Description
Background: Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) during the first 48 months of life can affect a child’s overall developmental trajectory, in particular capabilities such as behavioral regulation. Sensitive parenting contributes to the positive development of these regulatory skills and may serve as a protective factor against exposure to stressors. This study sought to examine whether ACEs experienced during the first 48 months of life were associated with a child’s behavioral dysregulation at 48 months, and whether sensitive parenting at 36 months moderates the relationship between ACEs and the child disruptive behavior at 48 months old. Method: One hundred and thirty-one Child Protective Services (CPS)-involved children that were exposed to neglect who remained with their biological families were followed from infancy to preschool. ACEs were assessed via parent report and parent sensitivity was assessed with observational coding at 36 months. Child behavioral dysregulation was measured with observational coding in three contexts: Examiner High Support, Examiner Low Support, and Parent at 48 months. Stepwise multiple regression models were used to examine whether ACEs, parent sensitivity, or the interaction of ACEs and parent sensitivity predicted child behavioral dysregulation in each context. Results: No significant results were found for the Examiner High Support or Parent contexts. For the Examiner Low Support context, more ACEs and lower levels of parent sensitivity were significantly associated with higher levels of child behavioral dysregulation. There was also a significant interaction between ACEs and parent sensitivity. For children exposed to higher levels of ACEs, higher levels of sensitive parenting was associated with lower levels of behavioral dysregulation. Conclusions: The study found that caregiver-child attachment does have an impact on a child’s ability to self-regulate. The area that yielded the greatest results was from the Examiner Low Support context, this context is like a child-teacher context. This context is the most demanding on the child’s ability to self-regulate in various settings. This study highlights the importance that child-caregiver relationships are foundational to early relationships and behavioral regulation development. Keywords: adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), self-regulation, parenting, attachment
