Examining the Relation of Socioeconomic Status with Child Behaviors and Parent Characteristics: The Role of Family Structure as a Protective Factor

Trisha Glover

Understanding how socioeconomic status (SES) relates to child behaviors and parenting characteristics is critical for informing prevention and intervention efforts. Although SES has been widely studied in relation to child outcomes, less is known about whether family structure functions as a protective factor within low-income families The current study used an archival dataset of 130 preschoolers (ages 3 to 6 years of age) and their female caregivers (60 Head Start; 70 non-Head Start) to examine associations between multiple indicators of SES (Hollingshead Four Factor Index, annual family income, and Head Start status), children’s externalizing and internalizing behaviors, and parent characteristics (negative parenting, positive parenting, maternal parenting stress, maternal distress, and chaos in the home). Family structure (father figure present vs. absent in the household) was examined as a predictor and potential moderator. Consistent with expectations, lower SES was associated with less optimal parenting patterns. Specifically, lower Hollingshead Four Factor Index scores and lower income were significantly related to greater negative parenting and higher maternal parenting stress, and the Hollingshead Four Factor Index was positively associated with positive parenting. Eligibility for Head Start was also associated with higher negative and lower positive parenting. SES indicators were not significantly associated with child externalizing or internalizing behaviors, maternal distress, or chaos in the home. Family structure showed a modest association with parenting: female caregivers in father figure-present households reported lower negative parenting, and a trend emerged suggesting lower maternal distress in father figure-present homes. However, family structure did not moderate relations between SES and any child or parent outcomes. Overall, findings suggest that socioeconomic disadvantage was primarily linked to parenting processes rather than direct child behavior outcomes in this preschool sample and that father figure presence offered limited direct benefits and did not buffer SES effects. This study highlights the importance of examining multiple SES indicators and family context when assessing early risk and resilience processes in preschool-aged children.

Examining the Relation of Socioeconomic Status with Child Behaviors and Parent Characteristics: The Role of Family Structure as a Protective Factor

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