SSyyrraaccuussee UUnniivveerrssiittyy SSUURRFFAACCEE David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Child and Family Studies - Dissertations Dynamics 5-2013 PPaarreenntt AAggggrreessssiioonn aanndd YYoouutthh EExxtteerrnnaalliizziinngg aanndd IInntteerrnnaalliizziinngg BBeehhaavviioorrss:: SSttaabbiilliittyy aanndd MMuuttuuaall IInnflfluueennccee Ann L. Sheedy Syracuse University Follow this and additional works at: https://surface.syr.edu/cfs_etd Part of the Family, Life Course, and Society Commons RReeccoommmmeennddeedd CCiittaattiioonn Sheedy, Ann L., "Parent Aggression and Youth Externalizing and Internalizing Behaviors: Stability and Mutual Influence" (2013). Child and Family Studies - Dissertations. 69. https://surface.syr.edu/cfs_etd/69 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics at SURFACE. It has been accepted for inclusion in Child and Family Studies - Dissertations by an authorized administrator of SURFACE. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract Parent aggression exists on a continuum with corporal punishment at one end and abuse at the other. There is still controversy as to whether any kind of parent aggression toward an adolescent contributes to externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Relative to what is known about parent aggression during childhood, much less is known about parent aggression toward adolescents from a systemic and developmental perspective. This study explored the stability and mutual influence of parent aggression and adolescent externalizing and internalizing behaviors. The study found that the constructs were stable over time, and that with this sample population, parental physical and emotional aggression co‐occurred with internalizing and externalizing behaviors at both points in time. Neither form of parent aggression showed a longitudinal association with youth externalizing or internalizing behaviors. The current study found a mutual influence between parent aggression and youth maladaptive behaviors, thus adding to the growing but limited literature considering both directions of influence. Finally, the study found a temporal association between the quality of relationships with family at T1 and youth internalizing behaviors at T1 and T2, suggesting that family relationships remain important predictors of adolescent emotional wellbeing. PARENT AGGRESSION AND YOUTH EXTERNALIZING AND INTERNALIZING BEHAVIORS: STABILITY AND MUTUAL INFLUENCE By Ann Sheedy B.S.W. Syracuse University, 1990 M.S.W. Syracuse University, 1991 DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of Doctor of Philosophy in Child and Family Studies in the Department of Child and Family Studies May 2013 Copyright 2013 Ann Sheedy All rights reserved Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my brother John who left us all too early, to my daughter Genna who is my inspiration, to my mother Violet, my sisters Mary, Claire, Liz and Christine who have been continuous supports throughout this journey, to Ruby for her creative spirit, to Gloria for her sense of humor, and to my life partner, Diane for your boundless love, patience, and unconditional support. Acknowledgements This dissertation was possible due to the ongoing support of many people. I want to especially appreciate my academic advisor and dissertation committee chair, Dr. D. Bruce Carter, who listened patiently, read and reread my work so many times, and offered words of wisdom and encouragement throughout the long process. Your sense of humor and constant reminders to “see the forest through the trees” will always be with me, especially when I get lost in the details. I was able to finish this dissertation because of the constant support from my other two committee members: Dr. Ambika Krishnakumar and Dr. Rachel Razza. Without your guidance and open doors, I would not have had the courage to stay the course, take it one step at a time, and finish my dissertation. Your suggestions were insightful and each piece of advice drove me to produce a better, clearer dissertation. I thank all of my committee members for your hard work in editing grammar, suggesting reorganization of text, and pointing out analytic and conceptual mistakes on my dissertation. Every piece of feedback contributed to the improvement and completion of my dissertation. Thank You. I am grateful to the Department of Child and Family Studies. The support staff made me feel welcomed from day one and continued to guide me through the details and trials of being a graduate student. I would not have completed my dissertation without their knowledge of the processes that make the department effective. Thank You. v And Lastly, I appreciate all the professors, classmates, and friends whom I was lucky to know and work with over the past several years. This has truly been a team effort and I have learned so much. Thank You. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………... i TITLE PAGE……………………………………………………………...……………... ii COPYRIGHT NOTICE………………………………………………………………........ iii COMMITTEE APPROVAL PAGE………………………………………………………... iv DEDICATION………………………………………………………………………….... v ACKNOWLEDGEMENT……………………………………………………………….... vi TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………………...... viii LIST OF TABLES………………………………………………………………............... xi LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………………..... xii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………....... 1 1.1 Conceptualization of parent aggression………………………………….. 3 1.2 Potential pathways from parent aggression to externalizing and 9 internalizing behaviors: the quality of relationships with friends and family……... 1.3 Current study………………………………………………………………... 14 CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK…………………………………………… 16 CHAPTER 3: LITERATURE REVIEW…………………………………………………… 22 3.1: Continuum of parent aggression/corporal punishment to physical 22 abuse…………………………………………..………………………….................... 3.2 Physical Abuse……………………………………………………………... 27 3.3 Emotional Aggression……………………………………………………… 32 3.4 Parent aggression and detrimental youth outcomes…………………… 33 3.5 Gender and parent aggression…………………………………………… 38 3.6 Summary of Literature………………………………………………….... 40 CHAPTER 4: CONCEPTUAL MODEL………………………………………………….. 43 CHAPTER 5: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS…………………………………….. 47 5.1 PHDCN brief overview……………………………………………………….. 47 vii 5.2 Original Study Sample Population………………………………………….. 47 5.3 Assessment Protocols …………………………………………………….... 48 5.4 Sample selection for current study……………………………………….... 49 5.5 Measures…………………………………………………….……………..... 49 5.5.1: Parent aggression…………………………………….……………..... 49 5.5.2: The quality of relationships with friends and family.……………...... 51 5.5.3: Internalizing and externalizing behaviors…………….…………....... 52 CHAPTER 6: ANALYTIC STRATEGY…………………………………………………..... 53 6.1 Missing data…………………………………………………………..…........ 53 6.2 Plan of analysis……………………………………………………....…......... 53 CHAPTER 7: RESULTS…………………………………………………………..…........ 57 7.1 Sample description…………………………………………………..…......... 57 7.2 Co‐occurrence of parent aggression and youth externalizing and 65 internalizing behaviors………………………………………………………..….......... 7.2.1: Model 1………………………………………………………..….......... 65 7.2.1a: Time 1 and the effects of parent aggression on the quality of 65 relationships with friends and family and the outcome of externalizing behaviors 7.2.1b: Mediation with externalizing behaviors………………..…............ 68 7.2.2: Model 2………………………………………………………..….......... 68 7.2.2a: Time 1 effects of parent aggression on the quality of relationships 68 with friends and family and the outcome of internalizing behaviors.......................... 7.2.3: Model 3………………………………………………………..…......... 71 7.2.3a: Time 2 effects of parent aggression the quality of relationships 71 with friends and family and the outcome of externalizing behaviors……..…........... 7.2.4: Model 4………………………………………………………..…........ 73 7.2.4a: Time 2 effects of effects of parent aggression on the quality of 73 relationships with friends and family and the outcome of internalizing behaviors... 7.2.4: Model 5 ………………………………………………………..…........ 7 4 7.2.4a: Stability of parent aggression, youth externalizing behaviors, and 74 viii internalizing behaviors …………………………………………………..…................. 7.2.4b: Effects of youth externalizing and internalizing behaviors on 75 parent aggression in T2…………………………………………………..…................. 7.2.4c: Time 1 & 2, testing the stability of constructs and systemic 75 relationships between variables and externalizing behaviors………..…...........….... 7.2.5: Model 6………………………………………………………..…........ 78 7.2.5a: Time 1 & 2, testing the stability of the constructs and systemic 78 relationships and internalizing behaviors…………………………………..…........... CHAPTER 8: DISCUSSION………………………………………..…..................... 82 8.1 Discussion………………………………………..…..........…………….. 82 8.2 Limitations of the current study and Future Directions………………. 94 8.3 Conclusions…………………………………..…..........………………... 98 REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………………... 100 CURRICULUM VITAE……………………………………………………………….….. 126 ix
Description: