Parenting in the Context of the Child: Genetic and Social Processes

The focus on the role of parenting in child development has a long-standing history. When measures of parenting precede changes in child development, researchers typically infer a causal role of parenting practices and attitudes on child development. However, this research is usually conducted with parents raising their own biological offspring. Such research designs cannot account for the effects of genes that are common to parents and children, nor for genetically influenced traits in children that influence how they are parented and how parenting affects them. The aim of this monograph is to provide a clearer view of parenting by synthesizing findings from the Early Growth and Development Study (EGDS). EGDS is a longitudinal study of adopted children, their birth parents, and their rearing parents studied across infancy and childhood. Families (N = 561) were recruited in the United States through adoption agencies between 2000 and 2010. Data collection began when adoptees were 9 months old (males = 57.2%; White 54.5%, Black 13.2%, Hispanic/Latinx 13.4%, Multiracial 17.8%, other 1.1%). The median child age at adoption placement was 2 days (M = 5.58, SD = 11.32). Adoptive parents were predominantly in their 30s, White, and coming from upper-middle- or upper-class backgrounds with high educational attainment (a mode at 4-year college or graduate degree). Most adoptive parents were heterosexual couples, and were married at the beginning of the project. The birth parent sample was more racially and ethnically diverse, but the majority (70%) were White. At the beginning of the study, most birth mothers and fathers were in their 20s, with a mode of educational attainment at high school degree, and few of them were married. We have been following these family members over time, assessing their genetic influences, prenatal environment, rearing environment, and child development. Controlling for effects of genes common to parents and children, we confirmed some previously reported associations between parenting, parent psychopathology, and marital adjustment in relation to child problematic and prosocial behavior. We also observed effects of childrenʼs heritable characteristics, characteristics thought to be transmitted from parent to child by genetic means, on their parents and how those effects contributed to subsequent child development. For example, we found that genetically influenced child impulsivity and social withdrawal both elicited harsh parenting, whereas a genetically influenced sunny disposition elicited parental warmth. We found numerous instances of children's genetically influenced characteristics that enhanced positive parental influences on child development or that protected them from harsh parenting. Integrating our findings, we propose a new, genetically informed process model of parenting. We posit that parents implicitly or explicitly detect genetically influenced liabilities and assets in their children. We also suggest future research into factors such as marital adjustment, that favor parents responding with appropriate protection or enhancement. Our findings illustrate a productive use of genetic information in prevention research: helping parents respond effectively to a profile of child strengths and challenges rather than using genetic information simply to identify some children unresponsive to current preventive interventions.     

Serious child mistreatment in Massachusetts: the course of 206 children through the courts.

Two hundred and six severely abused and/or neglected children brought before the Boston Juvenile Court on care and protection petitions were followed prospectively for 4 years. Two thirds of all parents were found to be poor, 84% had one or more psychiatric disorders, and 81% had been known to the Department of Social Services prior to their court appearance. The average age of children at the start of the court process was 4.2 years, and the average length of temporary foster care was 2.3 years. Judges' decisions to return children to parental custody or to order permanent removal were most strongly predicted by parental compliance with court-order services. Of the 63 cases dismissed from court and thus returned to biological parents, 18 (29%) had substantiated reports of new mistreatment over an approximately 3-year follow-up period. We concluded that children are often poorly served by the current delays in the social service/legal system, and that further clinical research would provide needed empirical data on how best to protect mistreated children.     

Changes in early adolescents' sense of responsibility to their parents in the United States and China: implications for academic functioning

This research examined American and Chinese children's sense of responsibility to their parents during early adolescence, with a focus on its implications for children's academic functioning. Four times over the seventh and eighth grades, 825 children (mean age = 12.73 years) in the United States and China reported on their sense of responsibility to their parents. Information on children's academic functioning was also collected from children as well as school records. Although children's sense of responsibility to their parents declined over the seventh and eighth grades in the United States, this was not the case in China. In both countries, children's sense of responsibility was predictive of enhanced academic functioning among children over time.     

American and Chinese Early Adolescents' Inclusion of Their Relationships With Their Parents in Their Self-Construals

This research examined children's interdependent self-construals as manifest in their seeing their relationships with their parents as self-defining. Four times over early adolescence, 825 children (mean age = 12.73 years) in the United States and China reported on their inclusion of their relationships with their parents in their self-construals as well as other dimensions of their psychological functioning. Although there was continuity in children's inclusion of their relationships with their parents in their self-construals, American, but not Chinese, children decreased their inclusion over time. In both the United States and China, the more children defined themselves in terms of their relationships with their parents, the more their perceptions of the quality of these relationships mattered for their subsequent emotional functioning.     

Students with autism transitioning from primary to secondary schools: parents’ perspectives and experiences

The transition from primary to high school can be a challenging process for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). During this time, research-based practices like home–school collaboration are crucial in facilitating a smoother transition. However, existing research indicates that the transition from primary to high school is a period of anxiety and reduced support for students with ASD and their families. This article describes the experiences of parents of students with ASD in regard to this transition and home–school collaboration. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 15 parents of children with ASD who attended mainstream government high schools in metropolitan Sydney. Through content analysis, parents were found to have received varying levels of transition support. Their experiences of home–school collaboration were, however, generally positive. Overall, it is recommended that parents’ knowledge of their children with ASD should be prioritised and utilised in transition planning. Findings also suggest that a greater implementation of practices including mandated transition planning and home–school collaboration in schools would contribute to more authentic inclusion of students with ASD.     

Community Knowledge,Beliefs, Attitudes,and Practices towards Children with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus in Uganda

This article describes the findings of a qualitative study on knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and practices towards children with spina bifida and hydrocephalus in four regions of Uganda. Focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews were held with parents of children with spina bifida and hydrocephalus, policy-makers, and service providers. Our findings describe how negative knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and practices create barriers to treatment and inclusion of children with spina bifida and hydrocephalus and their parents in Uganda. The findings show how knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and practices evolve over time, are both similar and differ in the various regions, and become more conducive towards accessing treatment and achieving inclusion. Sensitisation and early intervention including parents and service providers in dissemination of knowledge, rehabilitative care to set the trend for positive change and support, as well as longitudinal studies of children with spina bifida and hydrocephalus and their parents are recommended.     

Evaluation of a social contextual model of delinquency: a cross-study replication

The present study empirically examined three theoretical approaches designed to predict risk for delinquency during adolescence: an individual difference perspective, a social interactional model, and a social contextual approach. Hypotheses derived from each perspective were tested using two independent samples of early adolescents followed over a 4-year period. Six-hundred sixty-seven children (in sixth grade at Time 1), and their parents comprised the first sample (Project Family); and 451 children (in seventh grade at Time 1), their parents, and a close-aged sibling made up the second sample (Iowa Youth and Families Project). Results from a series of structural equation models suggested that a social contextual approach provided the best fit with the data across both samples and genders. Consistent with the social contextual approach, results indicated that a lack of nurturant and involved parenting indirectly predicted delinquency by increasing children's earlier antisocial behavior and deviant peer relationships; child antisocial behavior also predicted similar decreases in nurturant parenting over time. Both child antisocial behavior and deviant peer affiliations at Time 2 predicted delinquency 1 year later. Implications for theoretical development and future research priorities are discussed.     

Remission of depression in parents: links to healthy functioning in their children

This study examined whether improvement in parents' depression was linked with changes in their children's depressive symptoms and functioning. Participants were 223 parents and children ranging in age from 7 to 17 years old (M = 12.13, SD =2.31); 126 parents were in treatment for depression and 97 parents were nondepressed. Children were evaluated 6 times over 2 years. Changes in parents' depressive symptoms predicted changes in children's depressive symptoms over and above the effect of time; children's symptoms significantly predicted parents' symptoms. Trajectories of children's depressive symptoms differed significantly for children of remitted versus nonremitted depressed parents, and these differences were significantly predicted by their parents' level of depression. The relation between parents' and children's depressive symptoms was partially mediated by parental acceptance.     

Are Gains in Decision‐Making Autonomy During Early Adolescence Beneficial for Emotional Functioning? The Case of the United States and China

This research examined the role of children’s decision‐making autonomy in their emotional functioning during early adolescence in the United States and China. Four times over the 7th and 8th grades, 825 American and Chinese children (M = 12.73 years) reported on the extent to which they versus their parents make decisions about issues children often deem as under their authority. Children also reported on their emotional functioning. American children made greater gains over time in decision‐making autonomy than did Chinese children. Initial decision‐making autonomy predicted enhanced emotional functioning similarly among American and Chinese children. However, gains over time in decision‐making autonomy predicted enhanced emotional functioning more in the United States (vs. China) where such gains were normative.     

The struggle for language: perspectives and practices of urban parents with children who are deaf or hard of hearing

Research is scarce on young children with hearing impairments growing up in urban environments. A qualitative study was used to explore and describe the perspectives and practices of these children's parents. An ethnographic approach enabled documentation of parents' routines, daily activities, thoughts (perceptions), and behaviors (practices). In-depth interviews and observations were the primary data sources. Data collection occurred within a 6-month period. Research questions focused on efforts parents make independently and with others (e.g., educational staff, family members) to facilitate and support their child's efforts to communicate and acquire language. Nine parents, two grandparents, and six staff members disclosed their perspectives and practices. While similarities and differences arose, universal perspectives and practices emerged among the parents that are discussed as prevailing themes. Results suggest that the parents' struggle, systemic barriers, and the urban environment are the greatest challenges facing families. Addressing these challenges will contribute to establishment of truly equitable and effective interventions for urban children, whether deaf or hard of hearing, their parents, and other family members.     

Statistical Techniques Employed in AERJ and JCP Articles from 1988 to 1997: A Methodological Review

The authors of the present methodological review investigated the patterns of statistical usage and reporting practices in 756 articles published in the American Educational Research Journal (AERJ) and in the Journal of Counseling Psychology (JCP) over a 10-year period. First, some findings from other similar reviews are summarized. Second, the authors present a framework for characterizing selected research practices that emphasizes, in part, elements of the recent report of the American Psychological Association (APA) Task Force on Statistical Inference (Wilkinson & APA Task Force on Statistical Inference, 1999). Third, characterizations of 10 years of analytic practices in 2 journals are presented and evaluated within that framework. The article concludes with a discussion of the changes that may be necessary to improve the statistical state of affairs in behavioral research.     

Young people and alternative provision: Perspectives from participatory–collaborative evaluations in three UK local authorities

This article reports the findings of four separately commissioned evaluations of alternative provision (AP) undertaken in three local authorities in the UK. The evaluations were specifically predicated on the principles of children's rights and used a combination of qualitative research methods and documentary analysis to elicit the experiences of young people in conjunction with the viewpoints of key stakeholders. Data from each evaluation was gathered over a total period of 6 years. The sites and time scales for each evaluation varied from 6-month authority-wide strategic reviews to a 3-year evaluation of an AP free school and an evaluation of pupil referrals in a large school partnership. The evaluations involved 200 participant children and young people, 30 managers and stakeholders, 8 parents of non-attending pupils and local authority officers and school governors. The evaluations report the complexity of needs amongst children and young people; the continuing problem of unsuccessful transitions between key phases/stages of education and the profound consequences of this for young people; assumptions around mainstream reintegration and managed moves; and the curriculum challenges of vocationalism and academic emphasis. While the research data confirms the positive value of multi-agency approaches in AP, it also shows a more recent troubling increase in the number of young people now being referred to AP as a consequence of their exposure to performative school cultures.     

美国“父母即教师”项目(PAT)的发展及效果评估

20世纪以来,美国社会的急剧变化使家庭系统面临巨大的压力并引发一系列社会问题,致使美国开始开展增加家庭教育的知识与技能、预防和减少家庭危机的系列研究与实践。以美国密苏里州为代表的"父母即教师"项目(ParentsAsTeachersProgram,PAT),关注孩子在校园的表现与家长参与的互动关系,通过丰富的项目研究实践来提高家长的教育水平,有力地促进了家长有效参与到孩子的发展中去。美国各州普遍实践的"父母即教师"项目的评估表明,参加该项目的父母在育儿技巧、参与的程度与质量方面有显著提升;孩子在认知与入学适应能力等方面也有明显提高。该项目尤其是对贫穷家庭的孩子和非白人家庭的孩子影响更大。     

Me,my child and Covid-19: Parents' reflections on their child's experiences of lockdown in the UK and China

Over the past 2 years, the world has been living through the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic. Children have had to adapt to online classrooms and lessons of some sort, and many parents have been forced to work from home while supervising their child's home learning activities. We used participatory visual methods to understand how children and their parents have coped during this time, engaging parents as co-researchers to ask their child to photograph and/or draw pictures that represent their daily lived experiences over the lockdown period. We then asked parents to interview their children (24 in total, 13 in the UK and 11 in China), using the children's artwork as prompts, and finally we interviewed parents. Through the data collection process, parents captured their children's experiences and feelings since the coronavirus struck. The data was analysed using Foucault's theory of discourse to provide unique and comparative insights into children's experiences in the UK and China during this exceptional time. Ours is the first study to integrate parents' and children's views of Covid-19, drawing on parents as co-researchers. We argue that combining the data collection methods and drawing on parents as co-researchers enabled parents to gain insights into an understanding of their child's lived experiences throughout the pandemic that might otherwise have been unknown. These insights were often unexpected for parents, and have been grouped around themes of parental relief, anxiety and understanding.     

The Incidence of Delayed School Entry: A Twelve-Year Review

Delaying school entry for a year beyond a child's chronological eligibility for kindergarten is a controversial practice. However, it is unclear from the available literature exactly how common this practice is. The purpose of this study was to examine the incidence of delayed kindergarten entry in a suburban school district over a 12-year period. In this district, school personnel did not make formal recommendations to parents to delay kindergarten entry for their children. A review of the incidence data indicated that, in general, there had been a significant increase in the number of children who had delayed school entry. Furthermore, significantly more males than females had delayed kindergarten entry, and the majority of children who delayed school entry had autumn birthdates, making them the youngest group of children in this study. Implications for school practices are discussed.     

The Incidence of Delayed School Entry: A Twelve-Year Review

Delaying school entry for a year beyond a child's chronological eligibility for kindergarten is a controversial practice. However, it is unclear from the available literature exactly how common this practice is. The purpose of this study was to examine the incidence of delayed kindergarten entry in a suburban school district over a 12-year period. In this district, school personnel did not make formal recommendations to parents to delay kindergarten entry for their children. A review of the incidence data indicated that, in general, there had been a significant increase in the number of children who had delayed school entry. Furthermore, significantly more males than females had delayed kindergarten entry, and the majority of children who delayed school entry had autumn birthdates, making them the youngest group of children in this study. Implications for school practices are discussed.     

Child sexual abuse victims as witnesses: The influence of testifying on their recovery

Victims of child sexual abuse (CSA) are likely to show a wide range of adaptation difficulties. In addition, some children and their families are involved in legal proceedings following the child’s disclosure. However, little is known about the effects of legal involvement on CSA victim’s mental health and recovery. In this longitudinal study, the effects of testifying were examined in a sample of 344 children at initial assessment (67% of girls) receiving services in a Child Advocacy Centre, of which 130 children testified. The participants’ age ranged from 6 to 14 years old (M = 9.42 SD = 2.14). Children and their parents completed a series of measures to evaluate the child’s mental health (e.g. depression, anxiety, PTSD) at four points in time over a 2-year period. Multilevel analysis indicates that all the children showed significant improvement over time but the group who testified more than once shows higher levels of emotional distress 2 years after the initial assessment. This study highlights the importance of documenting the experience of CSA victims in the justice system in order to establish the adequate conditions to support child witnesses.     

Abused children admitted to a pediatric in-patient service in Switzerland: a ten-year experience and follow-up evaluation

In a period of 10 years (1974-1983) 82 children were admitted to our pediatric in-patient service because of child abuse or neglect. In 1984 the records of these children were examined to obtain a follow-up of 34 children who were less than 10 years of age at the time of their admission for non-accidental trauma. Thirty-eight percent of these children were less than 2 years old at the time of abuse, 30% from 2-3 years (68% less than 3 years) and 32% between 3-10 years. The lesions were as described in the literature. There was a greater proportion of children of foreign origin than would be expected from the general population of Geneva. At the time of hospital admission the majority of the parents were legally married and the majority of the children were cared for at home by a parent or relative. The perpetrator in most situations remained unknown; universal denial was the rule and therapeutic treatment of the family difficult to establish. The general policy of the protective services in Geneva is to maintain the abused child with his biological family. Over time, however, there is a tendency for abused children to be either removed from their homes and placed in foster care or to receive stricter supervision within their families. A large proportion of the study children were experiencing school difficulties and attended special classes. A relatively large number had left the country, either with or without their parents. Risk factors recorded in the literature were identified.     

Parents choosing to combine special and inclusive early years settings: the best of both worlds?

This paper focuses on parents' perspectives of combining special and mainstream services for their children in the early years, offering insights into: how parents came to make this choice for their children's education; what parents expected from the combined provision and how their expectations were being met in practice. The data presented formed part of a small‐scale, UK‐based study that investigated local discourses and practices operating for young children within a global context of commitment to inclusion. Despite moves towards inclusive early years education in the UK, many parents of young children identified as having special educational needs opt for a combination of both inclusive and special early years settings. A survey sent to early years providers, voluntary groups and parents in three local education authorities (LEAs) in southern England, revealed that the practice of combining placements was widespread. Follow‐up interviews with parents of five children revealed rich detail about the processes of choice making and parents' expectations and experiences of combined provision. The research findings have clear implications for the development of inclusive education and its appeal to parents, who may need convincing that it can offer sufficient specialist expertise and resources.