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Parenting in a conflict-affected setting: Discipline practices, parent-child interactions, and parenting stress in Liberia.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Johnson, SL; Rieder, A; Green, EP; Finnegan, A; Chase, RM; Zayzay, J; Puffer, ES
Published in: Journal of family psychology : JFP : journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43)
April 2023

Children in conflict-affected settings are at increased risk for exposure to violence, placing particular importance on caregiving environments. This study first describes parenting in urban Liberia by evaluating parent-child interactions, the use and acceptance of harsh and nonharsh discipline, discipline preferences, and the co-occurrence of positive interactions and harsh discipline. The relationship between parenting stress and harsh discipline attitudes and behaviors is then tested. Participants included 813 parents with a child aged 3 or 4 years old. A quantitative survey battery assessed parent-child interactions; discipline practices, preferences, and attitudes; and parenting stress. Parents reported frequent use and high acceptance of nonharsh discipline, as well as frequent positive interactions with their child. Though parents reported less frequent use and low acceptance of harsh discipline, preference for harsh discipline-based on hypothetical situations rather than self-report-was common. There was co-occurrence of frequent positive interactions and frequent harsh discipline, with one third reporting high frequency of both. Regression analysis revealed greater parenting stress (β = .15, t = 4.49, p < .001) and stronger acceptance of harsh discipline (β = .47, t = 15.49, p < .001) were associated with more frequent harsh discipline. Acceptance of harsh discipline interacted with parenting stress to predict the use of harsh discipline (β = -.09, t = -3.09, p < .01). Among parents with lowest average acceptance of harsh practices, stress predicted more frequent harsh discipline, but acceptance did not moderate the association for those who are most accepting of harsh practices. Building on existing parenting strengths and addressing parenting stress could promote nurturing caregiving in conflict-affected settings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

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Published In

Journal of family psychology : JFP : journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43)

DOI

EISSN

1939-1293

ISSN

0893-3200

Publication Date

April 2023

Volume

37

Issue

3

Start / End Page

283 / 294

Related Subject Headings

  • Violence
  • Parents
  • Parenting
  • Parent-Child Relations
  • Liberia
  • Humans
  • Family Studies
  • Child, Preschool
  • 5205 Social and personality psychology
  • 5203 Clinical and health psychology
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Johnson, S. L., Rieder, A., Green, E. P., Finnegan, A., Chase, R. M., Zayzay, J., & Puffer, E. S. (2023). Parenting in a conflict-affected setting: Discipline practices, parent-child interactions, and parenting stress in Liberia. Journal of Family Psychology : JFP : Journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43), 37(3), 283–294. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0001041
Johnson, Savannah L., Amber Rieder, Eric P. Green, Amy Finnegan, Rhea M. Chase, John Zayzay, and Eve S. Puffer. “Parenting in a conflict-affected setting: Discipline practices, parent-child interactions, and parenting stress in Liberia.Journal of Family Psychology : JFP : Journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43) 37, no. 3 (April 2023): 283–94. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0001041.
Johnson SL, Rieder A, Green EP, Finnegan A, Chase RM, Zayzay J, et al. Parenting in a conflict-affected setting: Discipline practices, parent-child interactions, and parenting stress in Liberia. Journal of family psychology : JFP : journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43). 2023 Apr;37(3):283–94.
Johnson, Savannah L., et al. “Parenting in a conflict-affected setting: Discipline practices, parent-child interactions, and parenting stress in Liberia.Journal of Family Psychology : JFP : Journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43), vol. 37, no. 3, Apr. 2023, pp. 283–94. Epmc, doi:10.1037/fam0001041.
Johnson SL, Rieder A, Green EP, Finnegan A, Chase RM, Zayzay J, Puffer ES. Parenting in a conflict-affected setting: Discipline practices, parent-child interactions, and parenting stress in Liberia. Journal of family psychology : JFP : journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43). 2023 Apr;37(3):283–294.

Published In

Journal of family psychology : JFP : journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43)

DOI

EISSN

1939-1293

ISSN

0893-3200

Publication Date

April 2023

Volume

37

Issue

3

Start / End Page

283 / 294

Related Subject Headings

  • Violence
  • Parents
  • Parenting
  • Parent-Child Relations
  • Liberia
  • Humans
  • Family Studies
  • Child, Preschool
  • 5205 Social and personality psychology
  • 5203 Clinical and health psychology