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Bidirectional Relations between Parenting Practices and Child Externalizing Behavior: A Cross-Lagged Panel Analysis in the Context of a Psychosocial Treatment and 3-Year Follow-up

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Abstract

In the current study, we examined longitudinal changes in, and bidirectional effects between, parenting practices and child behavior problems in the context of a psychosocial treatment and 3-year follow-up period. The sample comprised 139 parent–child dyads (child ages 6–11) who participated in a modular treatment protocol for early-onset ODD or CD. Parenting practices and child behavior problems were assessed at six time-points using multiple measures and multiple reporters. The data were analyzed using cross-lagged panel analyses. Results indicated robust temporal stabilities of parenting practices and child behavior problems, in the context of treatment-related improvements, but bidirectional effects between parenting practices and child behavior were less frequently detected. Our findings suggest that bidirectional effects are relatively smaller than the temporal stability of each construct for school-age children with ODD/CD and their parents, following a multi-modal clinical intervention that is directed at both parents and children. Implications for treatment and intervention are discussed.

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Notes

  1. Sample size prevented analyses with child sex as a covariate or moderator. However, exploratory cross-lagged analyses with the subsample of males (n = 118) were very similar in terms of longitudinal stability and cross-domain paths. Details of these analyses are available from the authors.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a grant to the third author from the National Institute of Mental Health (MH57727). The authors acknowledge the research and clinical staff of the Resources to Enhance the Adjustment of Children (REACH) program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

    Anne Shaffer

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Oliver Lindhiem & David J. Kolko

  3. Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA

    Christopher J. Trentacosta

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  1. Anne Shaffer
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  2. Oliver Lindhiem
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  3. David J. Kolko
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  4. Christopher J. Trentacosta
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Correspondence to Anne Shaffer.

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Shaffer, A., Lindhiem, O., Kolko, D.J. et al. Bidirectional Relations between Parenting Practices and Child Externalizing Behavior: A Cross-Lagged Panel Analysis in the Context of a Psychosocial Treatment and 3-Year Follow-up. J Abnorm Child Psychol 41, 199–210 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-012-9670-3

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