The Effects of Physical Maltreatment and Physical Discipline on Internalizing Symptoms Among Young African-American Children

• In Event: 2-188 - Early Childhood Child Maltreatment, Risk Factors, and Effects on Children’s Health

Integrative Statement

Both early childhood physical child maltreatment (PCM) and physical discipline (PD), which is a risk factor for PCM, are associated with negative effects on children’s mental health. Although there is extensive research on links to externalizing symptoms (e.g. Berlin et al., 2009; Deater-Deckard et al., 1996), there is limited research on PD’s effects on internalizing symptoms and how those effects compare to PCM. Furthermore, among African American (AA) families, for whom physical discipline is considered a normative practice (e.g. McLoyd et al., 2007), not only is the research limited, but also there are mixed findings regarding PD’s effects on internalizing symptoms (e.g., Simons et al, 2013; Yildirim and Roopnarine, 2015). Lastly, even fewer studies have examined PD’s longitudinal effects on internalizing symptoms. Guided by the integrated developmental model (García Coll et al., 1996) and the Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems (Spencer et al., 2006), this study examined the links between early physical discipline and physical maltreatment during early childhood, and internalizing symptoms during middle childhood and adolescence among AA children.

We analyzed data from a multi-site, sequential longitudinal study of children at risk for anti-social behavior. Participants were 294 AA children (60% male; Mage = 5.72 yrs) and parents (98% female; Mincome =$22,352, S.D.=12.33). Latent class analyses were conducted using parents’ responses regarding overall physical discipline frequency, spanking, and hitting during prekindergarten and kindergarten. Physical maltreatment was categorized based on four indicators (i.e., bruises, child welfare involvement, beat up child, and harm by family). Parents reported anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms shown by their children during grade 3 and children reported symptoms during grades 6, 9, and 12 (C-DISC: Shaffer & Fisher, 1991, 1997). Difference categorical scores were calculated to measure difference in symptoms between the time points (e.g. difference in anxiety between grade 3 and grade 6); categories were ‘loss’, ‘no change’ and ‘gain’. Multinomial probit regressions were conducted to examine the relations between PD and PCM, and the difference scores; weighted least squares estimation with mean variance addressed missing data.

Three physical discipline latent classes were identified (n= 242). Classes were defined by discipline frequency (‘Less than Monthly’, ‘Weekly’ and ‘Almost Every Day’) as well as by discipline type (parents in the ‘Less than Monthly’ class did not spank with something). The ‘Weekly’ class was significantly associated with the difference between grade 3 and grade 6 anxiety symptoms (loss), F (14, 220) = -0.53, p = 0.03. This class was also associated with the difference between grade 3 and grade 6 depression symptoms (loss), F (14, 221) = -0.62, p = 0.001. Sixty-eight parents physically maltreated their children; physical maltreatment was significantly associated with grade 3 depression symptoms, F (14, 221) = 0.32, p = 0.01, as well as the difference between grade 3 and grade 6 depression symptoms (gain), F (14, 221) = 0.392, p = 0.04. These findings advance knowledge on the effects of PD and PCM on internalizing symptoms among AA children and have implications for preventive maltreatment and mental health interventions.

Authors

• Judith Scott, Boston University
  Presenting Author

• Ellen Pinderhughes, Tufts University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Sara K Johnson, Tufts University
  Non-Presenting Author