Intimate Partner Violence, Parenting, and Toddler Behavior among Low-Income Latinx Families

Intimate partner violence (IPV) adversely impacts child and adult well-being, as well as affects parenting processes. However, there is a need to understand the mechanisms by which IPV affects parenting and child outcomes. The current study examined the associations among maternal experiences of IPV (i.e., physical and verbal aggression), parenting processes, and toddler behavior in an understudied group: low-income Latinx families with very young children. Central American immigrant mothers (N = 169) were interviewed in their homes in Spanish or English, based on their preference. Mother–toddler interaction was video-recorded and coded for sensitive-engaged parenting and harsh-intrusive parenting. IPV exposure did not relate directly to parenting or to toddlers’ (ages 12–28 months) behavior. Rather, parenting stress significantly moderated the relation between IPV exposure and observed parenting behavior: for mothers with lower levels of parenting stress, IPV was positively associated with sensitive-engaged parenting, whereas for mothers with higher levels of parenting stress, IPV was positively associated with harsh-intrusive parenting. Moreover, for mothers with higher parenting stress, IPV exposure was associated with harsh-intrusive parenting behavior, which in turn was related to toddler behavior problems. In sum, parenting stress influenced the impact of IPV exposure on parenting behaviors, and on toddler behavior problems. The implications of these results for the design of parenting interventions for families affected by IPV are explored.