Poster #136 - Derisive Parenting Fosters Dysregulated Anger in Adolescent Children and Subsequent Difficulties with Peers

• In Event: 3-053 - Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: PS 10 Section - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Integrative Statement

Robust evidence suggests that parents are implicated in the development of children’s bullying behaviors. Parents of bullies are often hostile, punitive, and rejecting (Demaray & Malecki, 2003). The mechanisms whereby negative parenting fosters bullying, however, remain unclear. Most explanations involve direct mechanisms suggesting that parents teach coercive behaviors to children (Patterson, 1982) through modeling or direct tuition (Baldry & Farrington, 2000).
Indirect mechanisms have been proposed to supplement direct pathways. One model suggests that coercive parents socialize negative emotionality in children (Kerr et al., 2003), leading to the development of emotional dysregulation. Because emotional dysregulation is expressed in ways that are unwelcome by agemates (e.g., aggression, hostile expressions of frustration), it can result in peer difficulties. Conclusions of indirect mechanisms however, have been limited by concerns of directionality (dysregulated emotionality may be a cause of negative parenting or consequence of peer difficulties; Chang et al., 2002).

The present study tested a mediated model in which derisive parenting leads to bullying and victimization via adolescent emotional dysregulation. Parents who demean or belittle expressions socialize negative affect. Children who are unable to regulate affect are inclined to bully others (Shield & Cicchetti, 2001). We hypothesized that derisive parenting robs adolescents of opportunities to learn adaptive responses to interpersonal challenges. The adolescent becomes angry and unregulated, lashing out at peers. Specifically, we examined a mediation model in which derisive parenting leads to bullying and victimization via adolescent dysregulated anger.

Data was drawn from three waves of a community sample of adolescents. Participants included 736 males and 673 females (Mage=13.42 years at the outset) who attended secondary school in Sweden. Adolescents were assessed annually across three years (7th to 9th grade). In all waves of data, participants reported on perceptions of derisive parenting (Persson et al., 2004), anger dysregulation (Assor et al., 2009), in-school bullying and victimization (Alsaker & Brunner, 1999) and out-of-school violence and victimization (Andershed et al., 2001)

Full longitudinal mediation models were conducted to test the hypothesis that derisive parenting in 7th grade predicted increases in adolescent victimization, violence and bullying in 9th grade, as mediated by 8th grade adolescent anger dysregulation (Figure 1). Separate analyses were conducted for each of the 9th grade peer outcome variables: in-school bullying, in-school victimization, out-of-school violence, out-of-school victimization, in-school bullying X in-school victimization, and out-of-school violence X out-of-school victimization. Additional models were considered to rule out alternative direction of effects.

Results indicated that derisive parenting in 7th grade was associated with increases in adolescent dysregulated anger from 7th to 8th grade, which in turn, was associated with increases in bullying, victimization, and bully-victimization from 8th to 9th grade. Sobel tests indicated significant indirect effects (Table 1). Higher derisive parenting predicted increases in bullying and victimization via escalating emotional dysregulation. Parents who demean and belittle their children, have children who struggle with emotional regulation and, ultimately, with constructive peer relationships. Our findings suggest that derisive parenting carries a significant cost for children, in terms of an inability to regulate anger and in terms of dysfunctional peer relations.

Authors

• Olivia Maria Valdes, Florida Atlantic University
  Presenting Author

• Daniel J. Dickson, Concordia University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Brett Laursen, Florida Atlantic University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Amanda Gaudree, Florida Atlantic University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Håkan Stattin, Örebro University
  Non-Presenting Author