title: Parenting and the parent-child relationship in families of children with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities and externalizing behavior.
abstract: This cross-sectional study examined the association between parenting behavior, the parent-child relationship, and externalizing child behavior in families of children with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities (MBID). The families of a child with MBID and accompanying externalizing behavior problems (n=113) reported more positive discipline and physical punishment but less involvement, less positive parenting, less monitoring, a lower sense of parenting competence, less acceptance of the child, and less closeness to the child than the families of a child with MBID and no accompanying externalizing behavior problems (n=71). The parent-child relationship was most strongly associated with externalizing child behavior, over and above parenting behaviors. In addition, the parent-child relationship was found to be associated with parenting behavior, over and above the child's externalizing behavior. Our results highlight the importance of both the parent-child relationship and parenting behavior in connection with the occurrence of externalizing behavior problems on the part of children with MBID. Parenting behavior and the parent-child relationship may thus be promising targets for interventions with this group of children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Psychology, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80140, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: H.Schuiringa@uu.nl.
authors.forename: Hilde
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schuiringa
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Child and Family Studies, VU University of Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Learn Research Institute for Learning and Education, VU University of Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands; The EMGO + Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University of Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: m.van.nieuwenhuijzen@vu.nl.
authors.forename: Maroesjka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Nieuwenhuijzen
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Psychology, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80140, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: B.OrobioDeCastro@uu.nl.
authors.forename: Bram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Orobio de Castro
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Studies and Department of Psychiatry of University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80140, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: W.Matthys@umcutrecht.nl.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Matthys
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000523:psychology*; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D011678:Punishment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
keywords: Externalizing behavior problems; Mild to borderline intellectual disabilities (MBID); Parenting; Parent–child relationship