This paper reviews studies of the link between aggression and two family factors: attachment and parenting behavior. Children with a history or presence of avoidant or disorganized attachment are likely to exhibit more aggression. Lack of parental warmth and use of power-assertive discipline are positively associated with aggression. Attachment and parenting have their unique contributions to aggression. Specifically, the role of parental control is addressed in several studies. The patterns of results are generally stable across toddlers, preschoolers, school-aged children and adolescents. Boys are influenced more strongly by the father’s parenting practices and girls by the mother’s. Attachment also influences boys and girls to different extents. These results provide support to early theories and also have novel implications for improving extant theories and for prevention and intervention of child aggression.
- The Relation between Parent-Child Attachment, Child-Rearing Behaviors, and Aggression in Childhood and Adolescence
- Meng Pei
- Malcolm Watson (Advisor)
- Brandeis University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences; Master of Arts (MA)
- Master of Arts (MA), Brandeis University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
- Brandeis University
- Brandeis University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
- 10192/24359; 9923879937301921
- Copyright by Meng Pei 2011
- Department of Psychology
- English
- Thesis