Intergenerational Effects of Parenting on Children’s Internalizing and Externalizing Trajectories: A Latent Growth Model Analysis

Externalizing and internalizing problems in childhood are associated with risk for later psychopathology. It is important to identify antecedents as they may be targets for intervention. In a sample of 501 children (M = 6.07; 54.7% male; 12.4% Hispanic; 12.2% non-White), we leveraged data from a longitudinal study to examine the transmission of parenting behaviors across two generations and its effects on children’s internalizing and externalizing outcomes in the subsequent generation. The results suggested transmission of parenting behaviors, confirmed the role of parenting on children’s psychopathology, and provided novel evidence of a direct and indirect role of grandparent’s caregiving on children’s psychopathology via parenting continuity. These findings may inform interventions addressing continuity of parenting behaviors and their subsequent effects.