Fathering and mothering in the family system: linking marital hostility and aggression in adopted toddlers

Abstract

Background Previous studies have linked marital conflict, parenting, and externalizing problems in early childhood. However, these studies have not examined whether genes account for these links nor have they examined whether contextual factors such as parental personality or financial distress might account for links between marital conflict and parenting. We used an adoption design to allow for a clear examination of environmental impact rather than shared genes of parents and children, and assessments of parental personality and financial strain to assess the effects of context on relationships between marriage and parenting of both mothers and fathers. Method Participants were 308 adoption-linked families comprised of an adopted child, her/his biological mother (BM), adoptive mother (AM) and father (AF). BMs were assessed 3 to 6 and 18 months postpartum and adoptive families were assessed when the child was 18 and 27 months old. Structural equations models were used to examine associations between marital hostility, fathers’ and mothers’ parenting hostility, and child aggressive behavior at 27 months of age. Additionally the contribution of financial strain and adoptive parent personality traits was examined to determine the associations with the spillover of marital hostility to hostile parenting. Results A hostile marital relationship was significantly associated with hostile parenting in fathers and mothers, which were associated with aggressive behavior in toddlers. Subjective financial strain was uniquely associated with marital hostility and child aggression. Antisocial personality traits were related to a more hostile/conflicted marital relationship and to hostile parenting. Conclusions Results clarify mechanisms that may account for the success of early parent-child prevention programs that include a focus on parental economic strain and personality in addition to parent training.

Birth and Adoptive Parent Antisocial Behavior and Parenting: A Study of Evocative Gene–Environment Correlation

“…Similarly, mothers who report past or current antisocial behavior are more likely to behave in a hostile manner toward their infants (Bosquet & Egeland, 2000) and to demonstrate higher levels of harsh discipline toward preschool-aged children (Jaffee, Belsky, Harrington, Caspi, & Moffitt, 2006). Prior research in the current sample also found a link between adoptive parent antisocial personality traits, marital hostility, and hostile parenting during early childhood (Stover et al, 2012). Taken together, these studies provide strong support for the role of parental antisocial behavior in negative parenting during early childhood.…”

Parenting stress and harsh discipline in China: The moderating roles of marital satisfaction and parent gender

“…In contrast, when parents are dissatisfied with their marital relationship, the resulting negative emotion and behavior may transfer to the parent-child interactions (Erel & Burman, 1995). Indeed, numerous previous studies have shown a spillover between marital relationship and parenting (Chang, Lansford, Schwartz, & Farver, 2004;Cui & Conger, 2008;Stover et al, 2012). For example, using data from 158 mothers with elementary-school children in Hong Kong, Chang and colleagues (2004) found that marital quality were significantly and negatively associated with harsh parenting.…”

Marital Hostility, Hostile Parenting, and Child Aggression: Associations From Toddlerhood to School Age

“…Using the current sample, the first assessed relationships among marital conflict, parental harsh discipline, and childhood anger/frustration in a sample of toddlers 11 and found an indirect relationship from marital conflict at child age 9 months to child anger/frustration at 18 months via parental harsh discipline. The second, also using the current sample, examined the spillover of marital to parenting hostility to child aggression for both mothers and fathers when children were 27 months old 12 . Results indicated a significant unique contribution of spillover from marital hostility to parenting hostility to child aggression for both adoptive mothers and adoptive fathers.…”

“…Subjective financial strain has been associated directly with marital hostility and indirectly to poor parenting through marital hostility. 12,20 Parental traits also have been linked to marital and parenting behaviors. Studies have indicated parental antisocial traits in particular contribute to negative marital and parenting behaviors.…”