Family Science
Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2239
Formerly known as the Department of Family Studies.
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Item The emotional well-being of mothers of transgender and gender non-conforming children(2015) Allen, Samuel H.; Leslie, Leigh A; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)In recent years, mental health professionals have reported an upsurge in the number of referrals relating to transgender identities among children. While controversies exist among clinicians over treatment for these children, a growing number of practitioners are encouraging parents to accept their children's gender expressions. This practice, however, may be challenging for parents to embrace for a number of reasons, resulting in a vulnerable mental state. Using a combined theoretical framework of decentering heteronormativity within Meyer's minority stress theory (2003), the present study seeks to determine the association between various factors--gender non conformity, gender role beliefs, and child misbehavior--and the anxiety and depression in mothers of transgender and gender non-conforming children. Data were taken from Wave 1 of a longitudinal study of transgender and gender non-conforming children and their parents. Results indicated that only child misbehavior was significantly associated with maternal anxiety, and social support did not moderate this relationship. Complete findings and their implications are discussed, for both future research and further deconstruction of gender in the social sciences.Item Predictors of Positive Parenting and Use of Spanking Among Low Income, Predominantly Single, African American Mothers of Toddlers(2012) Bruton, Robin Denise; Wallen, Jacqueline; Koblinsky, Sally A.; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)A large body of research emphasizes the key role of maternal parenting in fostering positive outcomes for children, particularly during children's early years. Given this literature, it is important to identify factors that predict positive parenting, especially in the most vulnerable populations of families with young children. Therefore, this study used secondary data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study (FFCW) to examine predictors of positive parenting and use of spanking in a sample of 1,161 low income, predominantly single, African American mothers of toddlers (mean age of 13 months). Study mothers had limited education, with 82% having a high school degree or less. An ecological risk and resilience framework was used to investigate the potential risk and protective role of four microsystem variables, including maternal education, maternal health, parenting stress, and number of children; one child characteristic, the presence or absence of a toddler with asthma; and one mesosystem factor, paternal support, in predicting the two parenting outcomes. Findings revealed that mothers engaged in many positive parenting practices and approximately one quarter (26.4%) had spanked their toddler within the previous month. Results of linear regression analysis indicated that better maternal health, lower parenting stress, more paternal support, and having a child with asthma were predictive of mothers' engagement in more positive parenting practices. Logistic regression analysis revealed that more parenting stress, lower paternal support, better maternal health, only one child in the home, and having a child without asthma predicted greater maternal use of spanking. Maternal education was not found to be a predictor of either parenting behavior. Results revealed that study mothers engaged in more nurturing and caregiving activities than learning activities with their toddlers. Overall, findings suggest that family practitioners and health care professionals should introduce culturally sensitive interventions to reduce parenting stress, increase paternal support, and improve maternal health among this population of low income mothers. Programs should continue to support mothers with asthmatic children, educate all mothers about alternatives to spanking, and encourage maternal engagement in activities that foster toddlers' cognitive development. Additional implications of the study for policymakers and program developers are discussed.Item The Relations Among Maternal Depression, Parenting Behaviors, and Adolescents' Perceptions of Family Functioning: The Moderating Effect of Mothers' Couple Relationship Status(2008-05-05) Drescher, Amanda; Epstein, Norman; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This study examined relations among maternal depression, parenting behaviors, and adolescents' perceptions of family functioning. It also investigated whether parenting behavior mediated the relation between maternal depression and adolescents' perceptions of family functioning, as well as whether mother's couple relationship status moderated the relation between depression and parenting behavior. Maternal depression was not associated with adolescents' perceptions of family functioning. Maternal depression was associated with authoritarian and permissive parenting but not with authoritative parenting. Authoritarian and permissive parenting was associated with adolescents' perceptions of less positive family functioning, whereas authoritative parenting was associated with perceptions of more positive family functioning. Parenting behavior did not mediate between maternal depression and adolescents' perceptions of family functioning. Overall, mother's couple relationship status did not moderate the relation between maternal depression and parenting behavior; but there was a trend for the relation between depression and permissive parenting to be stronger when mothers were unpartnered.