Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Shaping Expectations About Dads As Caregivers: Toward An Ecological Approach, Holning Lau

Holning Lau

Adolescent Peer Crowd Self-Identification, Attributional Style And Perceptions Of Parenting, Patrick Heaven, Joseph Ciarrochi, Wilhelmina Vialle, Ieva Cechavicuite

joseph Ciarrochi

No abstract provided.

Strengthening Families: Exploring The Impacts Of Family Camp Experiences On Family Functioning And Parenting, Barry A. Garst, Sarah Baughman, Nancy K. Franz, Richard W. Seidel

Barry A Garst

Research suggests that family camp experiences can enhance family relationships. Families often participate in family camp experiences for a vacation, as part of a therapeutic and/or intervention strategy, or to gain general enrichment or engagement. To better understand the impacts of family camp experiences on family functioning, a mixed-methods study was conducted with 60 families across 18 camps. Respondents shared that family camp experiences benefit families because of the positive impacts of the camp staff, parenting reinforcement, and enhancement of family relationships, with 60% of respondents indicating that family camp experiences reinforced good parenting and 86% of respondents indicating that …

Parenting From Prison: Family Relationships Of Incarcerated Women In Massachusetts, Erika Kates, Sylvia Mignon, Paige Ransford

Sylvia I. Mignon

Historically in the United States, there has been little concern about the needs of incarcerated women and their family members, especially children. This began to change with the tremendous increase in the number of incarcerated women. The rate of women’s incarceration increased dramatically during the 1980s and today the number of female inmates continues to rise faster than the number of male inmates. In 1986, 19,812 women were incarcerated in the United States and this number rose in 1991 to 38,796. Today, over 112,000 women are incarcerated in state or federal facilities (Sabol et al., 2007; Snell 1994). While in …

Sociology Professor Participates In White House Summit On Working Families, Colleen Butler-Sweet

Colleen Butler-Sweet

The call from the White House aide came on a Friday morning in June, and on the following Monday, Colleen Butler-Sweet was in Washington, D.C., at the invitation of The U.S. Department of Labor, attending the White House Summit on Working Families.

Where Have All The Good Men Gone? A Psychoanalytic Reading Of The Absent Fathers & Bad Dads On Abc's Lost, Melissa R. Ames

Melissa A. Ames

Fictional fathers in narratives are often allegorical in nature and contemporary television is not immune from this. ABC’s groundbreaking television drama, Lost, offers a multitude of father figures that suggests not only a crisis concerning the role of the father in the 21st century but also the crisis of national security experienced by Americans after the attacks. In particular, the program showcases three specific types of troubled father/child relationships: those in which the father is absent and/or dead, those where the father is portrayed as abusive and/or evil, and those where the father and child are estranged and/or their relationship …

Parenting And Co-Regulation: Adaptive Systems For Competence In Children Experiencing Homelessness, Janette E. Herbers, J. J. Cutuli, Laura M. Supkoff, Angela J. Narayan, Ann S. Masten

J. J. Cutuli

The role of effective parenting in promoting child executive functioning and school success was examined among 138 children (age 4 to 6 years) staying in family emergency shelters the summer before kindergarten or first grade. Parent-child co-regulation, which refers to relationship processes wherein parents guide and respond to the behavior of their children, was observed during structured interaction tasks and quantified as a dyadic construct using state space grid methodology. Positive co-regulation was related to children’s executive functioning and IQ, which in turn were related to teacher-reported outcomes once school began. Separate models considering parenting behavior demonstrated that EF carried …

A Is For Aphorism: Give Me The Child Until They Are Seven And I Will Show You The Man, Georga Cooke, Rae Thomas

Rae Thomas

This aphorism is true for some, but not most. Child development is about both continuity and change. Experiences in early childhood shape cognitions and new experiences are integrated into familiar models of relationships. For example, children who have experienced rejection from parents will often assume rejection from others, not initiate positive contacts, isolate themselves, and consequently experience rejection from peers. But they may also experience a caring and supportive teacher who assists them in making lifelong friends who change their perceptions and expectations. So, early experience matters and early family life plays an important role in child development outcomes.

The Influence Of Parental Aspirations, Attitudes, And Engagement On Children's Very Low Food Security, Elizabeth T. Powers

Elizabeth T Powers

Survey of Income and Program Participation data are used to investigate the relationship between parenting and children’s very low food security. Parenting is characterized along five domains (emotional outlook, support, education desires, activities with the child excluding meals, and television viewing rules). Food security definitions are obtained from questions in a special SIPP module that are based on the USDA’s core food security module. Graphical evidence indicates that parenting patterns differ distinctly for households experiencing various levels of food insecurity. Descriptive regression evidence suggests that some of the parenting attributes are significantly associated with children’s food insecurity, even controlling for …

Splashpads, Swings, And Shade: Parents' Preferences For Neighbourhood Parks, Patricia Tucker, Jason Gilliland, Jennifer Irwin

Trish Tucker

No abstract provided.

Do We Invest Less Time In Children? Trends In Parental Time In Selected Industrialized Countries Since The 1960'S, Anne Gauthier, Timothy Smeeding, Frank Furstenberg

Frank F. Furstenberg

This paper examines trends in parental time in selected industrialized countries since the 1960s using time-use survey data. Despite the time pressures to which today’s families are confronted, parents appear to be devoting more time to children than they did some 40 years ago. Results also suggest a decrease in the differences between fathers and mothers in time devoted to children. Mothers continue to devote more time to childcare than fathers, but the gender gap has been reduced. These results are observed in several countries and therefore suggest a large global trend towards an increase in parental time investment with …

Promoting Positive Parenting In The Context Of Homelessness, Staci Perlman, Beryl Cowan, Abigail Gewirtz, Mary Haskett, Lauren Stokes

Staci Perlman

Recent national reports suggest that nearly 1,000,000 families with children experience homelessness and that this number is rising (National Center on Family Homelessness, 2009; U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2010; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2011). Families experiencing homelessness are disproportionately more likely to have experienced economic, health, and social risk factors. These experiences can adversely influence the parent–child relationship. The purpose of this article is to (a) review the literature on the determinants and contextual issues of parenting in shelters; (b) describe specific programs that are focused on positive parenting in the context of homelessness; and (c) provide …

Licensing Parents To Protect Our Children?, Jurgen De Wispelaere, Daniel Weinstock

Jurgen De Wispelaere

In this paper we re-examine Hugh LaFollette’s proposal that the state carefully determine the eligibility and suitability of prospective parents before granting them a ‘license to parent’. Assuming a prima facie case for licensing parents grounded in our duty to promote the welfare of the child, we offer several considerations that complicate LaFollette’s radical proposal. We suggest that LaFollette can only escape these problems by revising his proposal in a way that renders the license effectively obsolete, a route he implicitly adopts in his recent revisiting of the licensing proposal. We conclude that there is little merit in the idea …

Child Feeding Practices Of Head Start Parents And Safeguarding The Oral Health Of Very Young Children, Elizabeth T. Powers

Elizabeth T Powers

Dentists serving children in a Head Start program attributed dental problems in preschoolers to parent feeding practices. In particular, parents' use of sippy cups and bottles promotes long exposure of teeth to sugars, causing cavities. This presentation reports the preliminary findings from a survey of feeding practices of parents whose children using a dental clinic. Holding constant child's age and other factors, Head Start parents' feeding practices differ from other parents' in several important respects. While Head Start parents report ending bottle use earlier in the child's life, their intensity of sippy cup use is high, and they more frequently …

Just Doing What They Gotta Do: Single Black Custodial Fathers Coping With The Stresses And Reaping The Rewards Of Parenting, Roberta Coles

Roberta Coles

For single African American custodial fathers, parenting stress is exacerbated by the cultural expectation that Black fathers are "normally" absent and by the clustering of stresses that Black men are more likely to encounter. This sample of African American fathers have used a repertoire of problem-focused and cognitive coping strategies, including some that are frequently considered "culturally specific." Twenty Black single custodial fathers are interviewed and their narratives are analyzed for concepts and thematic categories related to stress and coping. Their narratives indicate that certain strategies are avoided because (a) these strategies are not available to them and (b) they …

Protocol - The Effectiveness Of Interventions/Training Programmes For The Parents Of Adolescents: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Susan M. Kerr, Kerri Mcpherson, Lisa Kidd, Elizabeth Mcgee

Dr. Susan Kerr

No abstract provided.

Helping Kids Cope With Change, Peta Stapleton, Terri Sheldon

Peta B. Stapleton

No abstract provided.

Direct And Indirect Effects Of Parenting On Academic Functioning Of Young Homeless Children, Janette E. Herbers, J. J. Cutuli, Theresa L. Lafavor, Danielle Vrieze, Cari Leibel, Jelena Obradovic, Ann S. Masten

J. J. Cutuli

Research Findings: Effects of parenting quality on the academic functioning of young homeless children were examined using data from 58 children ages 4 to 7 and their parents during their stay at an emergency homeless shelter. Parenting quality, child executive function, child intellectual functioning, and risk status were assessed in the shelter, and teacher reports of academic functioning were obtained when the children began kindergarten or 1st grade. As hypothesized, parenting quality was associated with children's academic success, and this effect was mediated by executive function skills in the child. Parenting quality also had a moderating effect on risk, consistent …

The Nature Of Benefit Finding In Parents Of A Child With Asperger Syndrome, Christina Samios, Kenneth Pakenham, Kate Soffronoff

Christina Samios

The present study examined the nature of benefit finding in 220 parents of a child with Asperger syndrome (AS) by developing and validating a multi-item Benefit Finding Scale for Parents of Children with AS (BFS-PCAS) and examining the relationships of benefit finding dimensions with positive and negative indicators of adjustment. Parents of children with AS completed questionnaires at Time 1 and 12 months later (Time 2). Exploratory factor analyses identified six benefit finding factors that were moderately inter-correlated: New Possibilities, Growth in Character, Appreciation, Spiritual Growth, Positive Effects of the Child, and Greater Understanding. Cross-sectional analyses showed that benefit finding …

Taming Toddlers, Peta Stapleton, Terri Sheldon

Peta B. Stapleton

No abstract provided.

Taming Toddlers, Peta Stapleton, Terri Sheldon

Peta B. Stapleton

No abstract provided.

Homeownership And Parenting Practices: Evidence From The Community Advantage Panel, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Trina R.W. Shanks, Kim R. Manturuk, Clinton C. Key, Jong-Gyu Paik, Johanna K.P. Greeson

Johanna K.P. Greeson, PhD, MSS, MLSP

This study examines whether there is a significant relationship between homeownership and engaged parenting practices among low- and moderate-income households. Using analytic methods which account for selection effects and clustering, we test whether homeownership can act as a protective factor against parental disengagement from children. Controlling for individual characteristics, analyses demonstrate that homeowners are more likely than renters to demonstrate engaged parenting behaviors such as organizing structured activities for their children. While renters are more likely to read to their children, the children of homeowners spend less time watching television and playing video games. Implications for low-income housing policy are …

Examining The Meaning Attached To Mental Illness And Mental Health Services Among Juvenile Justice Involved Youth And Their Parents, Amy C. Watson Phd, Brian L. Kelly Phd, Theresea M. Vidalon Msw

Brian L.Kelly

Languages Of Love, Peta Stapleton, Terri Sheldon

Peta B. Stapleton

No abstract provided.

The Nature Of Sense Making In Parenting A Child With Asperger Syndrome, Christina Samios, K Pakenham, K Sofronoff

Christina Samios

The present study examined the nature of sense making in 218 parents who have a child with Asperger syndrome (AS) by developing and validating a multi-item sense making scale for parents of children with AS (SMS-PCAS) and examined the relationships between sense making dimensions and both positive and negative adjustment outcomes. Two hundred and eighteen parents of children with AS completed questionnaires at Time 1 and 12 months later (Time 2). Exploratory factor analyses identified six sense making factors: spiritual perspective, causal attributions, changed perspective, identification, reframing, and luck/fate. All of the factors were psychometrically sound. Cross-sectional regression analyses indicated …

Television Violence Prevention Versus Juvenile Violence Prevention, Sharlette A. Kellum Ph.D.

Dr. Sharlette A. Kellum-Gilbert

Animated features, like children's cartoons, are considered by some to be the most violent shows on television, with approximately 25 to 50 acts of violence per hour (Dietz and Strasburger, 1991). Cartoons, unlike other shows that portray violence, present instances of violence to children in an "acceptable" way, which teaches children from zero to 17 years of age that hurting people is tolerable. Television violence has been linked to juvenile aggression, which has been linked to juvenile violence. In researching several studies, the author found that many of the preventions mentioned in the television violence studies were also mentioned in …

Resilient Parenting: Overcoming Poor Parental Bonding, W. Travis, Terri Combs-Orme

Terri Combs-Orme

This study identified groups of mothers with varying patterns of adaptive functioning and bonds with their own parents. These patterns were related to mothers' parenting of their own children to understand how some mothers avoid repeating the cycle of poor parenting. Data from 210 new mothers were analyzed before hospital discharge about bonding with their caregivers during childhood and six to 12 months later about adaptive functioning, life circumstances, and parenting. Latent cluster analysis identified four distinct groups of mothers with regard to parental bonds and adaptive functioning: positive-adaptive mothers (good bonding and good adaptive functioning), positive-maladaptive mothers (good bonding …

New Mothers’ Psychological Experience And Behavioral Interactions With Their Infants In The First 12 Months, Timothy Page, Terri Combs-Orme, Daphne S. Cain

Terri Combs-Orme

We examined the psychological dimensions of parents’ perceptions of their infant children and their own abilities as parents at two observation points in a racially and socio-economically diverse sample of 174 mothers. Parenting perceptions and life circumstances were hypothesized to predict interactive behavior observed in the home. Baseline assessments were conducted in hospital, within 36 hr of delivery. Follow-up assessments were conducted in their homes when the children were 6 to 12 months old. Of five major psychological constructs studied, only parents’ perceptions of children, represented particularly by empathic responsiveness and absence of role-reversal, predicted the quality of behavioral interactions …

Behavioral Outcomes Of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy And Triple P – Positive Parenting Program: A Review And Meta-Analysis, Rae Thomas, Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck

Rae Thomas

We conducted a review and meta-analyses of 24 studies to evaluate and compare the outcomes of two widely disseminated parenting interventions—Parent-Child Interaction Therapy and Triple P-Positive Parenting Program. Participants in all studies were caregivers and 3- to 12-year-old children. In general, our analyses revealed positive effects of both interventions, but effects varied depending on intervention length, components, and source of outcome data. Both interventions reduced parent-reported child behavior and parenting problems. The effect sizes for PCIT were large when outcomes of child and parent behaviors were assessed with parent-report, with the exclusion of Abbreviated PCIT, which had moderate effect sizes. …

Mummy Do I Look Fat In This?, Peta Stapleton, Terri Sheldon

Peta B. Stapleton

No abstract provided.