The Mediated and Moderated Effects of Family Support on Child Maltreatment

Abstract

Previous research has linked parents’ social support to decreased child maltreatment but questions remain surrounding the mechanisms explaining this association. Further, it is unclear whether this association applies to support provided by family alone (and not friends), and whether it is moderated by the presence of neighborhood violence. Based on a sample of parents of children aged 3–15 in Chicago, we find that parents’ family support is associated with a lower risk of child maltreatment. This association is partly mediated by reduced parental depression, but only in neighborhoods with average or high levels of violence. In neighborhoods with low levels of violence, the inverse association between family support and maltreatment is equally strong, but it is not mediated by reduced depression.

Community Adversity and Children’s Mental Health: Moderating Effects of Caregiver Service Utilization and Race on Children’s Internalizing and Externalizing Problems

“…The direct effects reported in this study support empirical findings in the literature: place of residence, level of neighborhood disorder, and amount of social capital contributes to a child's socioemotional development (e.g., Casciano and Massey 2012;Martin et al 2012). This consistent finding may directly influence current policy and practice in the fields of child welfare and social work.…”

“…The ability to effectively parent can act as a buffer between his or her child and the damaging effects of a violent and unsafe place of residence (Brunette and Dean 2002;Gewirtz et al 2009;Mitchell et al 2010;Weinreb et al 2006). Conversely, caregiver mental health or substance abuse problems can mediate or moderate the association of the pathways between contextual factors and child mental health and exposure to maltreatment (Li et al 2011;Manly et al 2013;Martin et al 2012).…”

Developmental Relations Between Alcohol and Aggressive Behavior Among Adolescents: Neighborhood and Sociodemographic Correlates

“…Approximately 6000 participants in seven age cohort groups (ages 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 at Wave 1), along with their primary caregivers, were randomly sampled from the block groups (Earls et al 2007) and were surveyed over three waves of data collection [1994–1997, 1997–1999, and 2000–2001; (Marz and Stamatel 2005)]. In order to complete the surveys, youth and caregivers were interviewed in their homes at each time point, and both informed consent (caregivers) and assent (children) were obtained prior to each wave of data collection for each participant (Martin, Gardner, and Brooks-Gunn 2012). …”

Impact of Coping Resources on the Well‐Being of Custodial Grandmothers and Grandchildren

“…The parenting literature indicates that how birth parents cope with stressors affects their parenting behavior (McKelvey et al, 2002). For example, social support appears to buffer the effects of parenting stress on discipline, parental warmth, and sensitivity (Martin, Gardner, & Brooks-Gunn, 2012;McKelvey et al, 2002). Active/problem-focused coping has been similarly linked to positive parenting practices (Smith Bynum & Brody, 2005;Tein, Sandler, & Zautra, 2000).…”