Description
Exposure to child maltreatment is associated with adverse child behavioral outcomes. A well-studied risk factor for maltreatment occurrences is poor family functioning. In the general population, poor family functioning has been associated with greater internalizing and externalizing behaviors. However, this association remains understudied among children with past maltreatment experiences. Additionally, cultural beliefs and attitudes may significantly influence family processes including family functioning. Moreover, ethnic minority families may experience more barriers to accessing mental health services to buffer the negative consequences associated with child maltreatment. The current study aimed to explore the associations among race/ethnicity, everyday family functioning, and maltreated children’s behavioral problems. Data from 236 children (55% female) and their caregivers were drawn from the Southwestern site of the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN). Current analyses only included data from families who completed the age 6 interview and were White, Black or Hispanic. Family Health/Competence was measured with the Health/Competence subscale of the Self-Report Family Functioning Inventory (SFI). The Child Behavior Checklist 4/18 (CBCL) was used to measure caregiver- reported child internalizing and externalizing problems. Maltreatment allegations obtained with the Modified Maltreatment Classification System were used to create a dichotomous variable representing history of maltreatment from age 4 to 6. A proxy measure of placement type was determined by the caregiver’s relationship to the child. Both maltreatment allegations and placement type were included as covariates in analyses involving the CBCL. A one-way ANOVA determined whether family health/competence differed by caregiver race/ethnicity. Linear regressions examined the association between family health/competence and internalizing/externalizing scores. Moderation analyses determined the potential moderating role of caregiver ethnicity on the above associations. No differences were found in family health/competence among White, Black and Hispanic caregivers. Poorer family health/competence was associated with higher internalizing and externalizing scores. Poorer family health/competence was associated with greater internalizing scores for White but not Black and/or Hispanic caregivers. These results contribute to the understanding of the associations among caregiver race/ethnicity, family health/competence, and emotional/behavioral problems above and beyond children’s history of maltreatment.
