This research examines the childhood abuse and maltreatment experiences of adolescent mothers (age 14 to 17; N = 80) to investigate if these experiences have hindered their socioemotional development and consequently, their parenting behaviors and attitudes. Data were gathered using four standardized self-report instruments: the Child Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC), the BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory-Youth Version (EQi-YV), and the Adult Adolescent Parenting Inventory (AAPI-2). Two additional questionnaires were developed to gather demographic and social service information to add to the knowledge base of the field, and to examine what (if any) developmentally focused services young mothers may need. Interitem and interscale correlations, simple regressions, and hierarchical regressions were produced and examined to determine the strength and types of relationships between the variables. The explanatory capabilities of sets of predictor variables were tested as well. Overall 76.3% of participants reported experiencing childhood abuse and/or neglect above minimal levels. Predictor variables high levels of emotional neglect and depression significantly predicted lower socioemotional development (p < .001 and p < .05); higher levels of socioemotional development significantly predicted more positive parenting attitudes regarding corporal punishment (p < .05); and socioeconomic status predicted more positive empathy and role reversal parental attitudes (p < .05). The results of the research also supported alternative hypotheses regarding the need for appropriate and specific developmental and clinical services for teenage mothers who have suffered childhood trauma and neglect. In spite of the high maltreatment rate reported by participants, only 24% of participants had received any family therapy and only 41% had received any individual therapy. Other developmental and/or clinical service provision proportions were quite low as well (range 24-54% not received). Accordingly, demographic and services data are provided, descriptively analyzed, and discussed in detail. Study limitations and practice considerations, and a new assessment and service delivery model are offered, as are suggestions for future research.

Parents of transgender children face challenges when their children come out, including fear of negative reaction toward the parents and their transgender child by community members, concerns about social status in the community or religious organizations, and concerns about the inability of the transgender child to build his or her own family. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate the emotional experiences of parents regarding their acceptance or rejection of their transgender child. Rohner's parental acceptance-rejection theory provided the framework for the study. Data were collected from parents (N = 13) who attended Parents and Friends of Gay and Lesbian support groups from various areas in the United States or who were identified through snowball sampling using semistructured interviews and a demographic questionnaire. Data were coded and analyzed to identify themes in parental responses to their transgender children coming out, which were either negative, neutral, positive, or mixed. Results indicated that even parents with negative emotions supported and loved their children unconditionally. Findings may be used to develop supportive interventions for parents coping with their transgender child's transition.

Hispanic immigrant parents are a growing yet understudied population. Few studies have addressed the relationship between Hispanic immigrant parents and the acculturation process. The purpose of this study was to determine how acculturative stress, racism, language proficiency, poor coping style, and low levels of social support affect the psychological adjustment of Hispanic immigrant parents. Using the framework of acculturation theory, this quantitative study examined 92 immigrant Hispanic parents from an urban northeast school in the United States. Several established instruments that measured racism, coping style, language proficiency, social support, and psychological distress were used. The results of the multiple regression analysis showed that as Spanish competencies pressure increased, depressive symptoms increased. In addition, as interpersonal support increased, depressive symptoms decreased. Contrary to recent literature, racism, coping style, and language proficiency were not predictive of psychological distress. This study contributes to positive social change by understanding how Spanish competencies pressure can cause psychological distress, thereby giving therapists the sapience to better treat this population with effective therapies such as social support, and thus improving the quality of life of this population.

The purpose of this correlational study is to investigate the impact of the child’s functional status, family context, parent acculturation, and social support on parenting stress and, ultimately, on parents physical and mental health. A convenience sample of 50 Hispanic parents was recruited through a Facebook page and from agencies in South Florida providing services to children with disabilities and their families. The parents ages range from 21 to 62 years and the majority were mothers (n= 45). The majority of parents in this study live in low income households, have no college education, showed little participation in the workforce, and low acculturation. There were 30 boys and 20 girls between the ages of three to 21 years. Parents provided the data during an interview and through questionnaires. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and correlation analyses. Correlation analyses were conducted with the child’s characteristics, family context, socioeconomic status, parent acculturation, social support, parenting stress, and parent’s physical and mental health. The most frequent health problem reported by parents was neck and back pain. Parenting stress had a positive correlation with low acculturation and depression. The parents’ physical and mental health had a positive correlation with parents’ perception of social support. Parenting stress had a negative correlation with perceived social support, parents’ mental health, educational achievement and years lived in the U.S. There was a negative correlation between parent depression, perceived social support, and parents’ physical health. These parents reported low perceived social support and high levels of parenting stress. The results of this study indicate that parents with low acculturation reported higher level of parenting stress. Future research ought to continue exploring which interventions will better serve these parents and how cultural constructs influence their attitudes, expectations, decision making, and priorities.

The purpose of this thesis was to examine children's perceptions of parens as these are related to the child's social class background. Four pictures from the Tasks of Emotional Development Test were administered individually to a sample of 60 fourth grade children from two Ogden, Utah, Public schools, These picture tasks were intended to encourage subjects to project their perceptions toward parents specific to the pictorial situation. The findings of this study seemed to indicate a tendency toward differences between middle and lower class children in their perceptions of parents. Middle class children were shown to obtain higher maturity scores in their perceptions of three pictorial tasks plus higher total maturity scores than children of the lower class. Lower class children obtained higher maturity scores for one picture task (acceptance of limits from adults). Differences between boys and girls in their perceptions toward parents were not found to be supported by the statistical data. only one picture (Separation from mother) showed a significant difference between boys and girls at the .05 level.

The transition of Navajo Indian children from boarding schools to public schools has brought about the challenge of involving parents in their children's education. These people have previously been accustomed to having the education of their children left to the distant schools, with little opportunity for parental involvement. As a consequence, it is often difficult to get these parents to accept the schools' invitations to participate in conferences and other activities when parental involvement is important. This study reviewed all of the reports that could be found of programs involving Indians and non-Indian parents in their children ' s education. These programs were discussed with reference to their applicability to Navajo culture and the geography of the reservation. Suggestions and guidelines were offered for using various parts of these programs with Navajo Indian parents.

The Primary intent of this study was to ascertain the effectiveness of parents in the role of teaching nutrition to their children. This research endeavor was an extension of refinement of a three-year program in nutrition education in the Department of Family and Human Development at Utah State University. Fifty-seven children enrolled in the Child Development Laboratory at Utah State, and their parents were involved in the study. Eighteen children were taught nutrition by their mothers. Twenty-one children were taught nutrition by their mothers and fathers, and 18 children served as the control group and received no nutrition using an eight-week curriculum based on the concept of nutrient density, which compares nutrient content of food to calorie content. Food Profile Cards, a visual representation of this concept, were the main teaching tools. Involving parents in a nutrition education program proved an effective means of teaching children about nutrition. This was shown by a significant increase in children's nutrition knowledge. Parents knowledge of nutrition also significantly increased as a result of their involvement in teaching nutrition to their children. A significant increase in good nutrition practices was also noted. When results were compared by treatment given, the children taught by mothers and fathers made significantly greater gains in acquiring nutrition knowledge than those taught by a single parent (mother only group). In relation to the program of the previous year, children taught by mothers, and children taught by mothers and fathers scored a significantly higher on the nutrition knowledge tests than children involved in the parent-taught program of the previous year. Children taught by mothers and fathers made even greater gains in nutrition knowledge scores than the children taught in the classroom last year.

Thèse (de maîtrise)--Université Laval, 2006. / Bibliogr.: f. 81-90. Publié aussi en version électronique.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Wyoming, 2006. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Dec. 21, 2007). Includes bibliographical references (p. 90-112).

<p>The main purpose with this study is to make the modified parenting visible in relation to the school over time. How have the views of parenting and support, by the pedagogues and the parents, earlier been interpreted and how is it today? The results of the interviews, which were more like an everyday dialogue, were analyzed through a phenomenological effort with a hermeneutist method interpretation. The theory connection has mainly consisted of relevant terms for this study.</p><p>I have come to the conclusion that parents today feel that they have an extended responsibility when it comes their own children’s knowledge. The reason for this is something they already knew and has now been enforced when <em>Skolverket (2009, a)</em> has produced a report which enlightens this and it has been written about in the media.  Some were concerned and felt a lack of competence and time to be able to live up to and take on the increased responsibility. One person emphasized that the school demands parent’s commitment and questioned the school with the mission which has been imposed on them, in case it wasn’t their mission which had been imposed on the parents instead.</p>