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This study examined risk, vulnerability, and protective processes of parental expressed emotion for children's peer relationships in families living in emergency shelters with high rates of exposure to parental violence (EPV). Parental criticism and negativity were hypothesized to exacerbate the association between EPV and poorer peer relations, whereas parental warmth was expected to buffer this association. Participants included 138 homeless parents (M = 30.77 years, SD = 6.33, range = 20.51-57.32 years; 64% African American, 12% Caucasian, 24% other) and their 4-to 6-year-old children (43.5% male; M = 4.83, SD = .58, range = 4.83-6.92 years; 67% African American, 2% Caucasian, 31% other). Families were assessed during the summer at three urban shelters, with parents completing the Five-Minute Speech Sample (FMSS), later scored for criticism, negativity, and warmth, and interview items about EPV. Teachers were subsequently contacted in the fall about children's classroom behavior, and they provided ratings of peer relations. Demographic factors, parental internalizing symptoms, and observed parental harshness were examined as covariates. Regression analyses indicated an interaction of EPV and warmth, consistent with a moderating effect of expressed emotion for EPV and peer relations, although no interactions were found for criticism or negativity. Observed harshness also directly predicted worse peer relations. Parental warmth may be protective for positive peer relations among impoverished families with high levels of EPV. The FMSS is discussed as an efficient tool with potential for both basic clinical research and preventative interventions designed to target or assess change in parental expressed emotion.

This study examined the structural relations of preadolescents' inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, aggressive and prosocial behaviors, and peer functioning. There were 739 fourth (n = 239) and fifth (n = 500) graders (52.23% boys) in Taiwan who participated in this study. Preadolescents' inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity were assessed using parent reports on the Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham IV Rating Scale. Aggressive behaviors, including physical aggression and relational aggression, and prosocial behaviors were assessed using teacher and peer reports. Peer acceptance and the number of reciprocated friendships were obtained through peer nomination administered 6 months later after initial assessment and were combined to assess children's peer functioning. Results of structural equation modeling demonstrated that inattention was indirectly linked to impaired peer functioning through low levels of prosocial behavior, regardless of gender. In addition, inattention was directly related to less optimal peer functioning only for girls. Hyperactivity/impulsivity was neither directly nor indirectly related to impaired peer functioning in boys, although it was related to more physical and relational aggression. However, for girls, a positive and direct path existed between hyperactivity and peer functioning. Further, hyperactivity in girls was associated with more physical aggression, which in turn led to poorer peer functioning. These findings suggested that the processes related to each core domain of ADHD and peer functioning may be varied, depending on the mediating factors (e.g., aggression or prosocial behavior) and gender.