Parenting Stress and Parenting Competence Among Latino Men Who Batter

Abstract

This study examined predictors of parenting stress and competence within a sample of 43 immigrant Latino couples, in which some of the men had perpetrated abuse against their partners. It was hypothesized that more physical and psychological abuse perpetrated by men against their partners would be associated with higher parenting stress and lower parenting competence for fathers and mothers. Results indicated that parenting stress and competence for fathers and mothers were not uniform. Father's parenting stress was not related to the predictor variables, whereas mother's parenting stress was related only to physical abuse. Father's parenting competence was related to both physical and psychological abuse whereas mother's parenting competence was not related to the predictor variables. When comparing Latino fathers and Latina mothers, there were differences in parenting stress, with fathers experiencing less, but no differences in parenting competence.