Interrupting the Link Between Temperamental risk, Adverse Parenting Practices, and Externalizing Problems in School-Aged Children: The Role of Teacher-Child Relationships.

Abstract

This study examined how adverse parenting practices mediate the relationship between child temperament and later externalizing problems, and whether the teacher-child relationship moderates these associations. Data on child temperament, parenting practices, child externalizing problems (parent-reported), and teacher-child relationship (teacher-reported) were collected over three years (mean ages 8.40 to 11.29) among 434 children (44.7% girls) with early-onset externalizing problems. Results from structural equation modeling revealed that parental hostility mediated associations between temperamental factors (high negative affectivity, low effortful control) and later externalizing problems, controlling for demographics and baseline externalizing problems. These indirect associations were specific to children with low to average levels of closeness with teachers. Inconsistent parental discipline also mediated the association between low effortful control and greater externalizing problems but only at high levels of teacher-child closeness. Results suggest that teacher-child closeness could alter the risks associated with specific parenting practices in the development of externalizing problems during childhood.