Early trauma is linked to adverse adult outcomes, including parenting deficits. While prior research has emphasized specific trauma types and severe parenting deficits, less is known about how cumulative trauma shapes normative parenting behaviors. Parenting self-efficacy (PSE) has been proposed as a potential mechanism linking early adversity to later parenting practices, though under-researched. This study examined the relationships between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), PSE, and positive parenting behaviors in a sample of 56 caregivers of preschool-aged children enrolled in Head Start. PSE was significantly associated with greater use of limit-setting, positive behavior support, and proactive parenting strategies, reinforcing its role in self-perceptions of parenting behavior. However, ACEs were not significantly related to parenting behaviors, suggesting that the pathways linking early adversity to parenting may be more complex than hypothesized. Findings suggest PSE as a potential target for future interventions and emphasize the need for further research on these trends.
","abstract_html":"<p>Early trauma is linked to adverse adult outcomes, including parenting deficits. While prior research has emphasized specific trauma types and severe parenting deficits, less is known about how cumulative trauma shapes normative parenting behaviors. Parenting self-efficacy (PSE) has been proposed as a potential mechanism linking early adversity to later parenting practices, though under-researched. This study examined the relationships between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), PSE, and positive parenting behaviors in a sample of 56 caregivers of preschool-aged children enrolled in Head Start. PSE was significantly associated with greater use of limit-setting, positive behavior support, and proactive parenting strategies, reinforcing its role in self-perceptions of parenting behavior. However, ACEs were not significantly related to parenting behaviors, suggesting that the pathways linking early adversity to parenting may be more complex than hypothesized. Findings suggest PSE as a potential target for future interventions and emphasize the need for further research on these trends.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Holmes, Maleek"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Open Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Heather Janisse, PhD","Jamie Lawler, PhD","Chong Man Chow, PhD"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2025-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:17:53Z","subjects":["ACEs","Head Start","Parenting","Parenting Self-Efficacy","Clinical Psychology","Developmental Psychology","Psychology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.emich.edu/theses/1338","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Heather Janisse, PhD","Jamie Lawler, PhD","Chong Man Chow, PhD"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Holmes, Maleek"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2026-06-22T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["ACEs","Head Start","Parenting","Parenting Self-Efficacy","Clinical Psychology","Developmental Psychology","Psychology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/1338"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Early trauma is linked to adverse adult outcomes, including parenting deficits. While prior research has emphasized specific trauma types and severe parenting deficits, less is known about how cumulative trauma shapes normative parenting behaviors. Parenting self-efficacy (PSE) has been proposed as a potential mechanism linking early adversity to later parenting practices, though under-researched. This study examined the relationships between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), PSE, and positive parenting behaviors in a sample of 56 caregivers of preschool-aged children enrolled in Head Start. PSE was significantly associated with greater use of limit-setting, positive behavior support, and proactive parenting strategies, reinforcing its role in self-perceptions of parenting behavior. However, ACEs were not significantly related to parenting behaviors, suggesting that the pathways linking early adversity to parenting may be more complex than hypothesized. Findings suggest PSE as a potential target for future interventions and emphasize the need for further research on these trends.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The relationship between adverse childhood experiences, parenting behavior, and parenting self-efficacy in African American families with low-income"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Heather Janisse, PhD","Jamie Lawler, PhD","Chong Man Chow, PhD"],"dc:creator":["Holmes, Maleek"],"dc:date.available":["2026-06-22T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Early trauma is linked to adverse adult outcomes, including parenting deficits. While prior research has emphasized specific trauma types and severe parenting deficits, less is known about how cumulative trauma shapes normative parenting behaviors. Parenting self-efficacy (PSE) has been proposed as a potential mechanism linking early adversity to later parenting practices, though under-researched. This study examined the relationships between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), PSE, and positive parenting behaviors in a sample of 56 caregivers of preschool-aged children enrolled in Head Start. PSE was significantly associated with greater use of limit-setting, positive behavior support, and proactive parenting strategies, reinforcing its role in self-perceptions of parenting behavior. However, ACEs were not significantly related to parenting behaviors, suggesting that the pathways linking early adversity to parenting may be more complex than hypothesized. Findings suggest PSE as a potential target for future interventions and emphasize the need for further research on these trends.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/1338"],"dc:subject":["ACEs","Head Start","Parenting","Parenting Self-Efficacy","Clinical Psychology","Developmental Psychology","Psychology"],"dc:title":["The relationship between adverse childhood experiences, parenting behavior, and parenting self-efficacy in African American families with low-income"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Psychology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Open Access Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:17:53Z"}