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06-12-2024 | Empirical Research

Heterogeneous Trajectories of Parental Psychological Aggression from Middle Childhood to Early Adolescence in China: Associations with Child- and Family-Level Predictors and Children’s Developmental Outcomes

Auteurs: Yuan Liu, Meifang Wang, Yufei Hu

Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Youth and Adolescence | Uitgave 5/2025

Abstract

Previous research has shown that parental psychological aggression may change with children’s age, and individual differences existed in the developmental trajectories of parental psychological aggression within different families. However, most studies on the heterogeneous psychological aggression trajectories have focused solely on mothers or combined mothers’ and fathers’ data, with few studies separately exploring the unique trajectories of fathers and mothers and their predictors and outcomes within Chinese societies. Therefore, this study investigated the heterogeneous trajectories of paternal and maternal psychological aggression from middle childhood to early adolescence and their associations with child- and family-level predictors and outcomes in China. A total of 1137 Chinese families with children in grades 1–3 (M_age = 7.17; SD_age = 0.95 at Time 1; 52.35% boys, 47.65% girls) participated in assessments at five time points, using 1-year internals in between. Latent class growth models were used to estimate the heterogeneous trajectories of paternal and maternal psychological aggression from ages 7 to 11 years. Logistic regression analyses were used to understand the child- and family-level predictors of these trajectories, and analysis of covariance was used to examine the outcomes of these trajectories. The findings revealed that three trajectories of paternal psychological aggression were identified: low-persistent (88.95%), high-decreasing (7.93%), and high-increasing-decreasing (3.12%) trajectories. Four trajectories of maternal psychological aggression were identified: low-persistent (86.17%), high-decreasing (5.94%), high-increasing-decreasing (4.08%), and low-increasing (3.81%) trajectories. Lower marital satisfaction, more psychological aggression experiences during childhood, and being a parent of a boy were risk factors for both paternal and maternal trajectories, while higher negative affectivity in children was a risk factor of maternal but not paternal trajectories. In addition, the high-increasing-decreasing trajectory for both fathers and mothers as well as the low-increasing trajectory for mothers predicted children’s more internalizing and externalizing problems. These findings highlight the importance of considering heterogeneity in understanding the developmental patterns of parental psychological aggression, their predictors, and cumulative effects on child development.

vorige artikel Developmental Relations Between Peer Victimization, Emotional Symptoms, and Disability/Chronic Condition in Adolescence: Are Within- or Between-Person Factors Driving Development?

volgende artikel Longitudinal Association Between Childhood Emotional Maltreatment and Gratitude in Chinese Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Parent-Child Attachment

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Titel: Heterogeneous Trajectories of Parental Psychological Aggression from Middle Childhood to Early Adolescence in China: Associations with Child- and Family-Level Predictors and Children’s Developmental Outcomes
Auteurs: Yuan Liu
Meifang Wang
Yufei Hu
Publicatiedatum: 06-12-2024
Uitgeverij: Springer US
Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Youth and Adolescence / Uitgave 5/2025
Print ISSN: 0047-2891
Elektronisch ISSN: 1573-6601
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-024-02115-2

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Heterogeneous Trajectories of Parental Psychological Aggression from Middle Childhood to Early Adolescence in China: Associations with Child- and Family-Level Predictors and Children’s Developmental Outcomes

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