Effects of adverse childhood experiences on observed parenting and children’s behavior problems among Jewish and Arab Muslim families in Israel

Research points to the substantial impact of parents' exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on parents and their children. However, most studies have been conducted in North America, and research on ACEs effects on observed parenting or on intergenerational transmission of ACE effects is limited. We therefore studied families from diverse ethnocultural backgrounds in Israel and examined whether mothers' ACEs hampered maternal sensitivity and the quality of the home environment and whether mothers' psychological distress mediated these links. We also explored whether mothers' ACEs predicted children's behavior problems indirectly through maternal psychological distress and whether maternal sensitivity and the home environment attenuated this mediating path. Participants were 232 mothers (<i>M</i>_{child age} = 18.40 months, <i>SD</i> = 1.76; 63.36% non-ultra-Orthodox Jewish, 17.24% ultra-Orthodox Jewish, 19.40% Arab Muslim). Results showed mothers' ACEs were directly associated with decreased maternal sensitivity. Mothers' ACEs were indirectly associated with more behavior problems in children through mothers' higher psychological distress, and maternal sensitivity moderated this indirect link; it was significant only for mothers who showed lower sensitivity. Findings emphasize the significant role ACEs play in early mother-child relationships. The importance of including ACE assessment in research and practice with families of infants and toddlers is discussed.