Longitudinal Patterns of Social Support Among Low-Income Parents: Implications for Child Maltreatment Risk

The present study examined trajectories of social support among 3,899 parents with low income. Repeated-measures latent class analysis was employed to profile temporal trajectories of parental social support across a five-year period. Five distinct trajectories of parental social support were identified with differentiated risk across maltreatment indicators (i.e., observed harsh parenting behavior and child protective services [CPS] contact). Compared to parents with "High Support" (66%), parents with "Recovering Support" (7%) demonstrated significantly greater harsh parenting behaviors. Parents with "Low to High Support" (6%) and "Low Support" (7%) were significantly more likely to experience CPS contact. Parents with "Decreasing Support" (14%) demonstrated both significantly greater harsh parenting behaviors and were more likely to experience CPS contact. These findings underscore the need for time-sensitive, dynamic approaches to assessing protective factors and maltreatment risk, ensuring that interventions are targeted toward parents most likely to benefit from preventive support.