The purpose of this study was to identify which of the variables were associated with ineffective parental child-rearing practices and to examine the effects of cumulative risk factors on ineffective child-rearing practices. The subjects for this study consisted of 120 mothers and 120 fathers of two to six year old children attending a university child development laboratories. Self-report questionnaire were used to collect data on the following variables: 1) family backgrojnd characteristics; 2) child temperament; 3) quality of life; 4) social support; 5) intergenerational trasmission of parenting; and 6) parental disciplinary practices. Descriptive analysis, t-test, and chi-square analyses were used for data description and analysis. The major findings were as follows: 1) Mothers who perceived the child as being less emotional, more soothable, and who had higher levels of marital satisfaction and job satisfaction engaged in more effective child-rearing practices. 2) Fathers who perceived the child as being less emotional, and who have boys provided more effective child-rearing practices. 3) For both mothers and fathers, parents with higher levels of quality life, social support, and family income exhibited more effective child-rearing practices. 4) Parents exposed to several risk factors were much more likely to exhibit ineffective child-rearing practices than parents exposed to no risk factors. The results of this study indicate that the characteristics of the child, parent, and contextual factors all contribute to the parental child-rearing pracitices.