Citation

Seay KD. Child Maltreat. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

College of Social Work, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1077559520913638

PMID

32233800

Abstract

This study examines the role of mediation in the pathway from parental substance use to children developing child internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Using the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being II, a random half sample (i.e., split-half approach) of children aged 18 months to 17 years who remained in the home following a child welfare investigation (N = 1,633) was used to examine direct and mediated pathways from parental self-reported alcohol and drug use to, separately, parent report of child internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Four parallel mediators were examined: child-reported exposure to violence, child-reported parental monitoring, parent-reported harsh physical discipline, and parent-reported emotional maltreatment. The strongest models for both parental alcohol and drug use to internalizing and externalizing behaviors were single-mediator models through emotional maltreatment.

RESULTS suggest emotional maltreatment is a crucial intervention target for families with substance use disorders. Parenting interventions must also strengthen parent-child relationships in order to be effective at improving child outcomes.

Language: en

Keywords

child maltreatment; child welfare services/child protection; emotional/psychological maltreatment; substance abuse