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Predictors of Positive Parenting: Mexican and Puerto Rican Mothers Vulnerable to Child Welfare Involvement

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Abstract

For young children, positive parenting is predictive of their prosocial development and positive emotional well-being. Understanding the factors that promote or undermine positive parenting is of particular importance for families at risk of child welfare involvement. For Latinx families, conceptualizations of risk are better viewed through a cultural lens. This paper explores predictors of positive parenting among Latinx families (Mexican and Puerto Rican) who are vulnerable to child welfare involvement. Weighted data were drawn from Wave 1 of the National Survey on Child and Adolescent Well-being II—Restricted Release (NSCAW-II), a national sample that approximated a probability sample of child welfare involved families. After controlling for all other variables in the model, being married and using only non-violent parenting were related to higher positive parenting scores. Experiencing IPV within the last 12 months was related to significantly lower positive parenting scores. Results from the study highlight the need for a trauma-informed approach to culturally specific services for Latinx families who are vulnerable to the child welfare system. The connection between IPV experiences and the context of positive parenting is discussed.

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Data Availability

The National Survey on Child and Adolescent Well-being II (NSCAW II) Restricted Release is available in the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect repository (https://www.ndacan.acf.hhs.gov/datasets/dataset-details.cfm?ID=172).

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Funding

This work was supported in part by the Council of Social Work Education SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program under Grant No. 5T065MO60560.

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Correspondence to Jessica Rodriguez-JenKins.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This study is a secondary analysis of de-identified data using the restricted release version of the NSCAW-II. This study was performed in line with the principles of the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This study was reviewed and deemed exempt by our Institutional Review Board. No specific ethical approval outside of IRB approval was required.

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Rodriguez-JenKins, J., Uretsky, M.C. Predictors of Positive Parenting: Mexican and Puerto Rican Mothers Vulnerable to Child Welfare Involvement. Child Adolesc Soc Work J 40, 841–855 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-021-00813-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-021-00813-5

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