AUTHOR=Van Laer Stanislava , Fiľakovská Bobáková Daniela , Kolarcik Peter , Engel Ofer , Madarasová Gecková Andrea , Reijneveld Sijmen A. , de Kroon Marlou L. A. 

TITLE=Parenting by mothers from marginalized communities and the role of socioeconomic disadvantage: insights from marginalized Roma communities in Slovakia

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 15 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1362179

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1362179

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=Background: Roma living in marginalised communities often face poor living conditions and material deprivation, which may negatively impact parenting. Our aim is to compare the parenting behaviour (support, harsh discipline, and stimulation) of mothers from marginalised Roma communities and the majority population in Slovakia. We also examine the role of socioeconomic disadvantage and related worries in the differences in parenting behaviour between these groups. This study aimed to compare the parenting behaviour of mothers from marginalised Roma communities (MRCs) and the majority in Slovakia and whether socioeconomic disadvantage and related worries explain differences in parenting between the groups.We obtained cross-sectional data from mothers of children aged 14-18 months using the first wave of the longitudinal RomaREACH study dataset. Two groups were included in the sample: 93 mothers from MRCs and 102 mothers from the majority. We performed multiple regression and mediation analyses to assess whether the educational level of mothers, the degree of poverty, and poverty-related feelings of stress and worries explain parenting behaviour differences between the groups of mothers.We found significant differences in parenting, especially in harsh disciplining and stimulation. These two domains were significantly associated with maternal education, degree of poverty, and poverty-related stress and worries. The degree of poverty partially mediated stimulation differences between the two groups of mothers.Parenting in MRCs seems harsher and less stimulative than parenting in the Slovak majority. These differences are associated with the socioeconomic disadvantage of mothers. The degree of poverty partially explains why parenting in MRCs is less stimulative.These results may inform intervention efforts aimed at disadvantaged families.