The impact of children's internalizing and externalizing problems on parenting: Transactional processes and reciprocal change over time

Abstract

Most theoretical models of developmental psychopathology involve a transactional, bidirectional relation between parenting and children's behavior problems. The present study utilized a cross-lagged panel, multiple interval design to model change in bidirectional relations between child and parent behavior across successive developmental periods. Two major categories of child behavior problems, internalizing and externalizing, and two aspects of parenting, positive (use of support and structure) and harsh discipline (use of physical punishment), were modeled across three time points spaced 3 years apart. Two successive developmental intervals, from approximately age 7.5 to 10.5 and from 10.5 to 13.5, were included. Mother-child dyads (N = 138; 65 boys) from a lower income longitudinal sample of families participated, with standardized measures of mothers rating their own parenting behavior and teachers reporting on child's behavior. Results revealed different types of reciprocal relations between specific aspects of child and parent behavior, with internalizing problems predicting an increase in positive parenting over time, which subsequently led to a reduction in internalizing problems across the successive 3-year interval. In contrast, externalizing predicted reduced levels of positive parenting in a reciprocal sequence that extended across two successive intervals and predicted increased levels of externalizing over time. Implications for prevention and early intervention are discussed.

Examining bidirectional relationships between parenting and child maladjustment in youth with autism spectrum disorder: A 9-year longitudinal study

“…This finding suggests that, during adolescence, parents of children with ASD increase their level of positive involvement and respond to externalizing problems by helping their child with solving problems and by setting clear rules. This finding appears to be in contrast with previous studies in typically developing children (Kerr & Stattin, 2003; Scaramella, Conger, Spoth, & Simons, 2002; Serbin et al, 2015), where parents more often appear to “back away” and decrease their level of positive involvement when confronted with externalizing problems. However, this finding is in line with a cross-sectional study by Baker, Messinger, Lyons, and Grantz (2010), who found that that, only for preschool children with ASD but not for typically developing children, child behavior problems were positively associated with maternal sensitivity.…”

“…The second cross-lagged effect indicated that negative control during adolescence (T2) predicted increases in externalizing problems 3 years later. This finding is in line with both theory (Patterson, Reid, & Dishion, 1992) and empirical research (e.g., de Haan et al, 2013; Serbin et al, 2015), and indicates that increasing negative control as a response to externalizing problems in youngsters with ASD has a detrimental impact upon their further development (i.e., leads to a proliferation of aggressive and rule-breaking behavior), even during emerging adulthood. The finding that negative parental control still impacts the development of youth when they reach early adulthood is in line with research in typically developing youth emphasizing the important, yet changing, role of parents during this period (Kins, Soenens, & Beyers, 2011; Nelson, Padilla-Walker, Christensen, Evans, & Carroll, 2011) and corroborates evidence that parents of children with ASD are playing an essential supporting role throughout their child's development, even during the transition to adulthood (Spiers, 2015).…”

“…It is now well established that negative parenting behaviors (e.g., harsh or overreactive punishment) elicit more child behavioral problems over time and that problem behavior of the child, in turn, provokes more subsequent negative parenting behaviors (de Haan, Prinzie, & Deković, 2012; Soenens, Luyckx, Vansteenkiste, Duriez, & Goossens, 2008). Similarly, positive parenting behaviors have been identified as a protective factor for child maladjustment (Kawabata, Alink, Tseng, van IJzendoorn, & Crick, 2011; Serbin, Kingdon, Ruttle, & Stack, 2015).…”

Which psychiatric symptoms of the mother are related with preschool child’s emotional and behavioral problems?

“…It has been reported that psychotherapy to mothers has been beneficial for the functionality of children at 7-18 years (22). In a follow-up study, it was shown that the child's internalizing behavior problems supported the positive parenting, which in turn contributed to the decrease of the internalizing symptoms, whereas the externalizing behavior problems hampered the positive parenting (23). Externalizing problems of the child disrupt the quality of parental care (24).…”

Problemas de comportamento de crianças com necessidades educacionais especiais, saúde e práticas educativas do cuidador

“…(Hanley et al, 2003). A emissão de problemas comportamentais externalizantes das crianças prediz uma diminuição da ocorrência de práticas parentais positivas por partes dos cuidadores (Serbin, Kingdon, Ruttle, & Stack, 2015). Frente a dificuldade em lidar com tais problemas de comportamento, os pais podem recorrer a estratégias inadequadas que são reforçadas por cessarem a ocorrência do comportamento-problema (Stocco & Thompson, 2015).…”