Parental Control and Aggressive Behavior in Adolescence: Testing the Direction of Effects

Abstract

Goal: This longitudinal study examines prospective associations between parental psychological control and adolescents’ aggressive behavior and tests whether each association is moderated by parents’ gender or adolescents’ gender. Method: In total, 466 adolescents (57 % boys) participated in the study (M_age = 13.03 years, age range: 11-15 years). They filled in questionnaires about the amount of psychological control their mothers and fathers use in the upbringing and about their own aggressive behavior in daily life. Results: There is no significant concurrent association between parental psychological control and adolescents’ aggressive behavior. There is a marginal negative concurrent association between maternal psychological control and adolescents’ aggressive behavior. The association was not longitudinal or bidirectional. Finally there was also a marginal negative interaction effect between maternal psychological control and adolescents’ gender and adolescents’ aggressive behavior at a later point in time. Conclusion: The association between parental psychological control and adolescents’ aggressive behavior is not strong, but has shown gender differences. Future research should take into account parents gender and the other dimensions of parental psychological control.