The Effect of Child Gender, Parent School Involvement, and Parent Language Use on School Functioning Among Trauma-Exposed Latinx Youth

Abstract

High rates of trauma exposure can impede school functioning, which is predictive of many negative long-term outcomes. This study examined school functioning in Latinx children with clinically elevated levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms. We found that child gender, parent language use, and parent school involvement were associated with school functioning in complex ways. Interactive effects revealed that the association between parent school involvement and child school functioning depended on parent language use. Greater parent school involvement was linked with better school functioning when parents spoke more English, but parent school involvement did not improve school functioning when parents spoke more Spanish, which may reflect Spanish-speaking parents’ challenges engaging with schools. These findings have important implications for improving academic outcomes for trauma-exposed Latinx youth.