Journal
CHILD MALTREATMENT
Volume 26, Issue 3, Pages 255-266Publisher
SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC
DOI: 10.1177/10775595211006465
Keywords
COVID-19; coronavirus; neglect; physical discipline
Categories
Funding
- Coronavirus Research Seed Fund (CRSF)
- Social Science Research Institute
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [P50HD089922]
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Pennsylvania State University
- Department of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The study found that COVID-19 stress is associated with parenting behaviors, with individual and household stress levels, as well as distress, positively correlated with parents' neglectful, harsh, and positive discipline practices.
Objectives: To estimate household exposure to COVID-19 related stress and the association with parent report of neglectful, harsh, and positive discipline practices. Methods: Cross sectional survey data was collected from 2,068 parents in the Northeastern US. Parents reported personal and household experiences of COVID-19 stressors, their level of distress, and use of neglectful parenting and discipline practices for a randomly selected child in their home. Analyses estimated rates of COVID-19 related stress and parenting practices. Logistic regression was used to assess the relation of COVID-19 stress to parenting behaviors. Results: Individual and household stressor level, as well as distress were each positively associated with likelihood of neglect. Personal exposure to stressors was minimally related to discipline, but household stressor level and parents' distress were positively associated with harsh and positive discipline. Discussion: Indicators of COVID-19 stress (e.g., exposure to stressors and distress) each uniquely predicted parents' use of neglect, particularly physical and family-based sub-types, and use of harsh and positive discipline practices. Results suggest that parents may require additional support to provide appropriate care for their children while coping with the increased rates of stress associated with the pandemic and the resulting public health response.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available