Rethinking Parental Risk Factors of Harsh Parenting: The Perspective of Psychometric Networks

ABSTRACT Harsh parenting poses significant risks to children's emotional, cognitive and behavioural development. This study examines the interplay of maternal and paternal risk factors for harsh parenting through psychometric network analysis, emphasizing their interconnectedness within family systems. Data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, collected in 20 large cities across the USA, were analysed to construct separate networks for maternal, paternal and combined parental factors. The results identify parental depression as the central factor across all networks, highlighting its pivotal role in shaping harsh parenting behaviours. Material hardship and coparenting difficulties also emerged as influential factors, closely interacting with depression. While the maternal and paternal networks exhibited notable similarities, the combined network revealed strong interconnections between maternal and paternal risk factors, underscoring the importance of a dyadic approach to understanding family dynamics. The findings suggest that interventions targeting parental depression and financial stress could yield the most substantial impact on other interconnected risk factors. Adopting a family systems perspective that integrates both maternal and paternal influences is essential for designing effective, tailored interventions to support healthier family dynamics and child development.