Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine marital romantic relational aggression in parents and its impact on adolescent relational aggression, adolescent romantic relational aggression, internalizing, and school engagement with self-regulation as a potential mediator. Gender differences were also examined. Adolescents were from 328 two-parent families in a large north-western city in the United States and were between 12 and 17 years of age (M=14.24, SD=1.00, 51% female) at time 4. All independent variables except adolescent self-regulation were measured at wave 4, and all adolescent variables were measured at wave 5. Results indicate that higher levels of romantic relational aggression from mother to father was directly related to higher relational aggression in girls and lower romantic relational aggression in boys one year later. Father romantic relational aggression was directly and negatively related to romantic relational aggression in girls one year later. Mother romantic relational aggression was indirectly related to all outcomes in females only, in the predicted directions, through adolescent self-regulation. Father romantic relational aggression was indirectly related, in the predicted directions, to relational aggression, internalizing, and school engagement in boys only. Implications for research and clinical practice are discussed.

Degree

College and Department

Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Family Life; Marriage and Family Therapy

Rights

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