PARENTING PRACTICES OF SINGLE MOTHERS - MEDIATORS OF NEGATIVE CONTEXTUAL FACTORS

It was hypothesized that the effects of the contextual variables Socio economic Disadvantage (SED) and Maternal Antisocial Qualities (MAQ) on Antisocial Behavior Problems (ABP) in boys would be mediated through their disrupting effect on parenting practices. Structural equation mo dels were used to test the hypotheses separately for younger (grades K -2) and older (grades 3-6) boys in a study of recently divorced mother s and their sons. Models for the older boys were replicated in another sample with single mothers. Socioeconomically disadvantaged mothers h ad less effective discipline, and their sons were at greater risk for antisocial behavior problems in all three samples. With older boys, mo thers with antisocial qualities placed their sons at risk for antisoci al behavior problems because of disrupted parenting practices. Moreove r, in the context of maternal antisocial qualities, socioeconomic disa dvantage had no impact on parenting or antisocial behavior problem con structs.