Cumulative family stress and externalizing problems: Secure base script knowledge as a protective factor

Abstract

The current study examined whether secure base script knowledge can buffer against higher concurrent externalizing problems and against relative increases in externalizing problems associated with cumulative family stress. We conducted a one-year longitudinal study with two waves between 2017 and 2019 in which 272 Dutch-speaking Western European children from Flanders (47.8% boys, $M_{\mathrm{age}}=10.20,{\mathrm{SD}}_{\mathrm{age}}=0.60$ ) participated. Secure base script knowledge was associated with lower concurrent externalizing problems (f² = 0.03). High levels of secure base script knowledge also buffered against relative increases in externalizing problems associated with cumulative family risk (f² = 0.02). These findings suggest that secure base script knowledge can mitigate the negative effects of a stressful family environment on externalizing problems.