Dissertation Chapter 2 Outline for Assessing the Relationship of Maternal Attitudes toward Discipline in Emotional and Behavior Problems in Children of Battered Women

Delimitations: what I decide not to include

Limitations: what I have no control over

Dissertation Chapter 2 Outline

I. Introduction

This literature review will support the hypotheses that, in a very select clinical sample comprised of mothers who request shelter for themselves and their children as a result of DV, parental attitudes about discipline (PAD) may be important in understanding child externalizing problems (e.g. aggressive, delinquent behaviors) and child internalizing problems (e.g. depression, anxiety, somatic complaints). Further the literature will support the importance in evaluating the relationship between PAD and child externalizing problems that are projected to be stronger in male children and internalizing problems that are projected to be stronger in female children. First, a summary of the literature about PAD will be considered. Then, the relationship between PAD, gender and externalizing and internalizing behaviors will be evaluated. Finally, the proposed study will be presented.

II. Parental attitudes about punishment (PAP)

Attitude Theories

Attitudes are general evaluations people make about themselves, other persons, objects or issues (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986).

Parenting quality, child adjustment and externalizing and internalizing problems

Parenting Quality

Mediators

Stress

Parental stress – get article Crouch,J.A., Behl, L.E. (2001). Relationships between parental beliefs in corporal punishment, reported stress, and physical child abuse potential. Child Abuse and Neglect,25(3), 413-419.

Jouriles

Considerable research indicates that parental child management problems are evident both attitudinally and behaviorally: specifically, parents who are apt to abuse their children frequently have authoritarian, punitive attitudes (Kolko, 1996 (review when book comes); Straus, 1994). Write more

In a cluster analysis of a nationally representative sample of 1000 parents, Thompson, et al. (1999) identified three attitudinal/behavior groups based on parental profiles. Identification of these profiles came from 21 variables including nine statements that measured parental attitudes toward physical discipline (e.g. spare the rod and spoil the child) along with frequency reports of specific use of various discipline methods (non-punitive, moderate physical discipline, verbal reproaches, severe physical discipline methods, and physically and verbal abusive behavior). The first group was found both to hold attitudes that devalued children and to act on their attitudes by scoring high on the parental behaviors of verbal abuse, physical punishment, and neglect. Further, these parents reported difficulties in managing their anger and, admitted to marital difficulties including reports of domestic violence.

While

To assess parental attitudes, Thompson, et al. (1999)

found that a combination of multiple stressors and risk factors are better predictors of parenting problems than does a single stimulus.

Kolko

stressors

Vulnerable to environmental influences (Levendosky, Graham-Berman, 2000)

Chronic poverty, sudden economic loss, divorce, marital conflict and stressful life events

Belsky (1984) parenting is dependent on any factors – a deficit in one area influences another

Possibly parental attitudes influence kids even more than behaviors BECAUSE

III. PAP, Externalizing and internalizing behaviors with Gender

Gender

DV exposed kids