Citation

Casas JF, Weigel SM, Crick NR, Ostrov JM, Woods KE, Yeh EAJ, Huddleston-Casas CA. J. Appl. Dev. Psychol. 2006; 27(3): 209-227.

Affiliation

University of Nebraska at Omaha, USA; University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, USA; University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, USA; University of Nebraska at Lincoln, USA. (nwerner@wsu.edu)

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.appdev.2006.02.003

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This study investigated early parent-child relationships and how children's use of relational and physical aggression varies with aspects of those relationships during the preschool years. Specifically, parenting styles, parents' use of psychological control, and parents' report of their children's reunion behaviors were assessed. Analyses revealed significant associations between children's use of both relational and physical aggression and parents' reports of their own and their partner's parenting style, psychological control behaviors, and indicators of the attachment relationship. The results highlight the importance of investigating both mothers' and fathers' parenting and the sex of the child in studies of potential links between parenting behaviors and young children's relational and physical aggression. Findings were considered in the context of each perspective and suggestions for future research and implications for intervention and prevention are discussed.