By-gender risk paths of parental psychological control effects on emerging adult overt and relational aggression

• Published in: Journal of social and personal relationships Vol. 31; no. 8; pp. 1040 - 1067
• Main Authors: Little, Michelle, Seay, Danielle
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.12.2014; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Aggression; Aggressiveness; Behavior Problems; Cognitive models; Cognitive psychology; Females; Gender; Guilt; Hostility; Mathematical models; Mothers; Parenting; Parents; Parents & parenting; Peer groups; Peer Relations; Psychological effects; Risk; Self control; Social cognition; Teenagers; gender; overt aggression; Emerging adulthood; relational aggression; structural equation modeling; parenting
• ISSN: 0265-4075; 1460-3608
• DOI: 10.1177/0265407513517808

We modeled by-gender risk paths of maternal, paternal, and parental psychological control effects on emerging adult overt and peer relational aggression using structural equation models. The effect of adolescent conduct problems on emerging adults’ (aged 18–24) aggression was examined through its effect on parents’ psychological control. Additionally, a social–cognitive mediation model of aggression was tested linking conduct problems and parents’ psychological control with hostility and low guilt and concern for harming others. Results highlighted the salience of the social–cognitive model for female emerging adults’ aggression risk. For example, maternal/paternal psychological control and hostility mediated effects of conduct problems on female aggression types. Additionally, combined parental psychological control and hostility mediated effects of conduct problems on female aggression types.