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Hostile Interactions in the Family: Patterns and Links to Youth Externalizing Problems
Abstract
In line with family systems theory, we examined patterns of hostile interactions within families and their associations with externalizing problems among early-adolescent children. Using hostility scores based on observational data of six dyadic interactions during a triadic interaction (n = 462; i.e., child-to-mother, mother-to-child, child-to-father, father-to-child, mother-to-father, father-to-mother)—latent profile analysis supported three distinct profiles of hostility. The low/moderate hostile profile included families with the lowest levels of hostility across dyads; families in the mutual parent-child hostile profile scored higher on parent-child hostility, but lower on interparental hostility; the hostile parent profile showed higher levels of parent-to-child and interparental hostility, but lower child-to-parent hostility. Concerning links to youth outcomes, youth in the mutual parent-child hostile profile reported the highest level of externalizing problems, both concurrently and longitudinally. These results point to the importance of examining larger family patterns of hostility to fully understand the association between family hostility and youth adjustment.
... It is also considered a poor conflict management strategy given its potential to escalate negative emotions and thus may be a barrier to effective problem-solving. Most parent-adolescent dyads do not exhibit intense hostility, with a recent study finding about 70% of dyads exhibited low hostility during a laboratory conflict task (Glatz et al. 2019). However, high adolescent hostility is related to externalizing behaviors like aggression, as well as other adverse outcomes like delinquent behavior, internalizing symptoms, and general maladjustment (Buehler 2006;Fosco et al. 2014;Glatz et al. 2019;Van Doorn et al. 2008;Weymouth et al. 2016), highlighting the need for better understanding of this characteristic. ...
... Most parent-adolescent dyads do not exhibit intense hostility, with a recent study finding about 70% of dyads exhibited low hostility during a laboratory conflict task (Glatz et al. 2019). However, high adolescent hostility is related to externalizing behaviors like aggression, as well as other adverse outcomes like delinquent behavior, internalizing symptoms, and general maladjustment (Buehler 2006;Fosco et al. 2014;Glatz et al. 2019;Van Doorn et al. 2008;Weymouth et al. 2016), highlighting the need for better understanding of this characteristic. Importantly, recent findings suggest that it is adolescent-to-parent hostility that is a better predictor of both concurrent and longitudinal adverse outcomes, such as the aforementioned externalizing behaviors (Fosco et al. 2014;Glatz et al. 2019), yet adolescent-to-parent hostility is understudied relative to parent-to-adolescent hostility (Glatz et al. 2019). ...
... However, high adolescent hostility is related to externalizing behaviors like aggression, as well as other adverse outcomes like delinquent behavior, internalizing symptoms, and general maladjustment (Buehler 2006;Fosco et al. 2014;Glatz et al. 2019;Van Doorn et al. 2008;Weymouth et al. 2016), highlighting the need for better understanding of this characteristic. Importantly, recent findings suggest that it is adolescent-to-parent hostility that is a better predictor of both concurrent and longitudinal adverse outcomes, such as the aforementioned externalizing behaviors (Fosco et al. 2014;Glatz et al. 2019), yet adolescent-to-parent hostility is understudied relative to parent-to-adolescent hostility (Glatz et al. 2019). Lastly, adolescent self-reports of anger are related to their risk behaviors (Curry and Youngblade 2006). ...
Compared to childhood and adulthood, adolescence is a time of greater risk-taking behavior, potentially resulting in serious consequences. Theories of adolescent brain development highlight the imbalance between neural circuitry for reward vs. regulation. Although this imbalance may make adolescents more vulnerable to impaired decision-making in the context of heightened arousal, not all adolescents exhibit problematic risk behavior, suggesting other factors are involved. Relatedly, parent-adolescent conflict increases in mid-adolescence, and is linked to negative outcomes like substance use related risk-taking. However, the mechanism by which parent-adolescent conflict and risk-taking are linked is still unknown. Therefore, we investigated this association using a multi-method experimental design. Parent-adolescent dyads were randomly assigned to complete a discussion task together on the topic of either the adolescent’s dream vacation or an adolescent-identified conflict topic. During the task, adolescent peripheral psychophysiology was measured for later calculation of heart rate variability (HRV), an index of self-regulation. Immediately after the discussion task, adolescents completed a performance-based measure of risk-taking propensity that indexes real-world risk behaviors. We hypothesized that parent-adolescent conflict would predict greater adolescent risk-taking propensity, and that increased behavioral arousal in the context of conflict, coupled with impaired self-regulation, would explain this link. Results indicated no direct effect of parent-adolescent conflict on adolescent risk-taking propensity. However, there was a significant conditional indirect effect: lower HRV, indexing worse regulatory ability, mediated the relation between conflict and risk-taking propensity but only for adolescents exhibiting behavioral arousal during the discussion task. We discuss implications for understanding adolescent risk-taking behavior.
... It is also considered a poor conflict management strategy given its potential to escalate negative emotions and thus may be a barrier to effective problem-solving. Most parent-adolescent dyads do not exhibit intense hostility, with a recent study finding about 70% of dyads exhibited low hostility during a laboratory conflict task (Glatz et al. 2019). However, high adolescent hostility is related to externalizing behaviors like aggression, as well as other adverse outcomes like delinquent behavior, internalizing symptoms, and general maladjustment (Buehler 2006;Fosco et al. 2014;Glatz et al. 2019;Van Doorn et al. 2008;Weymouth et al. 2016), highlighting the need for better understanding of this characteristic. ...
... Most parent-adolescent dyads do not exhibit intense hostility, with a recent study finding about 70% of dyads exhibited low hostility during a laboratory conflict task (Glatz et al. 2019). However, high adolescent hostility is related to externalizing behaviors like aggression, as well as other adverse outcomes like delinquent behavior, internalizing symptoms, and general maladjustment (Buehler 2006;Fosco et al. 2014;Glatz et al. 2019;Van Doorn et al. 2008;Weymouth et al. 2016), highlighting the need for better understanding of this characteristic. Importantly, recent findings suggest that it is adolescent-to-parent hostility that is a better predictor of both concurrent and longitudinal adverse outcomes, such as the aforementioned externalizing behaviors (Fosco et al. 2014;Glatz et al. 2019), yet adolescent-to-parent hostility is understudied relative to parent-to-adolescent hostility (Glatz et al. 2019). ...
... However, high adolescent hostility is related to externalizing behaviors like aggression, as well as other adverse outcomes like delinquent behavior, internalizing symptoms, and general maladjustment (Buehler 2006;Fosco et al. 2014;Glatz et al. 2019;Van Doorn et al. 2008;Weymouth et al. 2016), highlighting the need for better understanding of this characteristic. Importantly, recent findings suggest that it is adolescent-to-parent hostility that is a better predictor of both concurrent and longitudinal adverse outcomes, such as the aforementioned externalizing behaviors (Fosco et al. 2014;Glatz et al. 2019), yet adolescent-to-parent hostility is understudied relative to parent-to-adolescent hostility (Glatz et al. 2019). ...
Compared to childhood and adulthood, adolescence is a time of greater risk-taking behavior, potentially resulting in serious consequences. Theories of adolescent brain development highlight the imbalance between neural circuitry for reward vs. regulation. Although this imbalance may make adolescents more vulnerable to impaired decision-making in the context of heightened arousal, not all adolescents exhibit problematic risk behavior, suggesting other factors are involved. Relatedly, parent-adolescent conflict increases in mid-adolescence, and is linked to negative outcomes like substance use related risk-taking. However, the mechanism by which parent-adolescent conflict and risk-taking are linked is still unknown. Therefore, we investigated this association using a multi-method experimental design. Parent-adolescent dyads were randomly assigned to complete a discussion task together on the topic of either the adolescent’s dream vacation or an adolescent-identified conflict topic. During the task, adolescent peripheral psychophysiology was measured for later calculation of heart rate variability (HRV), an index of self-regulation. Immediately after the discussion task, adolescents completed a performance-based measure of risk-taking propensity that indexes real-world risk behaviors. We hypothesized that parent-adolescent conflict would predict greater adolescent risk-taking propensity, and that increased behavioral arousal in the context of conflict, coupled with impaired self-regulation, would explain this link. Results indicated no direct effect of parent-adolescent conflict on adolescent risk-taking propensity. However, there was a significant conditional indirect effect: lower HRV, indexing worse regulatory ability, mediated the relation between conflict and risk-taking propensity but only for adolescents exhibiting behavioral arousal during the discussion task. We discuss implications for understanding adolescent risk-taking behavior.
... However, this study adds to the small body of literature on emerging patterns in family environments, highlighting the diversity in families in different populations and the importance of identifying and exploring these different family profiles (Glatz et al., 2020;Simpson et al., 2018). ...
Background
Individuals with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) may face unique family environments that potentially influence adaptive functioning and behavioral challenges. This study aimed to identify profiles of families of children with PAE based on family characteristics, including cohesion, conflict, and organization, and to examine the relationship between family environment profiles and child outcomes.
Methods
Data were collected from caregivers of 283 youth (5–17 years) with histories of PAE. Caregivers completed several questionnaires, including the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS), and Family Environment Scale (FES). Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify profiles in the family environment using three subscales from the FES (Cohesion, Conflict, and Organization). Model fit was determined by comparing 1‐, 2‐, 3‐, 4‐, and 5‐profile solutions. One‐way ANCOVA follow‐up tests were conducted to explore differences in adaptive and behavioral functioning across family environment profiles.
Results
The 4‐profile solution was considered the best fit for the data. Interpretation of conditional response probabilities indicated that Profile 1 was defined by low cohesion; Profile 2 was defined by low organization; Profile 3 was defined as high cohesion and organization; and Profile 4 was defined as high conflict. After controlling for race, sex, age, and ethnicity, there were significant profile differences on the Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total Problem Behavior scales of the CBCL. There were no significant differences in adaptive functioning across profiles.
Conclusions
The results of this study highlight the importance of the family environment in understanding the strengths and challenges experienced by children with PAE. Four unique profiles of family environments emerged in families of children with PAE. The high‐conflict profile was associated with increased behavioral problems in children. These findings can be used to support families of children with PAE and to identify treatment targets for interventions for children with PAE and their caregivers.
... As expected, the current study revealed the effect of NFE on externalizing problems among adolescents, which is consistent with previous research (Cheung et al., 2018;Glatz et al., 2020). According to the family systems theory, family subsystems (e.g. ...
Family environment, emotion regulation and biological sensitivity have been shown to be associated with adolescents' externalizing problem behaviours. However, findings regarding respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) reactivity are mixed and sometimes contradictory. This study aims to clarify the roles of RSA reactivity and anger regulation in the relationship between negative family expressiveness (NFE) and adolescents' externalizing behaviour by measuring RSA reactivity during the Parent–Adolescent Interaction Task (PAIT), designed to simulate a naturalistic negative family environment. In this study, 125 Chinese adolescents ( M = 13.95 years, SD = 0.95; 48% male) completed questionnaires assessing negative family expressiveness, anger regulation and externalizing problems. Additionally, we collected electrocardiogram and respiration data during both the resting period and a 10‐min PAIT. Results showed that anger regulation mediated the relationship between NFE and externalizing problem behaviours. Moreover, adolescents' RSA reactivity moderated this mediation effect, even after controlling for baseline RSA. Greater RSA suppression potentially indicated greater susceptibility, with the relationship between NFE and anger regulation being more pronounced in adolescents with greater RSA suppression compared to those with lesser RSA suppression. These findings highlight the importance of considering physiological systems, especially within the context of adverse family environments, when studying the relationships with externalizing problems.
... In a metaanalysis investigating the aspects of parenting behaviors that are associated with adolescent delinquency, the strongest links were those related to hostility and rejection (Hoeve et al., 2009). Mutually hostile behavior between parents and youth relates to greater current and future youth externalizing behaviors (Glatz et al., 2020). Potentially stemming from these factors, difficulties in the parentadolescent relationship, including conflict and inadequate supervision, have been associated with poor adolescent outcomes, from substance misuse to psychiatric symptoms (Ary et al., 1999;Bray et al., 2022;Weymouth et al., 2016). ...
During adolescence, youth increase in both independence and conflict with parents. Parents vary in how much they know about their adolescents’ whereabouts and activities and how they acquire this information (i.e., the sources of what parents know). We probed how parental knowledge of adolescents’ whereabouts and activities—and their information sources—relates to (a) domains of parent–adolescent conflict (fighting about, or having different beliefs about, daily life topics) and (b) parent and adolescent attachment-related behavior during a conflict discussion task. Using the Actor–Partner Interdependence Model, we tested links between parental knowledge and its sources and conflict processes. Eighty-seven adolescents (Mage = 15.18; 55% female) and parents completed surveys about parental knowledge and its sources (i.e., parental solicitation of adolescents’ activities, adolescent disclosure to parents about their activities) and separate interviews on conflict domains. A subset of parent–adolescent dyads (n = 65) interacted for 5 min about an adolescent-identified conflict topic. Different beliefs about daily life topics related to parental knowledge: parents’ reports of greater different beliefs about daily life topics predicted less knowledge of adolescents’ activities/whereabouts, solicitation, and disclosure, for both parent and adolescent reports of these domains. For adolescents, greater different beliefs related to less solicitation and disclosure. Only adolescent reports of parental knowledge, solicitation, and disclosure predicted attachment-related behaviors both dyad members displayed during the conflict discussion task. Findings reveal links between parental knowledge of adolescents’ activities and conflict processes and demonstrate dyadic interdependence between parental knowledge of adolescents’ activities and conflict processes.
... Parentchild relationships can be considered conflictual when both members of the dyad display negative affect and behaviors, which make the interaction difficult. It follows that when exchanges in the family are characterized by elevated rates of conflict, children and adolescents are more at risk of developing mental health issues both in the short-and longterm [14][15][16][17][18]. This is particularly relevant during stressful times, such as the COVID-19 period [19][20][21]. ...
Parent–child conflict can have a series of negative consequences concerning youth emotional and behavioral development. The link between family conflict and children’s externalizing symptoms is well established, whereas the association with internalizing symptoms is less explored. Within the school context, children are engaged in other meaningful relationships (i.e., with teachers and peers) which contribute to their growth. This cross-sectional study aimed at understanding whether a cooperative behavior with the teachers is able to mediate the association between parent–child conflict and children’s psychopathological symptoms. We recruited 319 (150 boys) school-aged children (M = 11.3 years; SD = 1.8 years) and their parents and teachers. Children self-reported on their internalizing symptoms, whereas parents completed a questionnaire concerning their relationship with the child, and teachers rated children’s behavior and internalizing/externalizing symptoms. Analyses conducted through Hayes’ PROCESS tool showed that cooperation with the teacher partially mediated the association between parent–child conflict and child-reported depressive symptoms. Notably, cooperative behavior fully mediated the link between parent–child conflict and children’s internalizing and externalizing symptoms reported by teachers. Difficulties exhibited at school partly
derive from a conflictual home environment. Our findings showed that such problems can be reduced thanks to a cooperative relationship with the teacher.
... The Conflict subscale of the FES (Moos and Moos, 1976) was selected to assess one of the core aspects of social interaction and family climate ). An extensive literature has indicated that these characteristics are directly relevant to the development of substance abuse and of externalizing behaviors more generally, leading to interpersonal difficulties, trouble with the law, and ultimately to the impairment of a successful adaptation to adult life (Glatz et al., 2020;Loukas et al., 2001). Moreover, given these multiple effects on behavior, a reasonable hypothesis is that a relationship also exists between level of experienced conflict and brain maturation in areas relating to emotional expression and impulse control. ...
Advances in our understanding of risk and resilience factors in adolescent brain health and development increasingly demand a broad set of assessment tools that consider a youth’s peer, family, school, neighborhood, and cultural contexts in addition to neurobiological, genetic, and biomedical information. The Culture and Environment (CE) Workgroup (WG) of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study curates these important components of the protocol throughout ten years of planned data collection. In this report, the CE WG presents an update on the evolution of the ABCD Study® CE protocol since study inception (Zucker et al., 2018), as well as emerging findings that include CE measures. Background and measurement characteristics of instruments present in the study since baseline have already been described in our 2018 report, and therefore are only briefly described here. New measures introduced since baseline are described in more detail. Descriptive statistics on all measures are presented based on a total sample of 11,000+ youth and their caregivers assessed at baseline and the following two years. Psychometric properties of the measures, including longitudinal aspects of the data, are reported, along with considerations for future measurement waves. The CE WG ABCD® components are an essential part of the overall protocol that permits characterization of the unique cultural and social environment within which each developing brain is transactionally embedded.
... For example, adolescents are more likely than younger children to view parent rules as arbitrary; consequently, they may refuse to follow such guidelines, perhaps as a reflection of an increased need for autonomy (Montemayor 1983;Weymouth et al. 2016). Evidence supports a strong link between adolescent-specific characteristics (e.g., high levels of externalizing behaviors, conduct problems [defiant and aggressive behaviors typically more severe than general externalizing problems], poor emotion regulation skills), and conflict with a parent (Deković 1999;Glatz et al. 2019;Montemayor 1983). Thus, externalizing tendencies, including hostile behaviors, may increase the risk of family dysfunction during adolescence, particularly due to increased child-parent conflict. ...
Family dysfunction has been associated with both child externalizing problems, including hostility, and parent depression or depressive symptoms. Research investigating child hostility directed toward a parent with a history of depression is absent, yet it may be associated with especially high levels of family dysfunction. The current study aimed to assess (1) the relation between observed child hostility, measured by the Iowa Family Interaction Rating Scale, toward such a parent and child-reported family dysfunction, using the Family Assessment Device, and (2) whether current parent depressive symptoms, measured by the Beck Depression Inventory-II, moderated this association. We hypothesized that child hostility would negatively relate to family functioning, even after controlling for parent depressive symptoms, and that parent depressive symptoms would moderate this association in that high levels of such symptoms would strengthen the negative relation between child hostility and family functioning. To address these hypotheses, hierarchical regression and moderation analyses were conducted in SPSS. Results indicated that higher levels of child hostility related to a more dysfunctional family environment. Furthermore, although speculative as the interaction of child hostility toward a parent and parent depressive symptoms only approached conventional levels of significance, low levels of both constructs may protect against family dysfunction. Findings from this study may inform new methods of family intervention and prevention, as well as ways of identifying families most at risk for dysfunction.
Introduction
Early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) have been found to associate to aggressive behavior, though the cognitive pathways underlying that association remain scarcely investigated, particularly considering the different forms and functions of aggression. The current work explores the sequential mediation pathways linking EMSs and variables related to social information processing (SIP; i.e., hostile attribution of intent and evaluation of overt and relational responses) to aggressive behaviors.
Methods
A sample of 516 adolescents (Mage = 16.54, 69.4% female) filled in self-report questionnaires on EMSs, SIP, and the forms and functions of aggression. A model generation approach based on retaining only significant direct pathways was applied to four mediation models that differed in the outcome variable: reactive overt aggression, proactive overt aggression, reactive relational aggression, and proactive relational aggression.
Results
Results showed the salience of EMSs within the disconnection and rejection and the impaired limits domains and of a positive evaluation of aggressive response options. Alternatively, specific results were found for hostile attribution of intent in relation to relational aggression regardless of its function, for reactive overt aggression, and for proactive overt aggression (e.g., hostile attribution of intention impacted indirectly on relational aggression, directly on reactive overt aggression and did not impact on proactive overt aggression).
Discussion
Overall and specific findings are discussed based on both developmental (e.g., early neglectful or punitive experiences) and current interaction processes (e.g., social or personal gains associated with the practice of aggressive behavior). Overall, adolescent aggression seems sustained by cognitive pathways that may be more malleable to change based on joint intra and interpersonal intervention efforts.
Medical record abstraction was conducted at an ethnic-specific mental health outpatient clinic to identify correlates of suicidal behaviors in a sample of 285 Asian American youths. Some risk factors, such as parent–child conflict and age, which have been associated with suicidality in majority group youths, predicted suicidality in this sample, whereas other risk factors, such as gender, did not generalize to this sample. Acculturation interacted with the risk factor of parent–child conflict to predict suicidality. Less acculturated Asian youths were at proportionally greater risk for suicidality under conditions of high parent–child conflict than were their more acculturated counterparts. This finding underscores the importance of culture as a context for determining the relevance of stressors for potentiating psychopathology.
A longitudinal study examined children's (N = 108) attachment representations in relation to behavior and academic competency at school during middle childhood and adolescence. Attachment representations were assessed from children's responses to a separation story at age 7 years. At ages 9, 12, and 15, teachers rated children on four dimensions of school behavior: attention–participation, extroversion, disruptive behavior, and insecurity about self. Children's grade point average (GPA) in school was also examined. Children's attachment representations (secure vs. insecure) did not predict either disruptive behavior or extroversion, but they were significantly linked to attention–participation, insecurity about self, and GPA, with secure representations being associated with more favorable outcomes. The study controlled for social class, gender, IQ, perspective-taking ability, and prior competency.
A developmental model of antisocial behavior is outlined. Recent findings are reviewed that concern the etiology and course of antisocial behavior from early childhood through adolescence. Evidence is presented in support of the hypothesis that the route to chronic delinquency is marked by a reliable developmental sequence of experiences. As a first step, ineffective parenting practices are viewed as determinants for childhood conduct disorders. The general model also takes into account the contextual variables that influence the family interaction process. As a second step, the conduct-disordered behaviors lead to academic failure and peer rejection. These dual failures lead, in turn, to increased risk for depressed mood and involvement in a deviant peer group. This third step usually occurs during later childhood and early adolescence. It is assumed that children following this developmental sequence are at high risk for engaging in chronic delinquent behavior. Finally, implications for prevention and intervention are discussed.
Structural equation modeling (SEM) has come of age. As recently as the 1980s, SEM was perceived by many students and researchers in the social and behavioral sciences as virtually intractable— esoteric
notation, difficult-to-use computer programs, and little published guidance targeted to would-be users with basic graduate-level training in statistical methods. The traditional LISREL notation system is now more familiar to many students and researchers, and alternative, more intuitive systems have been developed. Whereas there was once only LISREL for mainframe computers, there now are multiple computer programs for implementing SEM that run on desktop computers using syntax that does not require knowledge of matrix algebra. And one could now fill a shelf with textbooks and edited volumes devoted to SEM and SEM-related topics. A statistical approach that once was accessible only to social and behavioral scientists with advanced coursework in statistical methods and strong computing skills is now part of the methodological mainstream.
Nearly thirty years ago, we invited a consortium of esteemed researchers to contribute to a volume entitled Family–Peer Relations: Modes of Linkage that provided a state-of-the-science appraisal of theory and research within the newly emerging discipline of family–peer relations. The volume’s first chapter was titled, “Themes and Theories: Perspectives on Processes in Family–Peer Relationships”, and its primary aims were to identify the processes in the family system that were posited to have a bearing on children’s development in the peer system (and vice versa), characterize potential mechanisms of linkage, describe extant lines of investigation, appraise empirical accomplishments, and identify issues in need of further investigation. Here, nearly thirty years hence, we are pleased to have the opportunity to reappraise the theory and research on family–peer relations. In this article, we revisit the primary objectives that were addressed in our previously published “Themes and Theories” chapter but do so with the express purpose of evaluating the discipline’s progress. Likewise, we also revisit our prior roadmap and associated calls-to-action to update these entities in light of past accomplishments, current limitations, and pressing sociocultural issues and concerns.
Although childhood violence by any person is negative for children, little is known about whether violence by different family members is linked differently to problems in young adulthood, as family relationships might play different roles in children’s individual development. In this study, we examine parent and sibling violence and associations with emotional and behavioral problems, directly and indirectly via peer victimization. We used retrospective reports from 347 young adults (aged 20–24) who all reported childhood family physical violence, and we performed a path analysis using Mplus. The results showed that participants who had been victimized by a sibling only or by both a sibling and parent were more likely to report peer victimization than were participants who had been victimized by parents only. Peer victimization was, in turn, linked to more aggression, criminality, and anxiety. Theoretical and clinical implications of these results are discussed.
We examined the relations between interparental conflict (destructive and constructive), parenting behaviors (harshness and supportiveness) and children's emotional insecurity in early childhood when children were approximately 36 months of age. The sample consisted of low-income unmarried couples who were expectant/new parents who participated in the national Building Strong Families project. Interparental conflict was assessed through parents' reported perception of the other parent's conflict behavior. Parenting behaviors were measured through observational data, and children's emotional insecurity was based on parents' reports. Using latent profile analysis, three goals were addressed: (a) concordance or discord of mothers' and fathers' conflict behaviors, (b) the relation between couples' conflict behaviors and parenting, and (c) the association between couples' conflict behaviors and child emotional insecurity. Our findings revealed 4 profiles of couples that share similar characteristics, which in turn were differentially linked to aspects of parenting and child development. Further, results indicated that the vast majority of low-income unmarried couples engage in constructive conflict management behaviors. These findings highlight the need to consider the family unit when designing interventions or providing counseling. (PsycINFO Database Record
Background: A growing body of research identifies the harmful effects that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs; occurring during childhood or adolescence; eg, child maltreatment or exposure to domestic violence) have on health throughout life. Studies have quantified such effects for individual ACEs. However, ACEs frequently co-occur and no synthesis of findings from studies measuring the effect of multiple ACE types has been done.
Methods: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched five electronic databases for cross-sectional, case-control, or cohort studies published up to May 6, 2016, reporting risks of health outcomes, consisting of substance use, sexual health, mental health, weight and physical exercise, violence, and physical health status and conditions, associated with multiple ACEs. We selected articles that presented risk estimates for individuals with at least four ACEs compared with those with none for outcomes with sufficient data for meta-analysis (at least four populations). Included studies also focused on adults aged at least 18 years with a sample size of at least 100. We excluded studies based on high-risk or clinical populations. We extracted data from published reports. We calculated pooled odds ratios (ORs) using a random-effects model.
Findings: Of 11 621 references identified by the search, 37 included studies provided risk estimates for 23 outcomes, with a total of 253 719 participants. Individuals with at least four ACEs were at increased risk of all health outcomes compared with individuals with no ACEs. Associations were weak or modest for physical inactivity, overweight or obesity, and diabetes (ORs of less than two); moderate for smoking, heavy alcohol use, poor self-rated health, cancer, heart disease, and respiratory disease (ORs of two to three), strong for sexual risk taking, mental ill health, and problematic alcohol use (ORs of more than three to six), and strongest for problematic drug use and interpersonal and self-directed violence (ORs of more than seven). We identified considerable heterogeneity (I2 of >75%) between estimates for almost half of the outcomes.
Interpretation: To have multiple ACEs is a major risk factor for many health conditions. The outcomes most strongly associated with multiple ACEs represent ACE risks for the next generation (eg, violence, mental illness, and substance use). To sustain improvements in public health requires a shift in focus to include prevention of ACEs, resilience building, and ACE-informed service provision. The Sustainable Development Goals provide a global platform to reduce ACEs and their life-course effect on health.
Funding: Public Health Wales.
Background
Peer bullying is associated with internalizing problems for children and adolescents. However, less is known about how these same behaviors are related to student well-being when they occur within the context of the sibling relationship and how supportive behavior may benefit those experiencing bullying.
Objective
The purpose of this study was to examine the unique associations among peer and sibling bullying and internalizing problems, and the role of peer and sibling social support in relation to social-emotional outcomes.
Methods
Data on students’ experiences of peer and sibling bullying, perceptions of social support and internalizing symptoms were collected from a sample of 372 elementary school students using the Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (OBVQ; Olweus 1996), a modified version of the OBVQ created to assess bullying by siblings, the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (CASSS; Malecki et al. 2000), and three subscales from the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition, Self-Report of Personality (Reynolds and Kamphaus 2004).
Results
Results indicated that Sibling Bullying was significantly related to internalizing problems above and beyond Peer Bullying alone. Additionally, social support from peers moderated the association between Sibling Bullying and Depression; and social support from siblings moderated the association between Peer Bullying and Social Stress. Gender differences in study findings were also uncovered.
Conclusions
Results of this study suggest that bullying behaviors are detrimental to student social-emotional well-being, regardless of whom the perpetrator may be, and that being bullied by siblings is associated with similar outcomes as traditional bullying.
Child and adolescent victims of violence are often exposed to more than one kind of physical, sexual, or emotional maltreatment. Both individually and cumulatively, such victimizations have significant ramifications on mental health. Yet little is known about the relationships in which these different kinds of victimizations occur and how the relationship between the victim and perpetrators may influence later mental health. This retrospective, self-report study of a nationally representative sample of 2,500 young adults in Sweden examines associations between different types of victimization (including poly-victimization), the victim’s relationship to the perpetrator, and how these factors are related to current mental health. Results indicate differential patterns of abuse based on the perpetrator; parents were most likely to use physical aggression, whereas siblings typically perpetrated property crimes and partners committed sexual assault. Peers were the most likely perpetrator of both physical and verbal victimizations and also most often committed poly-victimization by subjecting youth to multiple forms of violence. While males were more likely to be victimized by peers, females were more likely to be victimized by parents, siblings, and partners. Significant positive relations were found for the amount of victimization by peers and mental health problems among both males and females. In addition, for females, higher amounts of youth victimization by parents and partners related to higher levels of mental health problems during young adulthood. Taken together, these results suggest that peer victimization presents the greatest risk for males, whereas dysfunctional family relationships are most detrimental to victimized females.
The purpose of this meta-analysis is to explore relations between children’s perceptions of parental hostility/aggression, and their psychological maladjustment, and negative personality dispositions as postulated in interpersonal acceptance and rejection theory. The meta-analysis was based on 35 studies from 16 countries in four continents involving 13,406 children (52% boys and 48% girls). All studies included in the meta-analysis, used child versions of the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire for Mothers and for Fathers (Child PARQ: Mothers and Fathers), as well as the child version of the Personality Assessment Questionnaire (Child PAQ). Results showed that both maternal and paternal hostility/aggression correlated significantly with the psychological maladjustment and with all seven negative personality dispositions, including (1) hostility/aggression, (2) dependence or defensive independence, (3) negative self-esteem, (4) negative self-adequacy, (5) emotional instability, (6) emotional unresponsiveness, and (7) negative worldview of children across ethnicities, cultures, and geographical boundaries. Results further revealed that perceived maternal than paternal hostility/aggression has significantly stronger relations with children’s psychological maladjustment globally.
Based on theory that parents with higher levels of self-efficacy (PSE) should find it easier to parent effectively in the face of challenging child behaviors than should parents with lower levels of PSE, this study examines the link between PSE and parenting using children’s behaviors as potential moderators. Participants were 130 parents who had an older adolescent (Mage = 17.58) in addition to the target adolescent (Mage = 11.79), and both adolescents’ externalizing behaviors were used as moderators for the link between PSE and parenting of the target adolescent. Path analysis in Mplus showed that higher PSE was linked to more promotive parenting but only among parents who had an older adolescent with lower levels of externalizing behaviors. Among parents of adolescents with higher levels of externalizing behaviors, whose promotive parenting was significantly lower than other parents overall, PSE did not predict promotive parenting. The link between PSE and parenting did not differ depending on the target adolescents’ behavior. Findings suggest that the link between parents’ beliefs and parenting depends on the broader family context. More specifically, how PSE is linked to parenting practices depends at least partly on the experiences that parents bring from parenting an older adolescent to their interactions with a later-born adolescent. From a clinical perspective, parents might need guidance in how to think about their earlier parenting experiences when parenting a younger adolescent.
This multistudy article examined the relative strength of mediational pathways involving hostile, disengaged, and uncooperative forms of interparental conflict, children's emotional insecurity, and their externalizing problems across 2 longitudinal studies. Participants in Study 1 consisted of 243 preschool children (M age = 4.60 years) and their parents, whereas Study 2 consisted of 263 adolescents (M age = 12.62 years) and their parents. Both studies utilized multimethod, multi-informant assessment batteries within a longitudinal design with 3 measurement occasions. Across both studies, lagged, autoregressive tests of the mediational paths revealed that interparental hostility was a significantly stronger predictor of the prospective cascade of children's insecurity and externalizing problems than interparental disengagement and low levels of interparental cooperation. Findings further indicated that interparental disengagement was a stronger predictor of the insecurity pathway than was low interparental cooperation for the sample of adolescents in Study 2. Results are discussed in relation to how they inform and advance developmental models of family risk. (PsycINFO Database Record
Sibling conflict and aggression is often a pervasive part of family life that parents want help managing and can have negative effects on children's well-being. The purpose of this systematic review is to evaluate current research regarding programs to reduce sibling conflict and aggression and promote positive sibling relationships. Online databases, reference lists, and Google Scholar were searched using key words and inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied. The search located five unique studies of programs focused on school-aged children. Heterogeneity of the studies precluded meta-analysis, but characteristics of the studies were systematically described. Three interventions were aimed at directly improving children's social skills and two interventions trained parents on mediation techniques to use during sibling conflicts. Overall, of the four studies that included assessment of children's social skills, the results were positive. Two of the three studies that evaluated sibling relationship quality demonstrated improved sibling interactions compared with the control group. With further research and evidentiary support, these programs have promise to modify sibling behaviors as part of current parenting education programs or as a stand-alone program to address sibling conflict and aggression.
Bullying is shown to be associated with adverse outcomes in cross-sectional studies, but only a few studies have prospectively examined the effects of childhood bullying on adult outcomes. Our Series paper focuses on prospective longitudinal studies that used large, population-based, community samples analysed through quantitative methods and published between 1960 and 2015. We describe the results of childhood bullying in adulthood in three of the most burdensome areas: psychopathology, suicidality, and criminality. We note that the different groups involved (ie, victims, bullies, and bully-victims) are at risk of difficulties later in life, but their risk profiles differ and the contributions are probably not independent. Controlling for confounders reduces the risk and sometimes eliminates it. Victims are at a high risk of internalising disorders. Bullies seem to be at risk of later externalising disorders and criminality, mainly violent crime and illicit drug misuse. Bully-victims seem to be at risk of internalising disorders, externalising disorders, and criminality, but not all studies examined bully-victims as a separate group. Boys and girls differ in their long-term outcomes. A dose effect exists in which frequent bullying involvement in childhood is most strongly associated with adult adversities. Future studies need to control for additional factors (including genetic, psychosocial, and environmental) to account for the mechanisms behind the reported longitudinal associations.
Sibling relationships have a substantial and lasting effect on children's development. Many siblings experience some occasional conflict, however, up to 40% are exposed to sibling bullying every week, a repeated and harmful form of intrafamilial aggression. We review evidence on the precursors, factors relating to peer bullying, and mental health consequences of sibling bullying. Parenting quality and behaviour are the intrafamilial factors most strongly associated with bullying between siblings. Sibling bullying increases the risk of being involved in peer bullying, and is independently associated with concurrent and early adult emotional problems, including distress, depression, and self-harm. The effects appear to be cumulative, with those children bullied by both siblings and peers having highly increased emotional problems compared with those bullied by siblings or peers only, probably because they have no safe place to escape from bullying. The link between sibling and peer bullying suggests interventions need to start at home. Health professionals should ask about sibling bullying and interventions are needed for families to prevent and reduce the health burden associated with sibling bullying.
The aim is to examine associations between bullying involvement in adolescence and mental health problems in adulthood.
Information on bullying-involvement (being bullied, bully-victim, aggressive toward others) and non-involved was collected from 2464 adolescents in Mid-Norway at mean age 13.7 and again at mean age 14.9. Information about mental health problems and psychosocial functioning was collected about 12 years later at mean age 27.2 (n = 1266).
All groups involved in bullying in young adolescence had adverse mental health outcomes in adulthood compared to non-involved. Those being bullied were affected especially regarding increased total sum of depressive symptoms and high levels of total, internalizing and critical symptoms, increased risk of having received help for mental health problems, and reduced functioning because of a psychiatric problem in adulthood. While those being aggressive toward others showed high levels of total and internalizing symptoms. Both those being bullied and bully-victims showed an increased risk of high levels of critical symptoms. Lastly, all groups involved in bullying on adolescence had increased risk of psychiatric hospitalization because of mental health problems.
Involvement in bullying in adolescence is associated with later mental health problems, possibly hindering development into independent adulthood.
This cross-cultural meta-analysis is based on 220 studies involving 33,081 respondents from 23 nations across five continents. The study addressed a major question drawn from the basic postulates of interpersonal acceptance–rejection theory (IPARTheory): Is the psychological adjustment of both males and females universally (i.e., panculturally) associated with children's and adults' perceptions of both maternal and paternal acceptance in childhood? To remain true to the major postulates of IPARTheory (formerly known as parental acceptance–rejection theory, PARTheory), all studies included in this meta-analysis used the Parental Acceptance–Rejection Questionnaire for Mothers and Fathers (Child and Adult PARQ: Mother and Father versions), as well as the Personality Assessment Questionnaire (Child and Adult versions). Results showed that both paternal and maternal acceptance correlate significantly with the psychological adjustment of both children and adults across all cultures. The study also showed that there are no gender differences in the relation between children's perception of parental acceptance and their psychological adjustment. However, remembrances of maternal acceptance in childhood showed significantly stronger relations with adult sons' current psychological adjustment than that of adult daughters. Moreover, remembrances of paternal acceptance in childhood were found to have significantly stronger relations with adult daughters' psychological adjustment than did daughters' remembrances of maternal acceptance.
A large literature has long focused on the role of trauma in childhood and risk for psychological disorders in adulthood. Despite several studies performed, to date, it is not clear which weight have different childhood stressors specifically on the risk for depression in adult life. In the present study, we performed a meta-analysis of the literature in order to assess the effective role of childhood traumas as risk factor in the onset of depressive disorders in adults.
Previously published papers investigating the exposure to childhood trauma and their association with depression in adult subjects were retrieved in literature through common databases. Meta-analysis was conducted by the RevMan software. The quality of studies was evaluated by an adapted version of the New-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale; bias publication was evaluated by the Egger's test. Meta-regression analysis was employed to detect potential confounders and/or moderating variables. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was post-hoc performed to control for potential confounders.
Emotional abuse showed the strongest association with depression (OR=2.78) followed by neglect (OR=2.75) and sexual abuse (OR=2.42). Significant associations were also found for domestic violence (OR=2.06) and physical abuse (OR=1.98). Nevertheless, in post-hoc analysis, emotional abuse and neglect showed the strongest associations with depression as compared to other kinds of child trauma.
These findings support the role of neglect and emotional abuse as significantly associated to depression. Sexual/physical abuse or violence in family may be unspecific risk factors for mental disturbance. Other kind of trauma may play a less relevant role in risk of adult depression, though they should be not underestimated.
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
Background
The adult mental health consequences of childhood maltreatment are well documented. Maltreatment by peers (ie, bullying) has also been shown to have long-term adverse effects. We aimed to determine whether these effects are just due to being exposed to both maltreatment and bullying or whether bullying has a unique effect.
Methods
We used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children in the UK (ALSPAC) and the Great Smoky Mountains Study in the USA (GSMS) longitudinal studies. In ALSPAC, maltreatment was assessed as physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, or severe maladaptive parenting (or both) between ages 8 weeks and 8·6 years, as reported by the mother in questionnaires, and being bullied was assessed with child reports at 8, 10, and 13 years using the previously validated Bullying and Friendship Interview Schedule. In GSMS, both maltreatment and bullying were repeatedly assessed with annual parent and child interviews between ages 9 and 16 years. To identify the association between maltreatment, being bullied, and mental health problems, binary logistic regression analyses were run. The primary outcome variable was overall mental health problem (any anxiety, depression, or self-harm or suicidality).
Findings
4026 children from the ALSPAC cohort and 1420 children from the GSMS cohort provided information about bullying victimisation, maltreatment, and overall mental health problems. The ALSPAC study started in 1991 and the GSMS cohort enrolled participants from 1993. Compared with children who were not maltreated or bullied, children who were only maltreated were at increased risk for depression in young adulthood in models adjusted for sex and family hardships according to the GSMS cohort (odds ratio [OR] 4·1, 95% CI 1·5–11·7). According to the ALSPAC cohort, those who were only being maltreated were not at increased risk for any mental health problem compared with children who were not maltreated or bullied. By contrast, those who were both maltreated and bullied were at increased risk for overall mental health problems, anxiety, and depression according to both cohorts and self-harm according to the ALSPAC cohort compared with neutral children. Children who were bullied by peers only were more likely than children who were maltreated only to have mental health problems in both cohorts (ALSPAC OR 1·6, 95% CI 1·1–2·2; p=0·005; GSMS 3·8, 1·8–7·9, p<0·0001), with differences in anxiety (GSMS OR 4·9; 95% CI 2·0–12·0), depression (ALSPAC 1·7, 1·1–2·7), and self-harm (ALSPAC 1·7, 1·1–2·6) between the two cohorts.
Interpretation
Being bullied by peers in childhood had generally worse long-term adverse effects on young adults' mental health. These effects were not explained by poly-victimisation. The findings have important implications for public health planning and service development for dealing with peer bullying.
Funding
Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, NARSAD (Early Career Award), and the William T Grant Foundation.
Research on mindful parenting, an extension of mindfulness to the interpersonal domain of parent-child relationships, has been limited by its reliance on self-report assessment. The current study is the first to examine whether observational indices of parent-youth interactions differentiate between high and low levels of self-reported mindful parenting. The Iowa Family Interaction Rating Scales (IFIRS) were used to code interactions between mothers and their 7th grade youth. Mothers drawn from the top and bottom quartiles (n = 375) of a larger distribution of self-reported interpersonal mindfulness in parenting (N = 804) represented clearly defined high- and low-mindful parenting groups. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) was used to analyze how well 6 composite IFIRS observational rating variables (e.g., parental warmth, consistent discipline) discriminated between high and low self-reports of mindful parenting. DFA results were cross-validated, with statistically significant canonical correlations found for both subsamples (p < .05). Subsequent independent samples t tests revealed that group means were significantly different on all 6 IFIRS composite ratings. Confirmation of the relations between self-report mindful parenting and the observational ratings was also provided through hierarchical regression analyses conducted with a continuous predictor of mindful parenting using the full sample. Thus, the present study provides preliminary evidence for a link between self-reported mindful parenting and observed interactions between parents and youth. (PsycINFO Database Record
(c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).
Research Findings: Young children's relationships with their sisters and brothers offer unique and important opportunities for learning about emotions and developing emotional understanding. Through a critical analysis, this article examines sibling interaction in 3 different but normative contexts (conflict/conflict management, play, and sibling-parent interaction) in order to elucidate the processes by which emotional understanding and emotion regulation develop. The results of recent research and theoretical frameworks are used to explore the ways in which sibling relationships are effective contexts for the development of children's emotional understanding, including identifying emotions, decoding the emotions of others, and anticipating the emotional responses of others in particular situations; emotion regulation; and the use of emotional understanding to build (or impede) relationships and affect the behaviors of others. Practice or Policy: Implications from the current analysis include methods for harnessing the potential of children's growth in emotional understanding through their encounters with siblings to affect positive outcomes for child development.
Children involved in mutually hostile interactions at home are at risk of experiencing adjustment problems in other everyday life contexts. However, little is known about whether the pattern of mutual hostility at home is reproduced by high-conflict youths in other interpersonal contexts. In this study, we examined whether adolescents involved in mutually hostile interactions with their parents encounter similar mutually hostile interactions in other interpersonal contexts. We used a longitudinal design, following mid-adolescents over 1 year (N = 2,009, 51 % boys, Mage = 14.06, SD = 0.73). The adolescents were 7th and 8th grade students in a mid-sized town in Sweden. The results showed that the youths involved in mutual hostility at home were more likely to be involved in mutual hostility at school and in their free-time. A longitudinal relationship between mutual hostility at home and mutual hostility in other contexts was confirmed. Being involved in mutually hostile interactions at home at Time 1 increased adolescents' likelihood of getting involved in mutually hostile interactions with peers at school and in free-time at Time 2. Overall, the results point to the important role played by experiencing mutual hostility at home in maladaptive behaviors across everyday settings.
This study tests interparental boundary problems (IBPs), parent hostility with adolescents, and adolescent hostility with parents within a reciprocal influence model and tests each as risk factors for adolescent aggression problems. Prospective, longitudinal analyses were conducted with multi-informant data from 768 adolescents and their families, from 6(th) to 9(th) grade. Guided by spillover and social learning perspectives, our findings suggest that IBPs have a robust, negative influence on both parent and adolescent hostility. In turn, adolescent hostility was the best predictor of global adolescent aggression problems. Two indirect effects were found that link IBPs and adolescent aggression problems; however, findings indicate that adolescent hostile behavior in the family is the key risk indicator for adolescents' later aggression problems. Model invariance tests revealed that this model was not different for boys and girls, or for adolescents in families with two biological parents and youth in families with two caregivers (e.g. stepparent families).
The present study incorporates a person-based approach to identify spillover and compartmentalization patterns of interpartner conflict and maternal parenting practices in an ethnically diverse sample of 192 2-year-old children and their mothers who had experienced higher levels of socioeconomic risk. In addition, we tested whether sociocontextual variables were differentially predictive of theses profiles and examined how interpartner-parenting profiles were associated with children's physiological and psychological adjustment over time. As expected, latent class analyses extracted three primary profiles of functioning: adequate functioning, spillover, and compartmentalizing families. Furthermore, interpartner-parenting profiles were differentially associated with both sociocontextual predictors and children's adjustment trajectories. The findings highlight the developmental utility of incorporating person-based approaches to models of interpartner conflict and maternal parenting practices.
Objectives:
Being the victim of peer bullying is associated with increased risk of psychopathology, yet it is not known whether similar experiences of bullying increase risk of psychiatric disorder when the perpetrator is a sibling. We tested whether being bullied by a sibling is prospectively associated with depression, anxiety, and self-harm in early adulthood.
Methods:
We conducted a longitudinal study using data from >6900 participants of a UK community-based birth cohort (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children) who reported on sibling bullying at 12 years. Our main outcome measures were depression, anxiety, and self-harm, assessed using the Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised during clinic assessments when participants were 18.
Results:
Children who were frequently bullied were approximately twice as likely to have depression (odds ratio [OR] = 2.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33-3.51; P < .001), self-harm (OR = 2.56; 95% CI, 1.63-4.02; P < .001), and anxiety (OR = 1.83; 95% CI, 1.19-2.81; P < .001) as children who were not bullied by siblings. The ORs were only slightly attenuated after adjustment for a range of confounding individual, family, and peer factors. The population-attributable fractions suggested that 13.0% (95% CI, 1.0%-24.7%) of depression and 19.3% (95% CI, 7.6%-29.6%) of self-harm could be explained by being the victim of sibling bullying if these were causal relationships.
Conclusions:
Being bullied by a sibling is a potential risk factor for depression and self-harm in early adulthood. Our results suggest that interventions designed to target sibling bullying should be devised and evaluated.
Sibling aggression is a common form of intra-familial aggression, yet has been largely neglected by research. Using an inclusive measure of sibling aggression, this study investigated, firstly, prevalence of sibling aggression and associations with family and household characteristics, and secondly, the relationship between sibling aggression and peer bullying. Participants were 4,237 adolescents from Wave 1 of Understanding Society. Four types of sibling aggression were measured: physical, verbal, stealing and teasing, and combined into composite measures of victimization and perpetration. Regression analysis identified associations with demographic characteristics, family and sibling composition, parent–child relationships and socioeconomic status and explored the link between sibling aggression and involvement in peer bullying. Using a broad definition, sibling aggression was found to be widespread, with 46% of all participants being victimized and 36% perpetrating aggression. Household and family characteristics, including a large family size, male siblings, and financial difficulties were associated with greater rates of sibling aggression. Parenting behavior showed the strongest relationship: harsh parenting increased the risk of sibling aggression while positive parenting protected against it. Sibling aggression was also homotypically related to involvement in peer bullying. Victimization by siblings significantly increased the odds of being a victim of peer bullying, and perpetrators of sibling aggression were more likely to be both peer bullies and bully-victims. Considering the adverse effects of sibling aggression on physical and mental health, the study provides pointers for efforts to reduce the risk of sibling aggression. Furthermore, the link with peer bullying suggests that school anti-bullying efforts should also take account of children's sibling relationships. Aggr. Behav. 9999:XX–XX, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Patterson hypothesized that aggressive behavior develops in families when parents use coercion as the primary mode for controlling their children. The model has been tested with boys and older children. In this paper, through confirmatory factor analysis, we examine how well the coercion model generalizes to 5-year-old children (boys and girls). Our results suggest that the model fits the data similarly for boys and girls. Few sex differences in child antisocial behavior were found on observed or parent-rated measures, nor were differences found in observed parent aversive responses to child behavior. This implies that similar coercion processes apply to both boys and girls. Aggr. Behav. 27:14–25, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
This special edition of the classic text includes a new introduction from Professor Arlene Vetere exploring its continuing influence on contemporary practice. One of family therapy's foundational texts, Families and Family Therapy is as relevant today as it has ever been. Examining the therapist's role, Dr. Minuchin presents the views and strategies of a master clinician in a clear and practical form. Transcripts of actual family sessions-both with families meeting their problems fairly successfully and those seeking help-are accompanied by a running interpretation of what is taking place. The book constructs a model of an effectively functioning family and defining the boundaries around its different subsystems, whether parental, spouse, or sibling. It then explores the ways in which families adapt to stress from within and without, as they seek to survive and grow. Combining vivid clinical examples, specific details of technique, and mature perspectives on both effectively functioning families and those seeking therapy, this is an important text for all those interesting in the theory and practice of family therapy. This book can be used on courses such as Family Therapy, Family Interventions, Systemic Practice, and Systemic Counselling within departments of Psychology, Mental Health, and Counselling; and by undergraduate students on Social Work qualifying courses. Salvador Minuchin is a renowned and influential child psychiatrist and family therapist, most famous for developing Structural Family Therapy, a method of psychotherapy which addresses problems in functioning within a family.
Background
Being bullied by a sibling has been recently identified as a potential risk factor for developing depression and self-harm. It is unknown whether this risk extends to other serious mental health problems such as psychosis. We investigated whether sibling bullying victimization or perpetration in middle childhood was prospectively associated with psychotic disorder in early adulthood.
Methods
The current study investigated 6988 participants of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a UK community-based birth cohort. Sibling bullying was reported at 12 years and psychotic disorder was assessed via a semi-structured interview at 18 years.
Results
Involvement in sibling bullying was associated with psychotic disorder in a dose-response fashion, even after controlling for a range of confounders. Those involved several times a week were 2–3 times more likely to meet criteria for a psychotic disorder [odds ratio (OR); 95% confidence interval (CI)]: victimization (OR 2.74; CI 1.28–5.87); perpetration (OR 3.16; CI 1.35–7.41). Categorical analysis indicated that particularly victims (OR 3.10; CI 1.48–6.50) and bully-victims (OR 2.66; CI 1.24–5.69) were at increased risk of psychotic disorder. Involvement in both sibling and peer bullying had a dose-effect relationship with a psychotic disorder, with those victimized in both contexts having more than four times the odds for a psychotic disorder (OR 4.57; CI 1.73–12.07).
Conclusion
Parents and health professionals should be aware of the adverse long-term effects of sibling bullying.
Different interpersonal experiences are related to delinquency and depressive mood. In many studies, delinquency has been associated with exposing others to hostility, while depressive mood has been associated with being a victim of others’ hostility. In this study, we proposed that adolescents with a co-occurrence of high delinquency and depressive mood may be both perpetrators and victims in their relations with parents at home, peers and teachers at school, and other people encountered in leisure time. We studied a normative sample of 1452 mid-adolescents (50.61% boys and 49.38% girls). Cluster analyses found a group with a co-occurrence of high delinquency and high depressive mood. Adolescents in this cluster group were highest on being exposed to hostility, exposing others to hostility, and being involved in mutually hostile interactions with others in different everyday contexts. The findings were especially strong when we examined being a victim and a perpetrator across contexts. The results were similar for boys and girls. We conclude that the co-occurrence of high delinquency and depressive mood among some adolescents is intimately linked to the mutually hostile interactions that these adolescents experience in their everyday interpersonal contexts.
Parent–adolescent conflict is a normative characteristic of adolescence. However, research findings have been inconsistent, and the relative contributions of specific dimensions of parent–adolescent conflict (disagreement and hostility) to youth maladjustment are unknown. This meta-analysis synthesized the literature on parent–adolescent conflict and distinguished disagreement, hostility, and composite measures of disagreement and hostility. A multilevel model was utilized to analyze 401 effects from 52 studies. Results indicate that parent–adolescent conflict is positively associated with youth maladjustment. The strength of this association varied as a function of youth maladjustment dimensions but not conflict dimensions. The association between parent–adolescent conflict and youth maladjustment also varied by youth gender and by longitudinal versus cross-sectional design. Results suggest that both disagreement and hostility in parent–adolescent relationships have negative effects on youth development.
Sibling abuse remains under the radar despite its devastating consequences. Without the provision of child welfare statutes to identify sibling abuse and its lack of distinction from other forms of sibling conflict, child welfare workers, mandated reporters, and practitioners face challenges to make complete assessments of family violence. The narratives of 19 self-identified survivors of traumatic childhood and adolescent sibling abuse accentuate the need to identify and validate these experiences as a necessary aspect of protection and healing. Exploratory research of sibling abuse based in a grounded theory framework and phenomenological analysis uncovered critical incidents of physical and emotional sibling abuse underscoring its harrowing impact. The accounts give clarity to defining sibling abuse which includes unpredictable and relentless acts of intimidation resulting in a state of helplessness and isolation. The findings have protective and practice implications for child welfare and clinical social work.
Parents play a crucial role in the development of their children's relationships with their siblings. Despite this, relatively few evidence-based parenting programs exist that specifically offer parents the strategies and techniques they desire and require for managing their children's sibling relationships. One way of bridging this gap is to design a tailored parenting intervention for sibling relationships that incorporates the parent voice in various aspects of program design. The current study recruited a convenience sample of 409 Australian parents to complete an online survey relating to their views on difficult sibling behaviors and what, if any, help they desire in dealing with the issue. The majority of respondents were Caucasian, middle- to upper-class mothers. Respondents predominantly attributed the causes of sibling conflict to their child's internal traits, but expressed strong desire for assistance with managing behavioral problems, especially when sibling relationships were marked by physical aggression. Respondents reported high levels of acceptability for positive, rather than punitive, parenting strategies and showed a clear preference for parenting interventions delivered in easy-to-access formats. The findings are interpreted in the context of guiding the development of a tailored parenting intervention for enhancing sibling relationships and reducing conflict.
© 2015 Family Process Institute.
It is important to estimate the burden of and trends for violence, crime, and abuse in the lives of children.
To provide health care professionals, policy makers, and parents with current estimates of exposure to violence, crime, and abuse across childhood and at different developmental stages.
The National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV) includes a representative sample of US telephone numbers from August 28, 2013, to April 30, 2014. Via telephone interviews, information was obtained on 4000 children 0 to 17 years old, with information about exposure to violence, crime, and abuse provided by youth 10 to 17 years old and by caregivers for children 0 to 9 years old.
Exposure to violence, crime, and abuse using the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire.
In total, 37.3% of youth experienced a physical assault in the study year, and 9.3% of youth experienced an assault-related injury. Two percent of girls experienced sexual assault or sexual abuse in the study year, while the rate was 4.6% for girls 14 to 17 years old. Overall, 15.2% of children and youth experienced maltreatment by a caregiver, including 5.0% who experienced physical abuse. In total, 5.8% witnessed an assault between parents. Only 2 significant rate changes could be detected compared with the last survey in 2011, namely, declines in past-year exposure to dating violence and lifetime exposure to household theft.
Children and youth are exposed to violence, abuse, and crime in varied and extensive ways, which justifies continued monitoring and prevention efforts.
Bullying has negative effects on the victim, the aggressor and the bystanders. It is essential to determine the risk factors that can predict its onset in order to facilitate early identification of students at risk of becoming future victims or bullies and to optimize the design of measures for the prevention or treatment of bullying. Any measure in this regard should be based on the most solid scientific evidence available to date. The present work aims to undertake a systematic review of the scientific empirical articles published in the last decade that have analyzed possible risk factors predicting the perpetration of traditional school bullying in adolescence. From a search in the publications databases PsycInfo, Eric, and Web of Science, 85 articles that met the search requirements were selected. As a result of the analysis of the selected items, we identified the individual, school, family and community factors that increase the risk of bullying perpetration in adolescence, according to the available empirical evidence. We underscore the main points of agreement in the research community and the controversial aspects that still deserve to be studied in more depth.
Relatively little is known about the associations
between childhood exposure to intimate partner violence
(IPV) and adulthood mental health problems. This study used
2,500 Swedish young adults’ retrospective self-reports to determine
the prevalence of childhood exposure to IPVand examine
the relationships between such exposure and gender,
age of exposure and adult mental health problems. Twentyeight
percent of participants reported any childhood exposure
to IPV. Exposure was more common among women, who
were also younger at first exposure and exposed to more severe
violence than men. Both exposure and severity of IPV
were related to all mental health problems examined. The
interaction of IPVexposure and gender, while significant, explained
relatively little of the variance in mental health
problems.
Foreword Arlene Vetere 1. Structural Family Therapy 2. A Family in Formation 3. A Family Model 4. A Kibbutz Family 5. Therapeutic Implications of a Structural Approach 6. The Family in Therapy 7. Forming the Therapeutic System 8. Restructuring the Family 9. A "Yes, But" Technique 10. A "Yes, And" Technique 11. The Initial Interview 12. A Longitudinal View Epilog
This article discusses alternatives to single-step mixture modeling. A 3-step method for latent class predictor variables is studied in several different settings, including latent class analysis, latent transition analysis, and growth mixture modeling. It is explored under violations of its assumptions such as with direct effects from predictors to latent class indicators. The 3-step method is also considered for distal variables. The Lanza, Tan, and Bray (2013) method for distal variables is studied under several conditions including violations of its assumptions. Standard errors are also developed for the Lanza method because these were not given in Lanza et al. (2013).
This study tests interparental boundary problems (IBPs), parent hostility with adolescents, and adolescent hostility with parents within a reciprocal influence model and tests each as risk factors for adolescent aggression problems. Prospective, longitudinal analyses were conducted with multi-informant data from 768 adolescents and their families, from 6th to 9th grade. Guided by spillover and social learning perspectives, our findings suggest that IBPs have a robust, negative influence on both parent and adolescent hostility. In turn, adolescent hostility was the best predictor of global adolescent aggression problems. Two indirect effects were found that link IBPs and adolescent aggression problems; however, findings indicate that adolescent hostile behavior in the family is the key risk indicator for adolescents’ later aggression problems. Model invariance tests revealed that this model was not different for boys and girls, or for adolescents in families with two biological parents and youth in families with two caregivers (e.g. stepparent families).
