Harsh Parenting and Black Boys' Behavior Problems: Single Mothers' Parenting Stress and Nonresident Fathers' Involvement

Abstract

Objective To test a model linking economic hardship, parenting stress, and nonresident fathers' involvement in single mothers' family life during Black boys' early childhood (3–5 years of age) to harsh parenting and behavior problems in middle childhood (9 years of age). Background Parenting stress among single mothers heading low‐income Black families is poorly understood. Most of the research on the effects of stress in the parenting role and outcomes for mothers and children has focused on middle‐class White samples. Boys are of primary interest in this article because of evidence, based largely on studies of economically disadvantaged, two‐parent, White families, that boys may be more negatively affected than girls by aspects of family conflict that include harsh and coercive parenting. Method Using data from a subsample of unmarried Black mothers and nonresident biological fathers with a 3‐year‐old son (n = 748) from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a nationally representative data set, and survey interviews with mothers when the children were 3, 5, and 9 years of age, we examined relationships between and among mothers' economic hardship, depressive symptoms, parenting stress, father involvement, harsh parenting, and child behavior problems when the children were 3, 5, and 9 years of age. Latent variable structural equation modeling and effect decomposition were estimated. Results Economic hardship was linked indirectly to harsh parenting through mothers' depressive symptoms and parenting stress, both of which were related directly to increased harsh parenting. Fathers' involvement was associated directly with mothers' reduced economic hardship and reduced parenting stress when children were 3 to 5 years of age, and reduced levels of harsh parenting at 9 years of age. Harsh parenting during middle childhood, in turn, was associated directly and positively with boy's behavior problems at 9 years of age. Conclusion Nonresident Black fathers' sustained involvement may buffer adverse consequences of stressful conditions on single mothers' parenting. This is important because studies have found that children growing up in households without the involvement of both biological parents are at greater risk for negative developmental and well‐being outcomes than their counterparts who grow up in households in which both biological parents are involved. Implications The most important scientific and policy implications of our results are that intervention approaches that focus on honing relationship and coparenting skills between unmarried nonresident, Black, biological fathers and the mothers of their children early on should be a high priority. Studies have found that although these couples are typically optimistic about their future together early in the relationship, most are no longer in a romantic relationship by the time the child is 5 years old.

The longitudinal links between parenting stress, harsh parenting, and adolescents’ social behaviors in Latinx families.

“…The present study examined the associations between parenting stress during toddlerhood and Latinx adolescents’ prosocial and aggressive behaviors approximately 14 years later, as well as whether maternal harsh parenting mediated those associations. Despite evidence for direct associations between parenting stress and aggression (Jackson et al, 2019) and prosocial behaviors (Ward & Lee, 2020), the direct associations may not capture the nuanced manner in which parenting stress affects youth. Based on past literature and the Family Stress model, we hypothesized that parenting stress may spill over into the mother–child relationship and increase harsh parenting practices (Choi & Becher, 2019).…”

“…There is evidence among diverse samples that parenting stress is positively associated with adolescents’ aggressive behaviors both concurrently and over time (Jackson et al, 2019; Krahé et al, 2015; see Morgan et al, 2005). However, longitudinal research on parenting stress in Latinx families is relatively limited.…”

Wrestling with Role Strain in a Pandemic: Family, ‘Stay-at-Home’ Directive, and the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…While some studies argue that holding multiple roles enhance the person's autonomy, any beneficial effect of multiple role obligations depends on the number, importance and time demands of those roles (Chen et al, 2019:121). In a multiple role situation-for example, the situation of working mothers-role performance and mental well-being are very likely to be impaired if the person cannot separate those roles in time and/or space (e.g., Chen et al, 2019;Jackson et al, 2019;Maeda et al, 2019;Mastrotheodoros et al, 2019). Scheduling tasks and activities is another time-tested form of role compartmentalization beneficial for both parents and children (e.g., Bird and Bird, 1986;Yoon, Newkirk and Perry-Jenkins, 2015) with the proviso of cooperation: the benefits of role compartmentalization increase in tandem with the level of cooperation between the spouses (Lois, 2006) and among all other family members involved.…”

Hope and Self-Compassion to Alleviate Parenting Stress in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Consistently, research has shown that parenting stress is related to a host of undesirable outcomes, both for the parent and the child ( Morris et al, 2017 ). For example, higher parenting stress was found to predict more harsh and hostile parenting ( Chung et al, 2020 ; Jackson et al., 2019 ). Consequently, greater reports of hostile parenting and punitive punishments were found to correlate with increased levels of externalizing behaviors among children ( Bradley & Corwyn, 2007 ).…”