NCJ Number
212883
Journal
Journal of Family Violence Volume: 20 Issue: 5 Dated: October 2005 Pages: 261-277
Date Published
October 2005
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This study compared the parenting practices of battered and nonbattered mothers in an effort to identify inconsistencies in parenting reported by battered mothers and to assess the impact of these practices and inconsistencies on family conflict and violence and child functioning.
Abstract
Study findings highlight the complexity of the parenting relationship and the importance of the parenting context and broader environmental issues, such as family violence, on the parenting relationship and on child outcomes. Results indicated that battered mothers gave stronger endorsements on parenting permissiveness and displayed more inconsistent parenting practices than their nonbattered counterparts. Higher levels of permissive parenting practices were significantly associated with higher levels of children’s anxiety and internalizing problems. Participants were 104 mothers and their children who volunteered or were recruited as part of a larger study. Participants were divided into 4 groups: 43 community nonviolent families; 29 community violent families; 24 battered women residing in shelters; and 8 battered and abused women residing in shelters. Participants were interviewed at intake, 6 months, and 12 months concerning marital conflict and violence, family stress, maternal symptoms, parenting practices, and child behavior. Future research should combine maternal report with child report and observation to enrich the analysis of what mother’s report they do, what messages their children are actually getting, and observed child outcomes. Tables, references