Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

Publication Date

Winter 12-2025

Abstract

This study examines: relations between maternal parenting stress in infancy and preschool-aged children’s internalizing and externalizing symptoms; whether verbal and physical harsh parenting practices mediate these relations; and whether these relations are moderated by child gender. Research links maternal parenting stress to harsh parenting, which is a risk factor for children’s internalizing and externalizing symptoms. But limited research has examined how maternal stress in infancy affects preschool-aged children’s outcomes, or how verbal and physical harsh parenting practices independently affect these outcomes. The study data came from the Future of Families & Child Wellbeing Study. Results indicate maternal parenting stress in infancy positively predicts internalizing and externalizing symptoms in preschool-aged children; although verbal and physical harsh parenting practices serve as a mediator generally, there is an nonsignificant relation between physical harsh parenting in toddlerhood and externalizing symptoms in preschool-aged children; and preschool-aged children’s outcomes were not moderated by child gender.

Keywords

verbal harsh parenting practices, physical harsh parenting practices, early childhood, internalizing symptoms, externalizing symptoms, maternal parenting stress

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

English

Degree Name

Family Studies

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Individual, Family, and Community Education

First Committee Member (Chair)

Dr. Cara Streit

Second Committee Member

Dr. Alexandra N. Davis

Third Committee Member

Dr. Ryan J. Kelly

Fourth Committee Member

Dr. Sarah Erickson

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