Parental child abuse potential and subsequent coping competence in disadvantaged preschool children: moderating effects of sex and ethnicity.

This study evaluated the effects of abuse potential in parents on subsequent coping competence domains in their children, using a model empirically supported in a high-risk community sample by Moreland and Dumas (2007). Data from an ethnically diverse sample of 579 parents enrolled in the PACE (Parenting Our Children to Excellence) program was used to evaluate whether parental child abuse potential assessed at pre-intervention negatively contributed to child affective, achievement, and social coping competence in preschoolers one year later, and whether these associations were moderated by sex or ethnicity. Cross-sectional results indicated that parental child abuse potential was negatively related to child affective and achievement coping competence, after accounting for variance associated with child behavior problems. However, child abuse potential was not predictive of subsequent coping competence in any domain after controlling for previous levels of child coping competence. No moderating effects were found for sex and ethnicity, but results showed main effects of sex and ethnicity in cross-sectional analyses. Clinical implications and future directions are discussed.

Ethnicity differences in child and parental outcomes following involvement the PACE program.

This study investigated ethnic differences in the extent to which engagement (i.e., attendance and quality of participation) in the PACE (Parenting our Children to Excellence) program predicted positive child and parent outcomes. PACE is an 8-week preventive intervention aimed at parents of preschool children. The study investigated the relation of engagement to outcomes in an ethnically diverse sample of 298 African American and 280 European American parents. Overall results demonstrated that engagement in PACE significantly improved child and parent outcomes for both African American and European American participants. Some improvements were evident at post-assessment already and were maintained or became stronger at a one-year follow-up assessment, whereas others only became evident at follow-up. Specifically, results revealed that attendance in PACE significantly improved child coping competence and parenting stress for both the African American and European American samples. PACE attendance also significantly improved child behavior problems, parental satisfaction and parental efficacy for the European American sample. Findings indicate that PACE is a promising intervention for parents of African American and Caucasian preschoolers; although further research and program refinement is necessary in order to understand the mechanisms with the PACE intervention that seem to vary for African American compared to Caucasian families.

Predictors of physical assault victimization: findings from the National Survey of Adolescents.

Exposure to interpersonal victimization during childhood and adolescence is prevalent and has been found to be associated with negative physical and mental health outcomes. The present study examined the relations between childhood violence exposure and mental health on subsequent exposure to new physical assault in young adults using longitudinal nationally representative, prospective data from the initial (Wave I) and follow-up interviews (Wave II) of the National Survey of Adolescents (NSA). Among the 1,753 participants who completed both assessment time points, 15.8% reported a new physical assault experience at Wave II. Results indicated that racial/ethnic status, gender, history of child physical abuse, witnessed violence drug use, and family drug problems reported at Wave I were all significant predictors of new physical assault. Implications are discussed.

Child and parental outcomes of a group parenting intervention for Latino families: A pilot study of the CANNE program.

Criando a Nuestros Niños hacia el Éxito (CANNE) is the Spanish adaptation of Parenting Our Children to Excellence (PACE). A pilot study conducted with 124 parents of preschoolers (mostly recent Mexican immigrants) provides preliminary evidence for the community acceptability and efficacy of CANNE. Eighty-eight of the 124 parents who enrolled in the program attended one or more of the 8 sessions (17% attended 1 session, 11% attended 2-4 sessions, and 72% attended 5 or more sessions), participated actively in sessions, and expressed high degrees of program satisfaction. Over time, parents improved on measures of harsh-inconsistent discipline, and children improved on social competence and social-communication skills. When high-versus-low attenders were compared, high attenders (parents who attended 4 sessions or more) reported greater increases than low attenders in their appropriate-positive parenting practices and clear expectations, and in their children's social competence and communication skills, and they reported greater decreases in their harsh-inconsistent discipline and in their children's aggressiveness and hyperactivity. Some of these changes were evident by the end of the program, whereas others became apparent (or stronger) over a 3-month follow-up period. These encouraging results point to the need for an efficacy study that assesses how well CANNE can help larger numbers of Latino parents in the important task of bringing up their young children in the United States.

Child and parental outcomes following involvement in a preventive intervention: efficacy of the PACE program.

This study evaluated whether engagement (i.e., attendance and quality of participation) in the Parenting our Children to Excellence (PACE) program predicted positive child and parent outcomes. PACE in an 8-week preventive intervention aimed at parents of preschool children. The study investigated the relation of engagement to outcomes in an ethnically diverse sample of 610 parents and among a subset of those parents at high risk for child maltreatment. Overall results demonstrated that engagement in PACE significantly improved child and parent outcomes at post-assessment and/or one-year follow-up assessment. Results for the high-risk subsample were even stronger as engagement significantly improved almost all of the child and parent outcomes at post-assessment, which continued to significantly improve in the year following program completion. Findings provide support for the efficacy of PACE in improving child and parent outcomes in an ethnically diverse community population and among parents considered at risk for child maltreatment.

Bidirectional Relationships Between Parenting Stress and Child Coping Competence: Findings From the Pace Study.

The present study was designed to evaluate the bidirectional relationships between parenting stress and child coping competence. Data from a diverse sample of 610 parents enrolled in the parenting our children to excellence program was used to evaluate whether parenting stress negatively contributes to affective, achievement, and social coping competence in preschoolers, as well as whether child coping competence predicts parenting stress; after accounting for child disruptive behavior. Results from cross-lagged panel analyses demonstrated a bidirectional relationship, such that parenting stress predicted later child coping competence and child coping competence predicted later parenting stress. Assessment of ethnicity differences indicated that child coping continues to have a long-term impact on parenting stress, regardless of parent ethnicity. The same relationship did not hold for earlier parenting stress on later child coping competence, however, indicating a bidirectional relationship for African American families, but not for their European American counterparts. The relationship between parenting stress and child coping competence is discussed with respect to their conceptual and clinical implications. Suggestions for parent training intervention and prevention programs are given.

"When Will Your Program Be Available in Spanish?" Adapting an Early Parenting Intervention for Latino Families.

This paper describes the Spanish adaptation of PACE-Parenting Our Children to Excellence. Successfully offered in preschools and daycare centers since 2002, PACE is a research-based preventive intervention to support families in their parenting task through discussions and activities that address practical childrearing issues and promote child coping-competence. Developed in response to community calls, the new program is known as CANNE -Criando a Nuestros Niños hacia el Éxito. The paper makes the processes linking original and adapted versions explicit by accounting for the conceptual and practical decisions that were made as CANNE was being developed. We begin by summarizing the challenges of adapting and translating a behavioral intervention, and by describing the coping-competence model that informs both versions of the program. We turn then to a detailed account of the adaptation itself and of its results. Specifically, we describe: (a) the consultation process at the origin of this adaptation, (b) the adaptation of the manual and the steps taken to establish the extent to which the English and Spanish versions correspond (adaptation fidelity), and (c) the translation of the manual and the cross-language comparison of measures to demonstrate that they yield comparable data when administered in English and Spanish.

Predicting child abuse potential: an empirical investigation of two theoretical frameworks.

This study investigated two theoretical risk models predicting child maltreatment potential: (a) Belsky's (1993) developmental-ecological model and (b) the cumulative risk model in a sample of 610 caregivers (49% African American, 46% European American; 53% single) with a child between 3 and 6 years old. Results extend the literature by using a widely accepted and valid risk instrument rather than occurrence rates (e.g., reports to child protective services, observations). Results indicated Belsky's developmental-ecological model, in which risk markers were organized into three separate conceptual domains, provided a poor fit to the data. In contrast, the cumulative risk model, which included the accumulation of risk markers, was significant in predicting child abuse potential.

Effects of monetary incentives on engagement in the PACE parenting program.

This study evaluated parental engagement in an 8-week parenting program offered through daycare centers that were randomly assigned to a monetary incentive or nonincentive condition. Of an initial sample of 1,050 parents who rated their intent to enroll in the program, 610 went on to enroll-319 in the incentive and 291 in the nonincentive condition. Results showed that intent to enroll predicted enrollment irrespective of condition. Further, parents did not enroll in greater numbers, attend more sessions, or participate more actively in the incentive condition. Incentives encouraged some parents, often younger and socioeconomically disadvantaged, to enroll but had no effect on their attendance. Of importance, these results could not be accounted for by between-condition differences in child and family or in daycare characteristics.

Prevalence and correlates of poor self-rated health in the United States: the national elder mistreatment study.

OBJECTIVES: Despite its subjective nature, self-report of health status is strongly correlated with long-term physical morbidity and mortality. Among the most reliable predictors of self-reported poor health is older age. In younger adult populations, the second reliable predictor of reported poor health is the experience of domestic and other interpersonal violence. However, very little research exits on the connection between elder mistreatment and self-reports of poor health. The aim of this study was to examine the level of, and correlates for, poor self-rated health in a community sample of older adults with particular emphasis on elder mistreatment history, demographics, and social dependency variables. DESIGN: Random digit dialing telephone survey methodology. SETTING: A national representative phone survey of noninstitutionalized U.S. household population. PARTICIPANTS: Five thousand seven hundred seventy-seven U.S. adults, aged 60 years and older. MEASUREMENTS: Individuals participated in a structured interview assessing elder mistreatment history, demographics, and social dependency variables. RESULTS: Poor self-rated health was endorsed by 22.3% of the sample. Final multivariable logistic regression models showed that poor self-rated health was associated with unemployment, marital status, low income, low social support, use of social services, needing help in activities of daily living, and being bothered by emotional problems. Secondary analyses revealed a mediational role of emotional symptoms in the association between physical maltreatment and poor health. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that poor health is common among older adults. This study also identified correlates of poor health that may be useful in identification of those in need of intervention.