Associations between Positive Parenting Practices and Child Externalizing Behavior in Underserved Latino Immigrant Families

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12105
• Author: Jenna C. Scott,Kendal Holtrop,Sharde' McNeil Smith
• Published date: 01 June 2015
• Date: 01 June 2015

Associations between Positive Parenting Practices

and Child Externalizing Behavior in Underserved

Latino Immigrant Families

KENDAL HOLTROP*

SHARDE’ MCNEIL SMITH

†

JENNA C. SCOTT*

This study examined whether five specific parenting practices (i.e., mon itoring, disci-

pline, skill encouragement, problem solving, and positive involvement) were associated

with reduced child externalizing behaviors among a sample of Latino immigrant families.

It utilized baseline data from 83 Latino couples with children participating in a lar ger ran-

domized controlled trial of a culturally adapted parenting intervention. Results reveal tha t

monitoring, discipline, skill encouragement, and problem solving each made independent

contributions to the prediction of child externalizing behavior, although not all in the

expected direction. Further analyses examining mothers and fathers separately suggest

that mother-reported monitoring and father-reported discipline practices uniquely contrib-

uted to these findings. These results may have important implications for prevent ion and

clinical intervention efforts with Latino immigrant families, including the cultural adap-

tation and implementation of parenting interventions with this underserved population.

Keywords: Parenting; Parenting Practices; Child Externalizing Behavior; Latino

Families; Latino Immigrants

Fam Proc 54:359–375, 2015

According to the 2010 Census, more than 50 million Latinos live in the United States.

Latino immigrants comprise nearly 40% of this population. Latinos are also one of the

fastest growing population groups in this country. This population increased by almost

15.2 million from 2000 to 2010, accounting for the majority of population growth during

that time (Humes, Jones, & Ramirez, 2011). Latino children now make up 22% of the pop-

ulation under age 18, and more than half were born to immigrant parents (Fry & Passel,

2009). The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that by 2025, close to one third of children will be

Latino. To meet the needs of this burgeoning segment of society, it is critical mental health

professionals increase their understanding of Latino families, particularly Latino immi-

grant families with children.

*Family and Child Sciences, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL.

†

African American Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Kendal Holtrop, Family and Child

Sciences, The Florida State University, 208 Sandels Bldg, Tallahassee, FL 32306. E-mail: kholtrop@fsu.

edu.

The authors would like to acknowledge J. Rub

en Parra-Cardona as the principal investigator of the

funded project that yielded the data used in this study and express our thanks for his collaboration.

This project was supported by Award Number R34MH087678 from the National Institute of Mental

Health. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the

official views of the National Institute of Mental Health or the National Institutes of Health.

359

Family Process, Vol. 54, No. 2, 2015 ©2014 Family Process Institute

doi: 10.1111/famp.12105

Latino children face a number of health and mental health disparities and are at

high risk for behavioral disorders (Flores et al., 2002). For example, research has shown

they report more externalizing and internalizing behaviors than European-American

children (McLaughlin, Hilt, & Nolen-Hoeksema, 2007; Varela, Sanchez-Sosa, Biggs, &

Luis, 2009). Children of immigrant families face additional challenges that may exacer-

bate this condition. The change in family status from an ethnic majority to a minority

puts strain on the family (Alva & de Los Reyes, 1999). Latino immigrant parents and

children may experience acts of discrimination (Varela et al., 2004) and effects from

economic distress (Santiago & Wadsworth, 2011). Examining factors that may protect

against problematic child outcomes in Latino immigrant families is therefore a salient

issue.

Parenting is one family process that is strongly linked to child behavioral out-

comes. Although this relationship exists across racial and ethnic groups (Hi ll, Bush,

& Roosa, 2003), there are notable differences unique to Latino families. For instance,

hierarchical parenting (i.e., clear parental authority) has been associated with a clini-

cal level of externalizing behavior problems for European-American and bi-ethnic

families but not for Hispanic-American families. Instead, inconsistent parenting

contributed to more child problem behaviors in these families (Lindahl & Malik,

1999). The cultural value of respect or respeto is often honored in Latino families,

which could suggest why hierarchical parenting was not found to be problematic.

However, subsequent research has found respeto to be associated with an authoritar-

ian parenting style which was predictive of greater child internalizing and externaliz-

ing symptoms (Calzada, Huang, Anicama, Fernandez, & Brotman, 2012). Overall, the

relationship between parenting styles and child outcomes in Latino families remains

unclear.

While investigating broad parenting styles (e.g., authoritative vs. authoritarian) can be

informative, the implications of such findings are limited. Scholars assert that parental

control or authority, as it is measured, is not inherently a negative or positive parenting

practice and may not relate to negative child behaviors for Latino immigrant families

(Luis, Varela, & Moore, 2007). Further, it is argued that parenting styles are an aggregate

of general beliefs and attitudes, whereas parenting practices are goal-directed beh aviors

that directly impact child outcomes (Darling & Steinberg, 1993; Prevatt, 2003). Examining

which specific parenting practices are predictive of child behavior outcomes, therefore,

may lead to more actionable findings. This study examined whether certain parenting

practices were associated with reduced child externalizing behavior problem s among

Latino immigrant families.

The Social Interaction Learning Model

This study was informed by the Social Interaction Learning (SIL) model (Forgatch &

DeGarmo, 2002; Forgatch & Patterson, 2010). The research-based model describes how

everyday interactions occurring between family members shape long-term patterns of

behavior for parents and children. In particular, parenting practices have a powerful,

direct effect on child outcomes and mediate the impact of contextual factors on child

adjustment. When adverse contexts lead to coercive parenting practices, child antisocial

behavior may result. However, when positive parenting practices are maintained in the

midst of challenging contexts, children are buffered from adverse environment s and

healthy adjustment is promoted (Forgatch & DeGarmo, 2002; Forgatch & Patterson,

2010). The SIL model promotes five positive parenting practices: monitoring, discipline,

skill encouragement, problem solving, and positive involvement. These parenti ng prac-

tices were examined in this study.

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