SINGLE-PARENT MATERNAL STRESS WITH RESPEC T TO PRESCHOOLER AGGRESSION

This study examines the relation between maternal stress and childhood aggression for single and two-parent families of preschool children. The sample was composed of 32 single and 43 married mothers of childre n enrolled in preschool programmes (34 girls and 41 boys). Childhood a ggression was assessed by preschool teachers using Behar's Preschool B ehavior Questionnaire: maternal stress was evaluated using Abidin's Pa rental Stress Index, and mother-child interaction was filmed at home i n a standardized situation. Results indicated that: (1) more children were identified as aggressive in single-parent families than two-paren t families; (2) parenting stress was higher for single mothers of aggr essive children than married mothers of aggressive children, but no di fference in stress was observed between groups of mothers of non-aggre ssive children; (3) parenting stress is also related with mother's lev el of education; (4) children's aggressiveness is related with low fin ancial incomes; (5) during interaction in the home, single mothers wer e more controlling and less positive with their child and maternal str ess and the child's negativity were positively correlated.