The present study examined trajectories of social support among 3,899 parents with low income. Repeated-measures latent class analysis was employed to profile temporal trajectories of parental social support across a five-year period. Five distinct trajectories of parental social support were identified with differentiated risk across maltreatment indicators (i.e., observed harsh parenting behavior and child protective services CPS contact). Compared to parents with "High Support" (66%), parents with "Recovering Support" (7%) demonstrated significantly greater harsh parenting behaviors. Parents with "Low to High Support" (6%) and "Low Support" (7%) were significantly more likely to experience CPS contact. Parents with "Decreasing Support" (14%) demonstrated both significantly greater harsh parenting behaviors and were more likely to experience CPS contact. These findings underscore the need for time-sensitive, dynamic approaches to assessing protective factors and maltreatment risk, ensuring that interventions are targeted toward parents most likely to benefit from preventive support.
Olivia D. Chang (Tue,) studied this question.