Triadic Co-parenting and Dyadic Marital and Parent-Child Interactions as Predictors of Children’s Later Externalizing Symptoms
According to Family Systems Theory (FST), a family is an interconnected system, with each subsystem affecting every other subsystem. Thus, when predicting the effects of parenting on child outcomes, triadic family interactions should provide unique information, beyond that of the summed effects of mother-child and father-child interactions (Minuchin, 1985; Cox & Paley, 2003). Competitive co-parenting in triadic family interactions is characterized by one adult undermining the other in order to take control of parenting or to win favor with the child over the other parent (McHale, 1995). In this pattern, parents
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The goal of this study was to investigate this question by examining whether competitive co-parenting, assessed in triadic family interactions during toddlerhood (age 24 months), predicted children's later externalizing symptoms at age 7, even after controlling for the quality of dyadic marital, mother-child, and father-child interactions at 24 months. To accomplish this goal, the remainder of the introduction is divided into five sections. The first section provides a brief background on the prevalence and theories of development regarding children’s externalizing behaviors. Next, FST is introduced, with particular emphasis on the value of examining whole-family interactions over dyadic relationships. The third section reviews competitive co-parenting, a triadic whole-family interaction, and its relationship with children externalizing behavior. Followed, four types of maladaptive parental socialization are acknowledged by examining their standing relationship with poor social development in children. The final section describes a study designed to concurrently examine dyadic parent-child and triadic whole-family interactions in order to determine which type of interaction best predicts children’s externalization of behavior.
Background of Externalizing Behavior in Children
The ability for children to appropriately regulate their emotion has been a
Anderson, S.A. & Cramer-Benjamin, D.B. (1999). The Impact of Couple Violence on Parenting and Children: An Overview and Clinical Implications. American Journal of Family Therapy, 27(1), 1-19.
In today’s world, families are dynamic and interdependent systems. The developmental processes of the children in the family are deeply affected by how the family system operates. However, a family’s structure does not determine whether it is a healthy family system or not. Today, families consist of single parents, stepparents, divorced parents, remarried parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. They are all able to contribute to a healthy functioning family system by meeting each family member’s needs and encouraging positive communication (Jamiolkowski, 2008). Unhealthy family systems have negative and possibly
The systems Perspective sees human behavior as the outcome of interactions within and among systems with interrelated and interdependent parts; as defined by its boundaries. Changing one part of the system affects other parts and the whole system, with predictable patterns of behavior (Hutchinson, 2015). The family system has been a widely used theory of family interventions and assessment. The family systems theory is focused on the family dynamic, involving structures, roles, communication patterns, boundaries, and power relation (Rothbaum, 2004). Many theorist such as Bowen, developed the systems theory that focuses on how a
By integrating CBT and family systems theories the individual and the family can learn to recognize how certain behaviors impact different parts of the family unit. Moreover, numerous techniques can be implemented such as behavior and anger management, emotional regulation, problem-solving skills, social skills training, cognitive restructuring, and active listening (Beck, 2011) to assist the family unit with becoming better adjusted as a cohesive entity. Instead of treating
Wang, F., Cox, M. J., Mills-Koonce, R., & Snyder, P. (2015). Parental Behaviors and Beliefs, Child Temperament, and Attachment Disorganization. Family Relations, 64(2),
When the supposed parent doesn’t give enough attention to the kids, such kids are prone to violent attitude. Even, some parent practically exposed to their kids to violence indirectly. An example is when a parent takes an underage for a gun show. Of course, such kids would want to use it one day. Parents who engage in domestic violence always have a negative impact on the kids. According to a research (Harold & Sellers, 2018), “Interparental quality is regarded as a major determinant factor in the life of a child and adolescent psychopathology. Recent research has highlighted that children are affected by attributes of interparental conflict, specifically how parents express and manage conflicts in their relationship, across a continuum of expressed severity and negativity – ranging from silence to violence.” The article further reveals evidences that children's emotional, behavioral, social, academic outcomes, and future interpersonal relationships are adversely affected by conflict between parents either divorced or still living together. The research article is based on Historical and it is a clinically oriented. Some parents believe that parenting has a duration, therefore, once their children attain a certain age little or no correction is required from them. Good parenting does not have a duration, rather, it is a continuous
In the second study, Ryherd (2014) examined the relationship between harsh parenting and externalizing behaviors at ages two to three years and then again at age five, to predict bullying and victimization beginning at age eight. The data was collected from the Family Transitions Project, which was a longitudinal study of 559 participants. Results indicated that harsh parenting and externalizing behaviors across a six-year timespan was associated with bullying in preadolescence (Ryherd, 2014). Externalizing
What type of family shows that the child/children are successfully happy? This new study that is being conducted will provide feedback on how the child’s happiness can be affected by the decisions the parents decide to go with. The dependent variable in this study is the well being of this child/children and the independent variable is the decision of joint child custody. The target population for this research is intended for participants of the age four through fifteen. Children are very affected of their parent’s decisions at any age but during this age range they are more involved with what their parents decide. This study will be conducted with observation of behavior between the parents and the child/children. Also a questionnaires/interview that is appropriate for their age range. Child custody can solely affect the child’s well being in a positive or negative way. I hypothesize that children don’t need both parents to be emotionally, academically, and behaviorally
Dr. Murray Bowen, a psychiatrist, offered us the family systems theory. This theory views the family as an emotional unit, further providing a thinking systems approach to describe the complex interactions in the unit. Bowen offered, “A change in one person’s functioning is predictably followed by a reciprocal change in the functioning of others” (Kerr, 2000). If one person within the family unit is having a difficult time, it effects everyone within the family unit. An example of this would be a father who is the primary breadwinner for his family suddenly loosing his job. Prior
The disruption of parental interaction leads to faulty interpersonal relations later in life. It has been shown that children who have had major disruption in their care-taking have a decreased capacity to express the proper emotions and behaviors at the proper intensity across a range of social situations. This is a core principle in personality development that is being disrupted. According to Hill et. al (2008),
Research was done to analyze the effects of being exposed to child abuse and domestic violence on adolescent externalizing and internalizing behavioral issues. This data was from a Lehigh Longitudinal Study which was conducted on 457 children. This experiment was created to understand how violence might alter the actions of the youth who experiences this on an everyday basis. This study focused directly on children who were exposed to child abuse only, domestic violence only, both, and neither. Moylan and colleagues (2010) results show that children who are exposed to ultimate violence such as child abuse and domestic violence are more likely to have internalizing and externalizing outcomes during their adolescent years.
Minuchin and colleagues coined the term parental child in 1997 while Broszormenyi-Nagy and Spark defined the process of parentification of child (Earley & Cushway, 2002). The process of parentification of a child examines the role of the child in the family system as it relates to caregiving but examines the parents’ gratification as it relates to sex, aggression, and emotional needs (Bying-Hall, 2002; Earley & Cushway, 2002). Under those circumstances, parentification of a child is role reversal, the child assumes the role of the parent, and the parent assumes the role of a dependent or child.
In many ways family systems theory can be seen as a broad field where there many different implications that make up the system, it is a system. A system is a set of objects that are bound together by a relationship, which are based around the attributes of the objects as drawn upon by (Janet.BB, 1982). Family systems theory addresses the many different ideals and values that make up a typical family, these include the roles each member of the family, the power relations either from the male of the family or both parents of the family, the boundaries that are set within the family to ensure that the structure of the family is secure, in both individualistic and collectivist families this can be seen (Fred Rothbaum, 2002).
During the years, single parent families have become a more common thing. This is starting to become a problem, because family dynamics can really influence a child’s life. According to studies it affects not only the child but the parents too.
If we examine the parental interactions with the systems they belong to, Steve and Theresa have difficulties appropriately interacting with their system which then in turn means their behaviors will directly affect their children’s behaviors. At the basic level, Steve did not graduate from high school, does not pay his tax returns and has an unstable relationship with his wife. Theresa is in poor medical health and is dependent on her adult daughter at this time. Neither parent stays in regular contact with Raymond since he has been incarcerated which creates yet another tumultuous relationship. However, one strength of the parental system is that both parents still talk to each other regularly and are able to provide support to their children when it is needed.