Intergenerational Transmission of Maladaptive Parenting Strategies in Families of Adolescent Mothers: Effects from Grandmothers to Young Children

Abstract

The current longitudinal study examined the effect of the transmission of maladaptive parenting strategies from grandmothers to adolescent mothers on children’s subsequent development. Mexican-origin adolescent mothers (N = 204) participated in home interviews when the adolescent’s child (89 boys, 60 girls) was 2, 3, 4, and 5 years old. Grandmothers’ psychological control toward the adolescent mother was positively related to adolescents’ potential for abuse 1 year later, which was subsequently positively related to adolescents’ punitive discipline toward their young child. In addition, adolescent mothers’ punitive discipline subsequently predicted greater externalizing problems and less committed compliance among their children. Adolescent mothers’ potential for abuse and punitive discipline mediated the effects of grandmothers’ psychological control on children’s externalizing problems. Finally, adolescent mothers’ potential for abuse mediated the effect of grandmothers’ psychological control on adolescent mothers’ punitive discipline. Results highlight the salience of long-term intergenerational effects of maladaptive parenting on children’s behavior.

Testing the cycle of maltreatment hypothesis: Meta-analytic evidence of the intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment

“…Demographic Risks. Although child maltreatment cuts across all ethnicities and socioeconomic strata (SES), the prevalence of maltreatment has been shown to be higher in minority populations and/or in groups characterized as having low SES (Hussey, Chang, & Kotch, 2006;Sedlak et al, 2010;Stith et al, 2009). SES can be conceptualized as a contextual indicator for other factors that may increase the risk of committing child maltreatment, such as parental psychopathology and early childbearing (Pears & Capaldi, 2001).…”

Like parent, like child? Exploring the association between early maladaptive schemas of adolescents involved with Child Protective Services and their parents

“…Particularly, continuity across generations of harsh and hostile or aggressive parenting (Bailey, Hill, Oesterle, & Hawkins, ; Conger, Neppl, Kim, & Scaramella, ; Hops, Davis, Leve, & Sheeber, ) and parental monitoring (Capaldi, Pears, Patterson, & Owen, ; Smith & Farrington, ) has been reported. Moreover, continuities across generations are also found for attachment styles (e.g., Seay, Jahromi, Umaña‐Taylor, & Updegraff, ; Verhage et al, ).…”

Deciding on Discipline: The Importance of Parent Demeanor in the Transmission of Discipline Practices

“…Finally, several studies have shown an intergenerational transmission of parenting attitudes and behaviors. For example, parents who take a harsh discipline approach to childrearing tend to transmit these beliefs and practices to their children (Seay et al 2016).…”