Family Processes as Resources for African American Children Exposed to a Constellation of Sociodemographic Risk Factors

Abstract

Examined positive functions of family processes among African American children exposed to a constellation of stresses associated with urban residence and low socioeconomic status. Several measures of risk were integrated to form a risk factor index (RFI), which quantified the degree of each child's exposure to stresses. Two family process variables were examined: parental monitoring and a supportive mother-child relationship. The direct and interactive associations between risk factors, family process variables, and children's depressive mood and disruptive behavior were assessed. For both domains of child functioning, higher scores on the RFI were cross-sectionally associated with less optimal functioning. Results consistently revealed significant associations between a more supportive mother-child relationship and more optimal child functioning. Higher levels of parental monitoring were also associated with lower levels of depressive mood and disruptive behavior. Limited support was found for a moderating role of parental monitoring in the association between risk and child functioning, such that low levels of monitoring appeared to increase high-risk children's vulnerability to depressive mood.

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