Parental Harsh Discipline and Children’s Anxiety: The Mediating Role of Family Cohesion

Abstract

Abstract: The current study aimed to explore the mediating role of family cohesion in the relations between parental harsh discipline (psychological aggression and corporal punishment) and children’s anxiety, and to examine how the relations varied as a function of child gender. A total of 605 elementary school-age children participated in the questionnaire survey. Results showed that: 1) Parental harsh discipline was negatively correlated with family cohesion, and was positively correlated with children’s anxiety. Family cohesion was negatively correlated with children’s anxiety. 2) Family cohesion mediated the relations between paternal and maternal psychological aggression and maternal corporal punishment and children’s anxiety. 3) There were significant child gender differences in the mediating effects of family cohesion in the relations between parental harsh discipline and children’s anxiety.

Key words: parental harsh discipline, psychological aggression, corporal punishment, children’s anxiety, family cohesion

摘要： 以605名小学生为被试，采用问卷调查法考察家庭亲密度在父母严厉管教（心理攻击和体罚）与儿童焦虑间的中介作用，以及儿童性别对这一中介效应的调节作用。结果发现：（1）父亲和母亲严厉管教与家庭亲密度均呈显著负相关，与儿童各焦虑症状均呈显著正相关，家庭亲密度与儿童各焦虑症状均呈显著负相关；（2）家庭亲密度在父亲心理攻击、母亲心理攻击和母亲体罚与儿童焦虑之间均存在显著的中介作用；（3）家庭亲密度的中介作用存在显著的儿童性别差异。

关键词: 父母严厉管教, 心理攻击, 体罚, 儿童焦虑, 家庭亲密度

CLC Number:

B844

ZHAI Peixin, HU Yuxiang, LIU Li. Parental Harsh Discipline and Children’s Anxiety: The Mediating Role of Family Cohesion[J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2021, 19(2): 201-208.

翟培鑫, 胡玉香, 刘莉. 父母严厉管教与儿童焦虑的关系：家庭亲密度的中介作用[J]. 心理与行为研究, 2021, 19(2): 201-208.

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