Harsh parental discipline and offspring emotional and behavioural problems: Comparing findings from the random-intercept cross-lagged panel model and the monozygotic twin difference design

Objective. To elucidate associations between parental harsh discipline and child emotional and behavioural problems in monozygotic twins aged 9, 12 and 16 and to compare distinct approaches to causal inference.Method. Child reports of 5,698 identical twins from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS) were analysed. We tested three types of longitudinal structural equation models: a cross-lagged panel model (CLPM), a random intercept CLPM (RI-CLPM) and a monozygotic twin difference version of the CLPM (MZD-CLPM). Results. Given the study aim to infer causation, interpretation of models focussed primarily on the magnitude and significance of cross-lagged associations. Behavioural problems resulted in harsher parental discipline across all models. In the CLPM, we found bidirectional effects between parental discipline behavioural problems at age 9 and 12. Point estimates of all other associations between parental harsh discipline and child emotional and behavioural problems were in the same direction but magnitude varied across models. In the MZD-CLPM, twin differences in harsh parental discipline at 9 predicted twin differences in emotional problems at 12. In the RI-CLPM, emotional problems at 12 predicted a reduction in harsh parental discipline at 16 within person. Conclusions. Findings can be interpreted as corroborating (but not definite) evidence in favour of a causal effect of child behavioural problems on later experienced harsh parental discipline. Yet, in light of the triangulated methods, results also illustrate divergence in the MZD-CLPM and RI-CLPM outcomes, and underline the importance of a well-defined research question, careful model selection and refining causal conclusions on within-person processes.

Patterns of Father Involvement and Child Development among Families with Low Income

This study examined patterns of father involvement and their relations with social, behavioral, and cognitive development among low-income children < 5 years. Latent class analysis on data from 2650 fathers (Mage = 29.35 years) in the Supporting Healthy Marriages program revealed four father involvement patterns: (1) High positive involvement (48%); (2) engaged but harsh discipline (42%); (3) low cognitive stimulation (8%); and (4) lower involvement (2%). The low cognitive stimulation pattern was associated with greater father- and mother-reported child behavior problems and lower child socioemotional and cognitive functioning. The engaged but harsh discipline pattern was associated with more father-reported child behavior problems. These findings highlight the need for active engagement of fathers in parenting interventions to promote child development.

Parental Harsh Discipline and Migrant Children’s Anxiety in China: The Moderating Role of Parental Warmth and Gender

The present study examined the moderating effects of both parents’ warmth in the relations between parental harsh discipline (psychological aggression and corporal punishment) and migrant children’s anxiety and parent and child gender differences in the moderating mechanism in Chinese society. This study used a sample of 477 elementary school-age children and both their parents in Chinese migrant families. We constructed a Structural Equation Model to explore the relation between parental harsh discipline (psychological aggression and corporal punishment) and migrant children’s anxiety and the moderating role of parental warmth. Our findings revealed that maternal but not paternal psychological aggression was found to significantly predict boys’ anxiety. Moreover, maternal warmth exacerbated the relations between paternal corporal punishment and girls’ anxiety. The findings provide partial support for the “healthy context paradox” and highlight the importance of considering how the broader family emotional context may interact with parental harsh discipline to influence child adjustment.

Perceptions of Parenting Behavior by Adolescents: The Development of the Malaysian Parenting Behavior Inventory

We conducted a study with the aims of examining adolescents’ perceptions of their mother’s and father’s parenting behavior and developing a new Malaysian Parenting Behavior Inventory (MPBI). In Phase One, we recruited 903 adolescents using the proportionate to size sampling technique. The results of the exploratory factor analyses of the MPBI Mother and Father scales revealed four underlying factor structures: Warmth, Monitoring, and Harsh Discipline were somewhat similar to those in past findings and theory, and Indigenous centered on religious and cultural values in parenting. In Phase Two, using an independent sample of adolescents, we replicated the factor structure of Study One with confirmatory factor analysis, resulting in strong model fit estimates. We conclude that the MPBI has good initial psychometric properties and is culturally influenced. The MPBI may be useful for prevention and intervention programs in clinical and non-clinical settings, including providing valuable information on factors pertinent to parent-adolescent interactions.

Higher Levels of Harsh Parenting During the COVID-19 Lockdown in the Netherlands

Previous studies on the impact of COVID-19 indicate that pandemic-related distress increases risks for child maltreatment, although data on the scope of this problem are still scarce. Here, we assessed whether parents with toddlers ( n = 206) more often used harsh discipline during the lockdown in the Netherlands compared to a matched parent sample collected prior to the pandemic ( n = 1,030). Parents were matched on background characteristics using propensity score matching. We found that harsh parenting levels were significantly elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels. Harsh parenting behaviors with a low prevalence before COVID-19 increased most strongly: shaking, calling names, and calling the child stupid. These results suggest that parental tolerance for children’s disobedience is lower under the adverse circumstances of COVID-19 and, as a result, abusive parenting responses are more difficult to inhibit. Thus, a lockdown seems to increase risks for child maltreatment, underscoring the need for effective support strategies for at-risk families.

Recollections of Maternal and Paternal Punitive Discipline in Childhood and Violent Attitudes and Behaviors in Adulthood: A Mediation Model

This cross-sectional retrospective study on a convenience sample of 973 Greek undergraduate students examined whether the violent socialization in childhood and the criminal history in adolescence would be mediators between parents' harsh discipline and young adults' violent attitudes and behaviors (VA/B). Structural Equation Modelling indicated that both the mothers' and fathers' punitive discipline at age 10 have an indirect impact, through the mediators, on young adults' VA/B. A direct effect was also found from mothers' and fathers' punitive discipline to violence approval and from fathers' punitive discipline to antisocial personality symptoms, and corporal punishment law attitude. The findings suggest that early experiences of harsh discipline may increase the risk of adult's violence and call for multilevel prevention and intervention programs targeting both parents and children.