Parenting can be very challenging, especially when raising a disabled child. Children with disabilities require more supports and are more likely to be abused. The parent-child relationship is an important factor in ensuring child welfare. Little research has focused on identifying the impact of parenting characteristics on raising a child with a disability. The purpose of this study was to examine whether parenting style, parenting competence, and parenting stress were predictors of parent-child relationship quality in parents of children with disabilities ages 3 to 12 years. This study was quantitative and used multiple linear regression to identify predictor variables of the quality of the parent-child relationship. A convenience sample of 244 parents identified through a Qualtrics participant pool completed online surveys. Minuchin's structural family theory was used to guide this research and identify how challenges, such as raising a child with a disability, can cause distress when families are unable to adapt and parents are unable to maintain authority. Parenting factors were assessed using the Parenting Stress Index-4 Competence subscale, the Parenting Stress Index-4 SF, and the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire. The quality of the parent-child relationship was assessed using the Parent-Child Relationship Inventory. The results of this study indicated that all parenting factors examined were significant predictors of the parent-child relationship quality. Age of the child was not a predictor. These findings have positive social change implications and can be used to increase practitioner knowledge of the impact of these parenting characteristics on parent-child relationship quality. Modification of treatment models could improve parenting behaviors, reduce parental stress and incidents of child abuse, and assess for the most conducive parenting styles for raising a disabled child.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:waldenu.edu/oai:scholarworks.waldenu.edu:dissertations-5978 |
| Date | 01 January 2018 |
| Creators | Young, Tammy |
| Publisher | ScholarWorks |
| Source Sets | Walden University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies |
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