Publication Date
5-8-2021
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Child Abuse & Neglect
Volume
117
DOI
10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105090
Abstract
Background
Emerging research suggests that parents are experiencing heightened stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parental stress is a risk factor for harsh or punitive parenting, and this association may be exacerbated by the use of alcohol.
Objective
We examine whether parental stress is associated with use of punitive parenting, as well as whether this association is modified by drinking pattern.
Participants & setting
We used advertisements and word-of-mouth to recruit 342 parents living in Central Ohio during the initial stay-at-home order for COVID-19.
Methods
We used geographic ecological momentary assessment (gEMA) to measure parental stress and punitive parenting during three time periods (10 a.m., 3 p.m., and 9 p.m.) over a period of fourteen days using an app downloaded to their cellular telephone. Participants also completed a longer baseline survey. We used nested multilevel ordinal regression models, where at-the-moment assessments (Level 1) were nested within individuals (Level 2) to analyze data.
Results
Higher levels of parental stress [OR = 1.149 (95 % CI = 1.123, 1.176)] and later time of day [OR = 1.255 (95 % CI = 1.146, 1.373)] were positively related to odds of punitive parenting. Drinking pattern was not significantly related to punitive parenting in models with demographic covariates. Parents who drank alcohol both monthly and weekly and had higher levels of stress had greater odds of punitive parenting than parents with high levels of stress who abstain from alcohol.
Conclusions
Alcohol may be an accelerant in the use of punitive parenting for parents experiencing stress. As alcohol use increases during COVID-19, children may be at higher risk for punitive parenting.
Keywords
Child maltreatment, Alcohol use, Stress, COVID-19, Survey research
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Department
Social Work
Recommended Citation
Jennifer Price Wolf, Bridget Freisthler, and Caileigh Chadwick. "Stress, alcohol use, and punitive parenting during the COVID-19 pandemic" Child Abuse & Neglect (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105090
Comments
This is the Version of Record and can also be read online here.