Maternal chronological age, prenatal and perinatal history, social support, and parenting of infants

The role of maternal chronological age in prenatal and perinatal history, social support, and parenting practices of new mothers (N=335) was examined. Primiparas of 5-month-old infants ranged in age from 13 to 42 years. Age effects were zero, linear, and nonlinear. Nonlinear age effects were significantly associated up to a certain age with little or no association afterward; by spline regression, estimated points at which the slope of the regression line changed were 25 years for prenatal and perinatal history, 31 years for social supports, and 27 years for parenting practices. Given the expanding age range of first-time parents, these findings underscore the importance of incorporating maternal age as a factor in studies of parenting and child development.     

Influence of negative childhood experiences on psychological functioning, social support, and parenting for mothers recovering from addiction.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted with mothers recovering from drug and alcohol addiction and had three aims: first, to understand the range of negative childhood events these mothers experienced; second, to understand their current level of distress and their parenting experiences; and third, to examine the relationships between negative childhood events and parenting experiences. METHOD: Forty-six mothers participated in a cross-sectional exploratory study and completed a range of self-report measures, including the Child Abuse & Trauma Scale, Social Support Inventory, CES-D, Parenting Stress Index, and the Parenting Scale. RESULTS: When compared to norming samples these mothers reported significantly higher levels of aversive childhood experiences, psychological distress, parenting stress and use of problematic parenting behaviors along with lower levels of social support. Higher levels of neglect and growing up in a negative home environment were significantly correlated with lower levels of social support from the family, higher levels of distress and parenting stress, and greater use of problematic parenting behaviors. CONCLUSION: For this sample there is a greater incidence of aversive childhood experiences and greater problems with maternal functioning. Mothers recovering from addiction have an additional need for clinical attention towards issues of recovery from childhood abuse and responding to parenting difficulties with their own children.     

Perceptions of parenting versus parent-child interactions among incest survivors

OBJECTIVES: Although women with histories of child sexual abuse (CSA) perceive themselves as less competent mothers and report greater parenting difficulties than nonabused women, few investigators have actually observed the parenting behaviors of CSA survivors. The primary aim of this study was to examine whether incest history was related to maternal perceptions of parenting efficacy and interactional patterns with their children. The secondary aim of this study was to explore the constructs of internal working models of relationships and maternal psychological adjustment as potential mediators of the relation between incest history and parenting. METHODS: A community sample of 17 incest survivors, 18 nonabused women and their 3-6 year-old children participated. Mothers completed self-report measures of parenting efficacy, parental bonding (i.e., internal working models of relationships), and psychological adjustment. In addition, mothers interacted with their children in a problem-solving task. RESULTS: Although incest survivors reported less parenting self-efficacy than did nonabused mothers, their interactional styles with their children were positive overall and comparable to those of nonabused mothers. Specifically, survivors displayed moderate to high levels of support, assistance, and confidence, and their children showed high levels of affection towards their mothers. Incest survivors reported less bonding with their own mothers in childhood and poorer current psychological adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that incest survivors' perceptions of their parenting abilities may be more negative than their actual parenting behaviors.     

Social support and parenting in poor,dangerous neighborhoods

This study investigated how stressful environmental conditions influence the relation between mothers' social support and parenting strategies, utilizing interview data from a sample of 262 poor, African American single mothers and their seventh- and eighth-grade children, as well as objective data about respondents' neighborhoods. In general, the results indicated that neighborhood conditions moderate the relation between social support and parenting behaviors. Specifically, as neighborhood conditions worsened, the positive relation between emotional support and mothers' nurturant parenting was weakened. In a similar fashion, the negative relation between instrumental social support and punishment was stronger in better neighborhoods. As the surrounding environments became poorer and more dangerous, the relation between greater instrumental support and a lower reliance on punishment was weakened. Thus, on the whole, hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the positive influences of social support on parenting behavior were strained and attenuated in poorer, high-crime environments.     

The social ecology and early parenting of Caucasian adolescent mothers

Social characteristics, maternal behaviors, and the home environments of Caucasian adolescent and nonadolescent mothers were investigated in a sample of 50 primiparous low- and middle-class women and their 4-month-old infants. The mothers were interviewed about their child-care network and about stressful life events that may have occurred since the infant's birth. The HOME inventory was completed and videotapes of 2 hours of home observations were coded to assess maternal proximity, verbalizations, activity, and physical contact with the infant. Interview data indicated that adolescent mothers relied more frequently on other teenagers and other network members for help in child care than nonadolescent mothers. In addition, they also received more frequent support from their mothers and less frequent help from their partner's and partner's mother and siblings than nonadolescent mothers. During the home visit, they were less verbal with their infants and scored significantly lower on the Responsiveness and Maternal Involvement subscales as well as on the total HOME inventory; these results were replicated on subgroups matched for socioeconomic status, emphasizing the unique social context and parenting practices of teenage mothers.     

Childhood social anxiety and social support-seeking: distinctive links with perceived support from teachers

Social support-seeking is recognised as an important strategy used by children to cope with negative emotions. However, there are important gaps in our knowledge about children’s perceptions of different sources of social support, and the associations that these perceptions have with individual differences in socio-emotional functioning. The present study focused on elucidating the links between social support-seeking and social anxiety in children, with particular attention to support from teachers. One hundred and eight 11- to 12-year-olds completed measures of social anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as a questionnaire measuring social support-seeking processes for coping with a generic friendship problem. Preliminary analyses showed that teachers were less likely to be approached for social support than parents and peers, and were viewed as least available and least effective. However, social anxiety—independently of depressive symptoms and gender—was positively associated with a greater self-reported likelihood of approaching teachers for support. Moreover, this effect was partially mediated by the perceived effectiveness of emotion-focused support from teachers. These results point to theoretical and practical implications regarding the salience of social support in school for children with higher levels of social anxiety.     

Perceptions of control over social outcomes and student behavior

Locus of control and classroom behavior data were gathered from 223 randomly selected students in 75 senior high and junior high school classrooms. The major purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between LOC orientation regarding social outcomes and two types of classroom behavior: considerate vs. hostile, and task-oriented vs. distractible. Results showed moderate positive correlation between internality and both Considerate and Task-Oriented behavior. The strongest relationship observed was that between perceptions about the teacher's control over negative outcomes and the students' behavior. Differences in relations were observed for males and females.     

Conceptualizing identity,learning and social justice in community-based learning

This paper explores the process of learning to become a social justice teacher, drawing in particular on Bakhtin’s notions of dialogue in order to theorize pre-service teachers’ identity negotiations. Interpretations of learning and identity are based on the content of pre-service teachers’ narratives about community-based learning. Supported by theoretically-sensitive ways of conceptualizing identity and social justice, the author develops an understanding of the ways pre-service teachers shape their identities through participating in community events. Implications for teacher education, in terms of the design and pedagogic practices, are presented with the intent of enabling the realization of social justice teacher education.     

The development and recovery of social capital through community-based adult learning

This paper explores the connection between participation in community-based adult learning (CBAL) and the development of social capital. It is based on a life-history study of participation in community-based adult learning opportunities undertaken in two local authority areas in Scotland. A life-history approach was chosen in order to ensure that the learners' perspectives were at the heart of the research while taking account of the context in which learning took place. Two semi-structured life history interviews were carried out with each of 10 learners and data were analysed in three stages, which led to the identification of cross-cutting themes. The paper explores the learners' experiences of participating in CBAL as described by them. It confirms for CBAL what has been established previously for other types of adult learning, namely that participation can support the development of social capital for some learners. Furthermore, it is argued that other learners were able to recover decreased or lost social capital through their participation. The paper contributes to an understanding of community-based adult learning as part of the continuum of lifelong learning opportunities, as it illustrates the potential of CBAL not only to support the development of social capital, but also to help learners recover capital that might have decreased through their life circumstances.     

Education,parenting and family: The social geographies of family learning

This paper explores the relationship between education, parenting and family through the prism and particularities of family learning. Family learning is an example of an educational initiative, primarily aimed at parents and linked to wider policy concerns, which can be explored through a mapping of its social geographies; family learning is played out across and productive of different sites, spaces and identities. Based on qualitative research undertaken in West London, this paper draws on individual and group interviews with mothers participating in family learning classes and interviews with family learning providers. The key argument we extend is that focusing on the social geographies of family learning ‐ of home, school, work, community and nation ‐ allows us to see how educational initiatives extend the state's reach in family life, producing particular normative versions of family and ‘good’ parenting operating at a range of interconnecting scales. Education remains a cornerstone of family policy in the UK and detailed analyses of specific initiatives at the point of implementation – how they are practiced and received – is vital for better understanding their diverse and varied effects in contemporary society.     

The role of parenting self-efficacy in children? social and academic behavior

A latent variable structural model was constructed to test the relations among mothers’ and fathers’ parenting self-efficacy (PSE), their loneliness, and their child’s peer-evaluated social competence, self-evaluated loneliness, teacher-evaluated motivational orientation, and academic skills. In order to do this, first the Self-Efficacy for Parenting Tasks Index (Coleman & Karraker, 2000) was applied to a sample of mothers (n=876) and fathers (n=696) to test the relevance of these parenting task categories to Finnish mothers and fathers. The results of the latent variable structural model indicated a strong relationship between both mothers’ and fathers’ loneliness and their PSE, consisting of Nurturance, Discipline, Recreation, and Participation factors. Moreover, there was a modest relationship between parents’ PSE and their child’s social competence and consequently between social competence and child’s loneliness. The relationship between PSE and child’s academic achievement were mediated via child’s social competence.     

Perceptions of peer-led learning among older adults in a community-based aquatic exercise program

While aquatic exercises have been considered one of the most appropriate learning activities for older adult learners because they are safe and beneficial for health, limited evidence exists regarding how older adult learners perceive their learning environment and different learning strategies. Thus, our research explored older adults’ perceptions of peer-led aquatics classes. We interviewed 19 individuals who participated in aquatics exercise courses in a community recreation center in order to answer the following research questions: (a) How do older adults perceive a peer-led aquatics class? (b) How do older adult learners describe their interaction with their instructor and other learners in their learning environment? Using constant comparative analysis, we identified the participants’ perceptions of peer-led learning with regard to their perceived relationships in class, optimistic views on the peer-led learning concept, mixed and neutral attitudes, and professionalism of teaching. From our findings, we discussed empathic relationships, mixed perspectives derived from learners’ physical condition and personal value, and a lack of peer instructor training programs, especially in a senior fitness field. Findings have implications for senior fitness instructors and educators of older adults.     

Adolescents' ratings of perceived social support and its importance: Validation of the student social support scale

This study investigated the measurement of social support for adolescents using the Student Social Support Scale(SSSS). A sample of 198 students in grades 7 through 12 completed the SSSS and either the Student Self‐Concept Scaleor the Social Skills Rating System. The results provided evidence that the SSSS is a four‐factor scale (Parent, Teacher, Classmate, and Close Friend). Analyses also indicated that: (a) the SSSS is highly reliable and moderately stable; (b) social support differed by developmental/age groups and by sex; and (c) relationships exist among social support, self‐concept, and social behavior. It was concluded that the SSSS is a promising measure of students' perceived social support for use in both research and practice with children and adolescents. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Measuring perceived social support: Development of the child and adolescent social support scale (CASSS)

The measurement of students' social support has become a popular topic in education and psychology, yet measurement tools in this area are limited. In this study, we use a large, representative sample to conduct confirmatory factor, reliability, and correlational analyses of scores on the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (CASSS; Malecki, Demaray, Elliott, & Nolten, 1999). These analyses revealed evidence of reliability, a four‐factor structure (Parent, Teacher, Classmate, and Close Friend subscales), and construct validity. The results of this study indicate that the CASSS covaries as predicted with the clinically important constructs of self‐concept, social skills, and behavioral indicators. There is evidence that the CASSS can be used to understand children and adolescents' perceived social support. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Parents with intellectual disabilities seeking professional parenting support: The role of working alliance,stress and informal support

Delaying or refraining from seeking advice and support in difficult parenting situations is identified as an important risk factor for child abuse and neglect. This study tested whether the extent of delays in support seeking is associated with working alliance for parents with mild intellectual disabilities (MID) and whether the importance of working alliance may depend on parenting stress and availability of informal support. Delays in support seeking were measured as parental latency (time waited) to approach the support worker. This latency was assessed in the intended response to hypothetical situations (vignettes) and in the reported behavioral response to real life difficult parenting situations from the preceding weeks. Multiple regression analyses were conducted for testing main and interaction effects of predictors on latency for support seeking. Better quality of the working alliance was associated with shorter intended latency to seek support for parents with MID, if parents had little access to informal support. Higher parenting stress predicted a shorter latency for intended support seeking. Parental support seeking intentions were positively associated with support seeking behavior. A good quality of the working alliance might be important to connect needs of parents with MID to resources that professional support can offer, in particular for the most vulnerable parents. Parental reluctance to seek professional support may be the result of a combination of risk and protective factors and is not always a sign of poor working alliance. Implications for risk assessment and support practice are discussed.     

Perceptions of child protective services among pregnant or recently pregnant,opioid-using women in substance abuse treatment

Pregnant, opioid-using women represent a challenge to healthcare providers attempting to engage them in prenatal and substance abuse services. Limited, primarily international research suggests that child welfare clients have mixed feelings about Child Protective Services (CPS) and that fear of CPS may present a barrier to care. Understanding how pregnant opioid-using women in substance abuse treatment perceive CPS may be useful in encouraging substance abuse treatment initiation. Participants were currently or recently (within past 12 months) pregnant women with current or recent (within past 12 months) abuse/dependence of pharmaceutical opioids at a drug treatment facility. Participants were recruited by treatment staff to participate in a comprehensive study across multiple domains. Data for this analysis were collected using semi-structured qualitative interviews. Transcribed data were thematically analyzed using in vivo and interpretive coding by three coders for purposes of inter-rater reliability. Following 2, two-hour meetings, consensus was reached on primary themes and sub-themes. Two major themes and several sub-themes were identified: 1) Participants’ feelings and attitudes about CPS (positive and negative); 2) Interaction-based perceptions of CPS’ function and performance. Participants’ feelings toward CPS were often conditioned by their experiences with individual caseworkers. While many pregnant, opioid-using women identify legitimate, and even useful features of CPS, fear of CPS can be a barrier to care. Making substance abuse treatment accessible to this population requires recognition of their complex feelings toward CPS, and coordination among CPS case workers and substance abuse treatment providers.     

Developmental pathways to integrated social skills: the roles of parenting and early intervention

Dynamic skill theory was utilized to explain the multiple mechanisms and mediating processes influencing development of self-regulatory and language skills in children at 14, 24, and 36 months of age. Relations were found between family risks, parenting-related stresses, and parent-child interactions that contribute either independently or through mediation to the child's acquisition of self-regulatory skills even when accounting for the influence of language development. Variation in impacts between control and Early Head Start (EHS) intervention samples was compared to explore the sequence of developmental mechanisms over time. Findings indicate that EHS protects parenting, child language, and self-regulatory development from the effects of demographic risks and parenting stress, and thus supports parents to raise healthy children.