Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Disciplinary Style and Child Abuse Potential: Association with Indicators of Positive Functioning in Children with Behavior Problems

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Child Psychiatry and Human Development Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Reduction of ineffective parenting is promoted in parent training components of mental health treatment for children with externalizing behavior disorders, but minimal research has considered whether disciplinary style and lower abuse risk could also be associated with positive functioning in such children. The present study examined whether lower dysfunctional disciplinary style and child abuse risk was associated with children’s positive self-concept, adaptive attributional style, and hopefulness. Recruited from children undergoing treatment for disruptive behavior disorders, 69 mother–child dyads participated, with maternal caregivers reporting on their disciplinary style and abuse potential and children reporting independently on their positive functioning (adaptive attributional style, overall self-concept, and hopelessness). Findings supported the hypothesized association, with lower scores on mothers’ dysfunctional discipline style and abuse potential significantly predicting children’s reported positive functioning. Future research directions pertaining to more adaptive functioning in children with behavior problems are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Weisz JR, Weiss B (1993) Effects of psychotherapy with children and adolescents. Sage, Newbury Park, CA

    Google Scholar 

  2. Friedman R, Katz-Leavy J, Manderscheid R, Sondheimer D (1996) Prevalence of serious emotional disturbance in children and adolescents. In: Manderscheid RW, Sonnenschein MA (eds) Mental health, United States, 1996. Center for Mental Health Services, Rockville, MD, pp 71–88

    Google Scholar 

  3. Burns BJ, Costello EJ, Angold A, Tweed D, Stangl D, Farmer EM, Erkanli A (1995) Children’s mental service use across service sectors. Health Affairs 14:147–159

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Popper CW, Steingard RJ (1994) Disorders usually first diagnosed in infancy, childhood, or adolescence. In: Hales RE, Yudofsky SC, Talbott JA (eds) Textbook of psychiatry, 2nd edn. American Psychiatric Press, Washington, DC, pp 729–831

    Google Scholar 

  5. American Psychiatric Association (2000) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 4th edn. (Text Revision). Author, Washington, D.C

  6. Lundahl B, Risser HJ, Lovejoy MC (2006) A meta-analysis of parent-training: moderators and follow-up effects. Clin Psychol Rev 26:86–104

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Markie-Dadds C, Sanders MR (2006) Self-directed Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) for mothers with children at-risk of developing conduct problems. Behav Cognitive Psychother 34:259–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Shaw DS, Dishion TJ, Supplee L, Gardner F, Arnds K (2006) Randomized trial of a family-centered approach to the prevention of early conduct problems: 2-year effects of the family check-up in early childhood. J Consult Clin Psychol 74:1–9

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Frick PJ, Silverthorn P (2001) Psychopathology in children. In: Adams HE, Sutker PB (eds) Comprehensive handbook of psychopathology, 3rd edn. Kluwer/Plenum, New York, pp 881–920

    Google Scholar 

  10. Wootton JM, Frick PJ, Shelton KK, Silverthorn P (1997) Ineffective parenting and childhood conduct problems: the moderating role of callous-unemotional traits. J Consult Clin Psychol 65:301–308

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Arnold DS, O’Leary SG, Wolff LS, Acker MM (1993) The parenting scale: a measure of dysfunctional parenting in discipline situations. Psychol Assessment 5:137–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Thompson A, Hollis C, Richards D (2003) Authoritarian parenting attitudes as a risk for conduct problems: results from a British national cohort study. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 12:84–91

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Snyder J, Cramer A, Afrank J, Patterson GR (2005) The contribution of ineffective discipline and parental hostile attributions of child misbehavior to the development of conduct problems at home and school. Dev Psychol 41:30–41

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Kendziora KT, O’Leary SG (1993) Dysfunctional parenting as a focus for prevention and treatment of child behavior problems. Adv Clin Child Psychol 15:175–206

    Google Scholar 

  15. Herrenkohl RC, Herrenkohl EC, Egolf BP (1983) Circumstances surrounding the occurrence of child maltreatment. J Consult Clin Psychol 51:424–431

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Whipple EE, Richey CA (1997) Crossing the line from physical discipline to child abuse: how much is too much? Child Abuse Negl 5:431–444

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Ammerman R (1991) The role of the child in physical abuse: a reappraisal. Violence Vict 6:87–101

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Blackson TC, Tarter RE, Mezzich AD (1996) Interaction between childhood temperament and parental discipline practices on behavioral adjustment in preadolescent sons of substance abuse and normal fathers. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 22:335–348

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Stoolmiller M (2001) Synergistic interaction of child manageability problems and parent-discipline tactics in predicting future growth in externalizing behavior in boys. Dev Psychol 37:814–825

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Sprang G, Clark JJ, Bass S (2005) Factors that contribute to child maltreatment severity: a multi-method and multidimensional investigation. Child Abuse Negl 29:335–350

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Haskett ME, Scott SS, Fann KD (1995) Child abuse potential inventory and parenting behavior: relationships with high-risk correlates. Child Abuse Negl 19:1483–1495

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Frick PJ, Loney BR (1999) Outcomes of children and adolescents with oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder. In: Quay HC, Hogan AE (eds) Handbook of disruptive behavior disorders. Plenum, New York, pp 507–524

    Google Scholar 

  23. Masten AS, Wright MOD (1998) Cumulative risk and protection models of child maltreatment. In: Rossman BBR, Rosenberg MS (eds) Multiple victimization of children: conceptual, developmental, research and treatment issues. Haworth, Binghamton, NY, pp 7–30

    Google Scholar 

  24. Rutter M (1994) Beyond longitudinal data: causes, consequences, changes, and continuity. J Consult Clin Psychol 62:928–940

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Garmezy N, Masten AS (1991) The protective role of competence indicators in children at risk. In: Cummings EM, Greene AL, Karraker KH (eds) Life span developmental psychology: perspectives on stress and coping. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale, NJ, pp 151–174

    Google Scholar 

  26. Werner EE, Smith RS (1989) Vulnerable but invincible: a longitudinal study of resilient children and youth. Adams, Bannister, and Cox, New York

    Google Scholar 

  27. Kashdan TB, Pelham WE, Lang AR, Hoza B, Jacob RG, Jennings JR, Blumenthal JD, Gnagy EM (2002) Hope and optimism as human strengths in parents of children with externalizing disorders: stress is in the eye of the beholder. J Social Clin Psychol 21:441–468

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Seligman MEP (1991) Learned optimism. Knopf, New York

    Google Scholar 

  29. Zimmerman MA (1990) Toward a theory of learned hopefulness: a structural model analysis of participation and empowerment. J Res Pers 24:71–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Weiss LH, Schwarz JC (1996) The relationship between parenting types and older adolescents’ personality, academic achievement, adjustment, and substance use. Child Dev 67:2101–2114

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Zimmerman MA, Bingenheimer JB, Notaro PC (2002) Natural mentors and adolescent resiliency: a study with urban youth. Am J Community Psychol 30:221–243

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Criss MM, Pettit GS, Bates JE, Dodge KA, Lapp AL (2002) Family adversity, positive peer relationships, and children’s externalizing behavior: a longitudinal perspective on risk and resilience. Child Dev 73:1220–1237

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Masten AS (2001) Ordinary magic: resilience processes in development. Am Psychol 56:227–238

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Wills TA, Blechman EA, McNamara G (1996) Family support, coping, and competence. In: Hetherington EM, Blechman EA (eds) Stress, coping, and resiliency in children and families. Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah, NJ, pp 107–133

    Google Scholar 

  35. Prevatt FF (2003) The contribution of parenting practices in a risk and resiliency model of children’s adjustment. Brit J Dev Psychol 21:469–480

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Feldman B, Russell JA (1998) Independence and bipolarity in the structure of current affect. J Pers Soc Psychol 64:1029–1041

    Google Scholar 

  37. Tellegen A, Watson D, Clark LA (1999) On the dimensional and hierarchical structure of affect. Psychol Sci 10:297–303

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Chorpita BF, Daleiden EL, Moffitt C, Yim L, Umemoto LA (2000) Assessment of tripartite factors of emotion in children and adolescents I: structural validity and normative data on an affect and arousal scale. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 22:141–160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Lonigan CJ, Phillips BM, Hooe ES (2003) Relations of positive and negative affectivity to anxiety and depression in children: evidence from a latent variable longitudinal study. J Consult Clin Psychol 71:465–481

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Watson D, Tellegen A (1985) Toward a consensual structure of mood. Psychol Bull 98:219–235

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Mash EJ, Johnston C (1983) Parental perceptions of child behavior problems, parenting self-esteem, and mothers’ reported stress in younger and older hyperactive and normal children. J Consult Clin Psychol 51:86–99

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Achenbach TM (1991) Manual for the child behavior checklist/4–18 and 1991 profile. University of Vermont Department of Psychiatry, Burlington, VT

  43. Achenbach TM, Rescorla LA (2001) Manual for the ASEBA school-age form and profiles. University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, and Families, Burlington, VT

  44. Collett BR, Gimpel GA, Greenson JN, Gunderson TL (2001) Assessment of discipline styles among parents of preschool through school-age children. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 23:163–170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Milner JS (1986) The child abuse potential inventory: manual, 2nd edn. Psyctec, Webster, NC

  46. Milner JS (1994) Assessing physical child abuse risk: the child abuse potential inventory. Clin Psychol Rev 14:547–583

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Piers EV (1984) Manual for the Piers-Harris children’s self-concept scale. Western Psychological Services, Los Angeles, CA

    Google Scholar 

  48. Kazdin AE, Rodgers A, Colbus D (1986) The hopelessness scale for children: psychometric characteristics and concurrent validity. J Consult Clin Psychol 54:241–245

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Beck AT, Weissman A, Lester D, Trexler L (1974) The measurement of pessimism: the hopelessness scale. J Consult Clin Psychol 42:861–865

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Seligman MEP, Peterson C, Kaslow NJ, Tannenbaum RL, Alloy LB, Abramson LY (1984) Attributional style and depressive symptoms among children. J Abn Psychol 93:235–238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  51. Thompson M, Kaslow NJ, Weiss B, Nolen-Hoeksema S (1998) Children’s attributional style questionnaire-revised: psychometric examination. Psychol Assess 10:166–170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. Fan X (1997) Canonical correlation analysis and structural equation modeling: what do they have in common? Struct Equ Model 4:65–79

    Article  Google Scholar 

  53. Bagozzi RP, Fornell C, Larcker DF (1981) Canonical correlation analysis as a special case of a structural relations model. Multivariate Behav Res 16:437–454

    Article  Google Scholar 

  54. Arbuckle JL (2005) Amos 6.0 [computer software]. SPSS, Inc, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  55. Byrne BM (2001) Structural equation modeling with AMOS: basic concepts, application, and programming. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, NJ

    Google Scholar 

  56. Tabachnick BG, Fidell LS (1996) Using multivariate statistics, 3rd edn. Harper Collins, New York

    Google Scholar 

  57. Bentler PM (1993) EQS: structural equations program manual. BMDP Statistical Software, Los Angeles

    Google Scholar 

  58. Schumacker RE, Lomax RG (1996) A beginner’s guide to structural equation modeling. Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah, NJ

    Google Scholar 

  59. Spirito A, Williams CA, Stark LJ, Hart KJ (1988) The hopelessness scale for children: psychometric properties with normal and emotionally disturbed adolescents. J Abnorm Child Psychol 16:445–458

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  60. Nolen-Hoeksema S, Girgus JS, Seligman MEP (1992) Predictors and consequences of childhood depressive symptoms: a 5-year longitudinal study. J Abnorm Psychol 101:405–422

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  61. Achenbach TM, McConaughy SH, Howell CT (1987) Child/adolescent behavioral and emotional problems: implications of cross-informant correlations for situational specificity. Psychol Bull 101: 213–232

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  62. Alvarez V, Adelman HS (1986) Overstatements of self-evaluation by students with psychoeducational problems. J Learn Disabil 19:567–571

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  63. Schor EL, Stidley CA, Malspeis S (1995) Behavioral correlates of differences between a child’s assessment and the parents’ assessment of the child’s self-esteem. J Dev Behav Pediatr 16:211–219

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  64. Edens JF (1999) Aggressive children’s self-system and the quality of their relationships with significant others. Aggression and Violent Behavior 4:151–177

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Educational Psychology, University of Utah, 1705 E Campus Center Dr. Rm 327, Counseling & Counseling Psychology, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112-9255, USA

    Christina M. Rodriguez & Ann M. Eden

Authors
  1. Christina M. Rodriguez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ann M. Eden
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christina M. Rodriguez.

Additional information

This study was supported in part by a University of Utah Faculty Research and Creative Grant.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rodriguez, C.M., Eden, A.M. Disciplinary Style and Child Abuse Potential: Association with Indicators of Positive Functioning in Children with Behavior Problems. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 39, 123–136 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-007-0077-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-007-0077-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation