Early motherhood and harsh parenting: The role of human, social, and cultural capital

Childhood Physical Abuse and Sociopathy: Is This Link Magnified among Firstborn Children?

“…Adjustment difficulties in response to perceived criticism, rejection, threat, or abuse might be magnified among firstborn or only children. Further, the relative youth and inexperience of first-time parents could heighten sources of conflict and ego deflation (Lee, 2009;Lee, et al, 2012;Lee & Guterman, 2010). Victims of frank CPA might not benefit fully from the support, role modeling, and processing of unsettling experiences that older siblings might provide.…”

“…Data generated in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study (N = 1,597) indicated younger mothers often relied on harsher (e.g., psychological aggression, physical aggression, spanking, etc.) forms of parenting (Lee, 2009;Lee & Guterman, 2010). In a related study, more conflicted parent-adolescent relationships were found at the same age for firstborn as opposed to second-born siblings (Whiteman, McHale, & Crouter, 2003).…”

The Relationship Between Caseworker Assessments of Clients’ Social Networks and Child Welfare Placement Outcomes

“…Research suggests that the availability of social supports may play a role in lowering the likelihood of child abuse and neglect (Budd, Heilman, & Kane, 2000;Kotch et al, 1999). Low social support is a common risk factor among families involved with child welfare (Williams, Tonmyr, Jack, Fallon, & MacMillan, 2011), and has been linked to harsh parenting (Lee, 2009) as well as greater risk for child maltreatment (Dorsey, Mustillo, Farmer, & Elbogen, 2008;Williams et al, 2011), particularly during the first few years of life (Kotch et al, 1999;Warren, 2005;Windham et al, 2004). Theoretical models of social support suggest that social networks may minimize psychological distress and buffer the impact of stressful life circumstances, such as living in poverty, and the buffering effect of social support promotes positive parenting (Prelow, Weaver, Bowman, & Swenson, 2010).…”

Service needs of adolescent parents in child welfare: Is an evidence-based, structured, in-home behavioral parent training protocol effective?

“…Unfortunately, adolescent parents often grow up in conditions of poverty, are exposed to abuse and neglect, and frequently lack the skills and resources necessary to create safe, stable, and nurturing early care environments for their children (Sidebotham, Heron, & ALSPAC Study Team, 2006). These skill and resource constraints increase the likelihood that their own children will be exposed to harsh parenting practices, abusive forms of physical discipline, lack of access to basic needs, and low levels of parental monitoring and stimulation in their care environments (Bartlett & Easterbrooks, 2012; Lee, 2009; Lounds, Borkowsji, & Whitman, 2006). Further, children born to adolescent parents are more likely to become adolescent parents themselves, thus continuing the cycle of risk (Hoffman & Maynard, 2008).…”