POVERTY, SOCIAL SUPPORT, AND PARENTAL BEHAVIOR

The associations among poverty, measures of social support, and parent s' reports of punitive and unsupportive behaviors were examined using the National Survey of Families and Households. Analyses revealed a si gnificant interaction between perceived social support and household i ncome: perceived social support was negatively associated with parents ' reports of punitive behavior, but mainly when income was low. The am ount of help received from others was negatively associated with paren ts' reports of unsupportive behavior. The study suggests that some for ms of social support lower levels of problematic behavior among all pa rents, whereas other forms of social support are particularly benefici al to parents living in poverty.