Family economic hardship and children?s behavioral and socio-emotional outcomes in middle childhood: Direct and indirect pathways

Abstract

Objective The current study aimed to examine whether and how family economic hardship would directly or indirectly affect primary school-aged children’s behavioral and socio-emotional outcomes, focusing on the mechanisms of family stress processes. Methods This study used four waves of data (kindergarten, first, third, and fourth grade) from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-11 (ECLS-K: 2011). The study sample comprised 13,611 American children whose caregivers responded to questions about the household-level poverty status, the indicator of family economic hardship. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test associations among family economic hardship, family stress processes, and child outcomes in the proposed pathway models. Results Family poverty status was significantly and positively associated with economic pressure, which in turn negatively influenced caregiver psychological health and parenting behaviors, sequentially. Harsh, negative parenting significantly and positively predicts poor child behavioral and socio-emotional outcomes, such as greater levels of externalizing and internalizing behaviors and lower levels of self-control and interpersonal skills. In addition, the relationships between family economic hardship and child outcomes were partially or fully mediated through family stress processes, including parental stress and negative parenting practices. Conclusion Family poverty is indirectly and significantly associated with primary school-aged children’s poor behavioral and socio-emotional outcomes through caregiver functioning. Given that the middle childhood years are a critical developmental stage in developing increased socioemotional skills, family-based interventions supporting family interactions and/or parental mental health support may help reduce the negative impact of disrupted caregiver functioning on child outcomes along with intervention efforts to alleviate economic hardship.