NCJ Number
223181
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect: The International Journal Volume: 32 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2008 Pages: 463-475
Date Published
April 2008
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This study examined relational predictors of dysfunctional parenting among a sample of African-American and Latino adolescent couples.
Abstract
As expected, results indicated that the occurrence of physical aggression between expectant parents predicted higher rates of physically punitive behavior among young fathers, contributing support to the hypothesis that violence begets violence. Results also indicated that low levels of observed warmth during the couples’ conflict resolution task predicted higher rates of physically punitive behavior among both young mothers and fathers. The results provide a strong argument for the development of couples-based communication-focused programs for pregnant teens and their partners. It may be especially useful to deliver such services during the prenatal period before fathers begin to disengage and before the chaos that often accompanies the transition to parenthood begins. The goal of this study was to identify links between observed conflict interactions and risk for child abuse and harsh parenting among a multiethnic, specifically African-American and Latino, sample of adolescent mothers (14-19 years) and young fathers (14-24 years). The results underscore the importance of addressing the quality of couples’ relations as means of preventing dysfunctional parenting practices among adolescent mothers and their partners. Tables, references