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Associations Between Perceived Material Deprivation, Parents' Discipline Practices, and Children's Behavior Problems:
Anika Schenck-Fontaine1, Jennifer E Lansford2, Ann T Skinner2
1Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories.
Insights
Perceived material deprivation is linked to children's behavior problems and parental aggression, regardless of income. Parental discipline partially explains this connection, highlighting deprivation's impact on child development.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Sociology
- Developmental Science
Background:
- Material deprivation is a significant stressor impacting child development and family dynamics.
- Understanding the interplay between socioeconomic factors and child behavior is crucial for effective interventions.
- Cross-cultural research is needed to explore universal and context-specific influences on child well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between perceived material deprivation, children's behavior problems, and parental disciplinary strategies.
- To investigate the mediating role of parental discipline in the relationship between material deprivation and child behavior.
- To explore potential differences in these associations across various countries and between mothers and fathers.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 1,418 children (aged 8–12) and their parents from nine countries.
- Multilevel mixed- and fixed-effects regression models were employed to analyze the data.
- Perceived material deprivation, children's externalizing behavior problems, and parents' psychological aggression were key variables.
Main Results:
- Perceived material deprivation was significantly associated with increased externalizing behavior problems in children and higher levels of parental psychological aggression, even when income was constant.
- Parental disciplinary practices partially mediated the link between material deprivation and children's behavior problems.
- No significant differences were found based on parent gender (mothers vs. fathers) or country income level (high, middle, low).
Conclusions:
- Material deprivation can negatively impact children's behavior and parenting practices irrespective of a family's objective income level.
- Addressing perceived material deprivation is essential for improving child outcomes and promoting positive parenting.
- The findings underscore the psychological impact of deprivation on child development across diverse global contexts.
Abstract:
This study investigated the association between perceived material deprivation, children's behavior problems, and parents' disciplinary practices. The sample included 1,418 8- to 12-year-old children and their parents in China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States. Multilevel mixed- and fixed-effects regression models found that, even when income remained stable, perceived material deprivation was associated with children's externalizing behavior problems and parents' psychological aggression. Parents' disciplinary practices mediated a small share of the association between perceived material deprivation and children's behavior problems. There were no differences in these associations between mothers and fathers or between high- and low- and middle-income countries. These results suggest that material deprivation likely influences children's outcomes at any income level.