Inconsistent Discipline as a Mediator Between Maternal Distress and Aggression in Boys

Abstract

The current study examines inconsistent discipline as a mediator in the association between maternal distress and child aggression and attention problems. Participants were 215 boys, ranging in age from 9 to 12 years, and their mothers. Mothers provided self-report data on socioeconomic status (SES), parenting stress, maternal distress (depression and anxiety/somatization), and use of parenting practices. They also rated their sons' levels of aggression and attention problems. Of five parenting practices measured, inconsistent discipline was most clearly related to the maternal and child variables of interest. Regression analyses indicated that inconsistent discipline partially mediated the relation between maternal distress and child aggression, when controlling for SES and stress, whereas the mediating role of inconsistent discipline in the association between maternal distress and attention problems was not supported. The different pattern for attention problems, which also includes nondisruptive behaviors, suggests that this mediation may be specific to certain types of child behavior. Given that aggressive behaviors in childhood often lead to more serious delinquency in adolescence, these findings are important for informing prevention and intervention efforts. The need for future research to examine other mediators also is discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• aggression
• inconsistent discipline
• maternal anxiety
• maternal depression

This study was funded by a grant provided by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (DA-08453) to the third and fourth authors. Additional support was provided by grants from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (UR65907956, KD1SP08633) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (R49\CCR418569).

Notes

Note: Anx/Som = Anxiety/Somatization; APQ = Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (Frick, 1991; Shelton et al., 1996).

^a From the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach, 1991).

^b From the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI; Beck et al., 1996).

^c Standardized composite of the Anxiety and Somatization from the scales of the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R; Derogatis, 1990).

^d Standardized composite (z-score) based on an aggregate of (a) how often each of 12 parenting stressors happen and (b) how much of a hassle each is (from Parent Daily Hassles; Crnic & Greenberg, 1990).

†Trend, p < .10.

∗p < .05, ∗∗p < .01, ∗∗∗p < .001.

^a Aggression from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach, 1991).

^b Initial regressions with Maternal Depression previously presented in Barry et al., 2005.

^c SES (Hollingshead, 1975) and Parenting Stress (composite from Parent Daily Hassles; Crnic & Greenberg, 1990) entered as control variables.

^d From the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI; Beck et al., 1996).

^e From the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ; Frick, 1991; Shelton et al., 1996).

†Trend, p < .08.

∗p < .05. ∗∗p < .01.

^a Aggression from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach, 1991).

^b Initial regressions with Maternal Anxiety/Somatization previously presented in Barry et al., 2005.

^c SES (Hollingshead, 1975) and Parenting Stress (composite from Parent Daily Hassles; Crnic & Greenberg, 1990) entered as control variables.

^d Standardized composite of the Anxiety and Somatization from the scales of the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R; Derogatis, 1990).

^e From the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ; Frick, 1991; Shelton et al., 1996).

†Trend, p < .10.

∗p < .05, ∗∗p < .01.

^a Attention Problems from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach, 1991).

^b Initial regressions with Maternal Depression previously presented in Barry et al., 2005.

^c SES (Hollingshead, 1975) and Parenting Stress (composite from Parent Daily Hassles; Crnic & Greenberg, 1990) entered as control variables.

^d From the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI; Beck et al., 1996).

^e From the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ; Frick, 1991; Shelton et al., 1996).

†Trend, p < .07.

∗ p < .05, ∗∗ p < .01.

^a Attention Problems from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach, 1991).

^b Initial regressions with Maternal Anxiety/Somatization previously presented in Barry et al., 2005.

^c SES (Hollingshead, 1975) and Parenting Stress (composite from Parent Daily Hassles; Crnic & Greenberg, 1990) entered as control variables.

^d Standardized composite of the Anxiety and Somatization from the scales of the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R; Derogatis, 1990).

^e From the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ; Frick, 1991; Shelton et al., 1996).

∗p < .05, ∗∗p < .01.