1. At risk for what?

Parenting difficulties

2a. What do we want in a parent?

What do we want in a parent?

• Our parent

• Other children’s parents

2b. What don’t we want in a parent?

• What are parenting difficulties?

3. Why is “parenting difficulties” a bad outcome?

• Places next generation at risk

• Generally occurs in context of poor psychosocial functioning

4. Implications for next generation

Places next generation at risk for :

• “rotten outcomes”(poor psychosocial functioning)

• parenting difficulties

5. Parenting difficulties ---> rotten outcomes

a. Case study of S. Family

b. List of “rotton outcomes”c. Rutter’s study

Difficulties linked with child abuse

-- aggression

-- delinquency/crime

-- peer rejection/ being victimized

-- low self-esteem/depression/anxiety

-- school failure

-- post-traumatic stress disorder

-- dissociative disorders,

-- substance abuse disorders

-- (sexual abuse: sexualized behavior)

Psychosocial outcomes of women raised in institutions

6. Intergenerational transmission of parenting difficulties

a. Case study of S. family (Cicchetti & Toth)

b. Elder, Caspi, & Downey (1986) study of 4 generations of normal families

c. Rutter study of women in care --

serious parenting difficulties

Parenting by ex-care & control women

Pregnancy and parenting histories

7. CAVEAT 1:

Discontinuity across generations also

Why?

Understand discontinuity ==> develop effective interventions.

Cicchetti & Toth article

What leads to discontinuity?

8. CAVEAT 2:

“Parenting difficulties” is not only cause of adult difficulties, including parenting difficulties

Other causes?

9. Link psychosocial difficulties and parenting difficulties across lives and across generations

10. What is good parenting?

• Displays “generic competencies”

-- skills needed to succeed in social relationships

• Fosters “generic competencies”

11. Good parenting involves displaying generic competencies: Good parenting as skilled behavior

a. Sensitive and responsive.

b. Good at social problem solving.

c. Cope with stresses and adversities.

d. Communication: Play and talk with children.

e. Use effective disciplinary techniques.

f. Manipulate child's behavior and environment to facilitate learning and the development of a sense of control.

g. Adaptability to changing needs of developing child.

12. Seriously inadequate parenting marker of risk for poor psychosocial functioning

a. Case study of S. family

b. Rutter paper

Psychosocial functioning in ex-care women at different levels of parenting quality

13. Implications of link between poor psychosocial functioning and parenting

difficulties

• Risk comes in packages

• Risk outcomes come in packages

• Fostering competent parenting means fostering psychosocial functioning of parent

14. Good parenting fosters “generic competencies” in children

• How to trust and who to trust (rejection sensitivity)

• How to make, keep and benefit from friends (social support)

• Self-regulation

-- threat management (self-affirmation, reappraisal)

-- how and when to delay gratification

What goals are reasonable to pursue?

• Mind set (mastery vs. fixed)

• Maintain a sense of hope when appropriate:

Promotion vs. prevention-focused self-regulation