Mediations of parenting practices between parental ACEs and child emotion regulation

The intergenerational impact of trauma, particularly adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), has been widely studied in relation to developmental outcomes. Still, the mechanisms by which parental ACEs may influence their children's emotion regulation remain understudied. This study examined whether specific parenting practices—sensitivity and warmth, cognitive stimulation, and intrusiveness—mediate the relationship between parental ACEs and child emotion regulation. A sample of 41 racially and socioeconomically diverse parents of preschool-aged children (ages 3–5) was used. Parents self-reported their ACEs, parenting behaviors, and their child’s emotion regulation using validated measures. A 4-step multiple regression approach was used to test the mediation using each parenting dimension as the mediator. Results revealed that higher parental ACEs significantly predicted poorer child emotion regulation. However, none of the parenting dimensions significantly mediated this relationship. Furthermore, ACEs were not significantly correlated with any individual parenting practice, a key requirement for mediation. The anticipated mediating role of parenting behaviors was not supported in this sample. The results may reflect limitations in sample size and the reliance on self-report data, which can introduce bias and inaccuracies in the assessment of parenting and child behavior. Nonetheless, the study reinforces the importance of addressing parental trauma in early intervention and highlights the need for further research to identify protective factors that can disrupt the cycle of intergenerational adversity.