors, assessment tools and evidence-based interventions that can be utilized by mental health professionals working in EDs and by ED staff in the absence of mental health professionals. Conclusion: Emergency departments can serve a critical role in risk management and treatment of adolescent depression and suicidal ideation. All patients presenting to the ED should be screened for current and past depression and suicidal ideation or attempts. Brief interventions can be delivered in the ED that can increase the likelihood that patients will receive follow- up care.

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