Abstract
This study examines the bidirectional relationship between parenting and child behaviors for 1,869 parent-child dyads in rural, Gansu, China using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Overall, a parent effect was found such that low levels of parental warmth and high levels of parental punishment predicted child maladjustment. While parent behaviors were stable over time, child internalizing and externalizing problems were not. A child effect was also found such that girls’ problems were met with less punishment while boys’ problems were met with less warmth. This survey study provided support for gender differences in the bidirectional or reciprocal relationship between parent and child behaviors over time.