Publication Date
2023
Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
First Advisor
Pittman, Laura D.
Degree Name
M.A. (Master of Arts)
Legacy Department
Department of Psychology
Abstract
Intimate partner violence (IPV) impacts one in four women in their lifetime, with the reported violence most commonly occurring around childbearing age. Unfortunately, children and adolescents are often unintended victims of IPV, and years of evidence suggest a strong link between maternal IPV and a host of negative adolescent outcomes, including a greater likelihood of engaging in delinquent behavior. Given the negative outcomes linked to adolescent delinquency, the field has been interested in identifying factors that contribute to the association between maternal experiences of IPV and adolescent delinquent behavior, such as the influence of maternal psychological distress and parenting. Many IPV victims experience internalizing mental health symptoms and psychological distress, which have been positively associated with adolescent delinquency. Furthermore, studies have found links between maternal psychological distress and parenting characterized by less warmth and increased harshness. To date, evidence suggests pathways through maternal psychological distress and parenting behaviors, both resulting from IPV, may be positively associated with child externalizing behaviors; however, there is a dearth in the longitudinal research on these associations focused on delinquency among adolescents. Thus, more rigorous methodology is needed to examine how maternal psychological distress and parenting may function sequentially to impact the link between maternal IPV and adolescent delinquency. The present study used longitudinal data from the Welfare, Children, and Families: A Three City Study and included 1156 mothers with one focal adolescent ages 9 to 15 at Time 1. A sequential mediation model using structural equation modeling examined the associations between mothers’ reports of IPV and their psychological distress at Time 1, and adolescent reports of parenting behaviors at Time 2, and delinquent behaviors at Time 3. Results found that maternal psychological distress and positive parenting did not sequentially mediate the relationship between maternal experience of IPV at Time 1 and adolescent delinquent behavior at Time 3. However, maternal IPV was associated with higher psychological distress at Time 1, and maternal psychological distress mediated the relation between maternal IPV and adolescent delinquency. Lastly, lower positive parenting at Time 2 was associated with higher adolescent delinquency at time 2. Implications regarding the impact of maternal IPV on parent and adolescent functioning are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Zolinski, Sophie K., "The Mediating Roles of Maternal Psychological Distress and Parenting on The association Between Intimate Partner Violence and Adolescent Delinquent Behavior" (2023). Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations. 7942.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-thesesdissertations/7942
Extent
121 pages
Language
en
Publisher
Northern Illinois University
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Rights Statement 2
NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.
Media Type
Text
