Children with disabilities are at high risk for several forms of maltreatment, including abuse and neglect (Ammerman, Hersen, Van Hasselt, Lubetsky, & Sieck, 1994; Sullivan & Knutson, 1998b), and children with hearing and communication disorders comprise a substantial portion of children at risk (e.g., Sullivan & Knutson, 2000). For example, some literature investigating the parenting practices of parents raising children and adolescents with hearing and communication disorders suggests that these parents have a tendency to use physically harsh discipline practices (Knutson, Johnson, & Sullivan, 2004; Sullivan & Knutson, 1998b). Further, high prevalence rates of emotional and behavioral problems are documented in these youth (e.g., Greenberg & Kusche, 1989; Hindley, 1997; Prizant, Audet, Burke, & Hummel, 1990). Despite these findings, a limited amount of research focuses on understanding factors related to these undesired outcomes. Therefore, this study investigates the relationships among dimensions of parents' psychological functioning and parent-child interactive processes in a culturally diverse, national sample of families raising children and adolescents with hearing and communication disorders. Results suggest that parents' stress, depression, and anxiety as well as parent-child communication and involvement are important correlates of discipline practices and subsequent child behavior in families raising children and adolescents with hearing and communication disorders. Additionally, psychological aggression and parents' depression are highly predictive factors in the use of corporal punishment. Also, psychological aggression and parenting stress are highly predictive of reported youth behavior problems. The information gained from this investigation may provide direction for assessment and therapeutic intervention with parents of children and adolescents who have hearing and communication disorders.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ucf.edu/oai:stars.library.ucf.edu:etd-4951 |
| Date | 01 January 2009 |
| Creators | Klein, Jenny |
| Publisher | STARS |
| Source Sets | University of Central Florida |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Electronic Theses and Dissertations |
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