Parental emotion regulation and child aggression: The mediating role of child emotion regulation

• In Event: Poster Session 06
  In Poster Session: PS 06 Topic - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Abstract

Child aggression is defined as an externalizing behavior that intended to hurt, harm or injure another person (Coie & Dodge, 1998). Previous study has clearly demonstrated its maladjustment outcomes, including internalizing problems, delinquency, and school dropout (e.g., Crick et al., 2006). Among the identified predictors, emotion regulation stands out as under-regulate negative emotions (e.g., anger) may raise the likelihood of aggression in an attempt to avoid uncomfortable emotions, and over-regulation may also lead to aggressive behavior by increasing negative affect and compromising decision making process (Roberton & Daffern, 2012). In this regard, it is noteworthy that parents’ acceptance of emotion has been documented to significantly influence children’s emotional development (Bariola, Hughes, & Gullone, 2012). The current study therefore examined whether parents’ acceptance of emotion is predictive of children’s emotion regulation, and in turn, influences child aggression.

Stratified convenient sampling was used to recruit three kindergartens from high-, middle- and low-income districts respectively based on the average individual monthly income of Guangzhou, China. A total 567 parents provided demographic information, emotion regulation, children’s emotion regulation and aggressiveness by questionnaire.

Findings revealed that: (1) parents’ acceptance of emotion was predictive of children’s physical and relational aggression, completely mediated through children’s emotion regulation; and (2) parents’ education level was positively associated with their acceptance of emotion.

In conclusion, children’s emotion regulation was found to mediate the relations between parents’ acceptance of emotion and child aggression. Findings of this study highlighted the importance of parental emotion regulation in children’s development.

Authors

• Sisi Tao, The University of Hong Kong
  Presenting Author

• Eva Y.H. Lau, The Education University of Hong Kong
  Non-Presenting Author