Research and Media

Dating Violence: A Cross-Lag Path Model with Pregnant and Parenting Adolescents

• Healthy conflict resolution skills and emotionally/verbally abusive skills were stable over time 
• Adolescents’ reports of their own positive conflict resolution strategies predicted lower emotionally/verbally abusive behaviors in the future. 
  • Why this matters: 
    • We need to intercept early before behaviors become stable and harder to change
    • Teaching positive conflict management skills is more impactful to the reduction of other abusive behaviors

Parental Factors as Predictors of Dating Violence among Latina Adolescent Mothers

• Positive coparenting relationship quality was related to lower reports of dating violence perpetration and victimization
• Parenting stress was not found to be directly associated with dating violence in this study. 
  • Why it matters: 
    • Promoting positive coparenting can be an important way to prevent IPV

Parenting Stress and Coparenting among Adolescent Parents

• Mothers’ parenting stress predicted mothers’ and fathers’ reports of less coparental communication, and more coparenting conflict; but fathers’ parenting stress only predicted fathers’ reports of coparenting conflict
  • Why this matters: 
    • Reducing mothers’ stress can have an impact on the whole family system
    • Parenting stress may reduce parents’ ability to access an important support system by reducing communication and increasing conflict.  

The results from these studies demonstrate the importance of learning positive interpersonal skills early. They also highlight how coparenting is an important protective factor that helps promote positive adjustment. The SR/SF program fulfills this need by equipping adolescent parents with the skills to navigate their coparenting relationship and to manage conflict in healthy ways.

Adapting a Coparenting‐Focused Prevention Program for Latinx Adolescent Parents in a School Context

• Focus group with teens, their parents, and school staff indicated that coparenting supports went beyond the mother-father dyad to also include grandparents (primarily the maternal grandmother) and other family members. Participants also reported navigating various coparenting challenges (i.e., lack of/ineffective communication, coparental control/gatekeepng, discrepancies in parenting styles, and strained or negative communication).
• Based on focus group findings, we adapted an evidence-based coparenting curriculum, now called “Strong Team Parenting Foundations.”
• After piloting the adapted curriculum, evaluations indicated that the adaptations made were well-received by students.
  • Why this matters: 
    • As the experiences of adolescent parents are complex, it is important to understand their unique needs to develop interventions that are responsive and relevant to their needs and experiences. 
    • This is the first coparenting curriculum created for adolescent parents. 

“A little bit closer”: A Mixed Method Analysis of the Effect of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Lives of Adolescent Parents

• Compared to students’ post-test reports from before COVID-19, the students who completed post-test after the initial COVID-19 stay-at home orders (May 2020) reported fewer depressive symptoms, less parental stress, more frequent coparental communication, and more positive coparental communication and conflict management
• Adolescents who completed focus groups in May 2020, reported both positive and negative effects of COVID-19. For positive effects, participants discussed having less stress and sense of role overload and strengthened relationships with loved ones. For negative effects, adolescent parents discussed the negative effects of social distancing, fear of the virus, financial stress, and relationship strain.
  • Why this matters:
    • Results highlighted the nuanced experiences of adolescent parents during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic
    • Though negative effects were discussed, results also highlighted potential resiliency factors (e.g., family connection, reduced role strain) that may help mitigate the impact of stressful events on adolescent parents’ wellbeing and relationships

Articles:

1. *Hoss, L., Toews, M., Perez-Brena, N. J., *Goodcase, E. T., & Feinberg, M. (2019). Parental factors as predictors of dating violence among Latinx adolescent mothers. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260519862269
2. *Goodcase, E., Toews, M., Perez-Brena, N. J., *Faflick, N. (2020). Dating Violence: A Cross‐Lag Panel Model With Pregnant and Parenting Adolescents. Journal of Adolescence, 81, 1-6. 
3. Perez-Brena, N. J., Duncan, J., *de Jongh, C., & Toews, M. (2021). Parenting stress and coparenting among adolescent parents. Family Relations, 70 (3), 793-807. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12499
4. Perez‐Brena, N. J., Toews, M. L., Feinberg, M. E., & Anders, K. M. (2021). Adapting a Coparenting‐Focused Prevention Program for Latinx Adolescent Parents in a School Context. Family Process. Advance online publication. PMID: 33951202. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12651
5. *Astle, S., Duncan, J.C., Toews, M., Perez-Brena, N., *McAllister, P., *Maddy, M., & Feinberg, M. (Accepted). “A little bit closer”: A mixed method analysis of the effect of the covid-19 pandemic on the lives of adolescent parents. Journal of Adolescent Research.  
    

Invited Talks:

1. Perez-Brena, N. J. (2019) Using online tools for implementation with adolescents. Presented, August 28, 2019 at the 2019 Healthy Marriage & Responsible Fatherhood conference. 

Papers Presented at Professional Meetings:

1. *Perez, R., Perez-Brena, N. J., Duncan, J., & Toews, M. L. (2020, November). The effects of coparenting on adolescent paternal depression. Poster presented at the National Conference on Family Relations Annual Conference.
2. *Zambrano, P., Duncan, J., Perez-Brena, N. J., & Toews, M. L. (2020, November). Mother-grandmother and mother-father coparenting relationships among adolescent mothers. Poster presented at the National Conference on Family Relations Annual Conference.
3. *Goodcase, E., Toews, M., Perez-Brena, N. J., & *Faflick, N. (November, 2018). Dating Violence: A Cross‐Lag Panel Model With Pregnant and Parenting Adolescents. Paper presented at the National Council on Family Relations Annual Conference at San Diego, CA. 
4. Perez-Brena, N. J., Toews, M., Anders, K., *Goodcase, E., & *Colburn, S. (November, 2018). Being “As Good of Parents as Teenagers”: Intersecting Experiences of Adolescent Parents. Paper presented at the National Council on Family Relations Annual Conference at San Diego, CA. 
5. Toews, M., Anders, K., Perez-Brena, N. J., & *Mayen, S. (November, 2018). “I Have Hope": Exploring Pregnant and Parenting Latino Adolescents’ Possible Selves. Paper presented at the National Council on Family Relations Annual Conference at San Diego, CA.
6. Perez-Brena, N. J., Toews, M., Hutson, A., & Feinberg, M. (June, 2018). Adapting a Coparenting–Focused Prevention Program to Serve Latino Adolescent Parents. Paper presented at the Society for Prevention Research Annual Conference at Washington, DC. 

Posters Presented at Professional Meetings:

1. Hutson, A., Perez-Brena, N. J., Perez, R., Reyes, E., Toews, M., & *Zambrano, P (August, 2019). An incentive-based approach to improving program attendance. Paper presented at the Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Biennial Conference at National Harbor, MD.
2. Duncan, J., *Jefferson, M., *Martinez, M., *Perez, R., *Rizzo Esposito, A., & Perez-Brena, N. (February 2019). Examining the Association between Coparenting and Parenting Agency Among Adolescent Parents. Poster Presented at the Texas Council on Family Relations Annual Conference. Austin, TX.
3. *Goodcase, E., Toews, M., Perez-Brena, N. J., & *Faflick, N. (November, 2018). Dating violence: A cross‐lag panel model with pregnant and parenting adolescents. Paper presented at the National Council on Family Relations Annual Conference at San Diego, CA.
4. Perez-Brena, N. J., Toews, M., Anders, K., *Goodcase, E., & *Colburn, S. (November, 2018). Being “As good of parents as teenagers”: Intersecting experiences of adolescent parents. Paper presented at the National Council on Family Relations Annual Conference at San Diego, CA.
5. Toews, M., Anders, K., Perez-Brena, N. J., & *Mayen, S. (November, 2018). I have hope": Exploring pregnant and parenting Latino adolescents’ possible selves. Paper presented at the National Council on Family Relations Annual Conference at San Diego, CA.
6. Perez-Brena, N. J., *Villalpando, U., *de Jongh, C., & Toews, M. (April, 2018). Parenting stress and coparenting among adolescent parents," Poster presented at the Society for Research on Adolescence Biennial Conference at Minneapolis, MN.
7. Perez-Brena, N. J., Toews, M., Hutson, A., & Feinberg, M. (June, 2018). Adapting a coparenting–focused prevention program to serve Latino adolescent parents. Paper presented at the Society for Prevention Research Annual Conference at Washington, DC. 
8. Hoss, L., Toews, M., *Goodcase, E., Perez-Brena, N. J., & Feinberg, M. (November, 2017). Parental factors as predictors of dating violence among adolescent parents. Poster Presentation presented at the National Council on Family Relations Annual Conference at Orlando FL.
9. Perez-Brena, N. J., Toews, M., Hutson, A., & Feinberg, M. (November, 2017). Adapting a coparenting-focused prevention program to serve Latino adolescent parents. Roundtable Presentation presented at the National Council on Family Relations Annual Conference at Orlando FL.
10. *Dixon, K., Toews, M., *Goodcase, E., *Boeger, G., Perez-Brena, N. J., & Feinberg, M. (November, 2017). The role of coparenting in predicting parental outcomes among teen parents. Poster Presentation presented at the National Council on Family Relations Annual Conference at Orlando FL.
     

Non-refereed presentations:

11. *Cogdell, E., *Piprawala, S., *Perez, R., & Perez-Brena, N. J. (April, 2021). How Cultural Constructs Associate with IPV Attitudes and Behaviors in Latinx Adolescent Parents. Poster Presented at the 15th Annual Undergraduate Research Conference and Thesis Forum at Texas State University,. San Marcos, TX..  
12. *Garcia, A., *Perez, R., Duncan, J., & Perez-Brena, N. J. (April 2020). Intimate Partner Violence and Child Maltreatment: A Study of Adolescent Parents. Poster Presented at the Texas State University Undergraduate Virtual Research Conference. San Marcos, TX. 
13. *Hernandez, H., *de Jongh, C., Duncan, J., & Perez-Brena, N. J. (April 2020). Exploring the Correlation Between Conflict, Familism, and Hope in Adolescent Relationships. Poster Presented at the Texas State University Undergraduate Virtual Research Conference. San Marcos, TX.
14. *Randol, H., *McCormick, A., *Mayen, S., & Perez-Brena, N. J., (April, 2018). Prenatal and Parenting Adjustment by Relationship Status in Central Texas Teens. Poster presented at the Texas State University, Undergraduate Research Conference, San Marcos, TX.
     

Media Stories:

• TV, Univision. (December 2019).
• TV, KXAN. (September, 2019).