Citation

Gámez-Guadix M, Almendros C, Carrobles JA, Muñoz-Rivas M. Span. J. Psychol. 2012; 15(1): 145-155.

Affiliation

Dpto. de Personalidad, Evaluación y Tratamientos Psicológicos, Universidad de Deusto, Planta -1. Avenida de las Universidades 24, 48007 Bilbao, Spain. mgamezguadix@gmail.com

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Complutense University of Madrid, Publisher Cambridge University Press)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

22379705

Abstract

The objectives of this study were: (a) to examine the direct and indirect relationships among witnessing interparental violence, parenting practices, and children's long-term psychosocial adjustment; (b) to analyze the possible gender differences in the relationships specified. The sample consisted of 1295 Spanish university students (M age = 21.21, SD = 4.04). We performed statistical analyses using structural equation modeling. The results showed that witnessing parental violence as a child is related to poor long-term psychosocial adjustment during the child's adult years. Furthermore, we found that parenting practices fully mediated the relation between witnessing interparental violence and the child's long-term adjustment. The multigroup analyses showed that most of the relations among the variables did not differ significantly by gender. However, the relation between harsh discipline and antisocial behavior was stronger for males, whereas the relation between harsh discipline and depressive symptoms was stronger for females. Finally, we discuss the implications of these findings for the clinicians and specialists who plan and develop intervention programs for populations at risk.

Language: en