Physical and psychological aggression and the use of parenting styles: a comparison of African-American and Caucasian families

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in the relationship between physical and psychological aggression and the parenting styles of 24 African-American and 22 Caucasian parents. The sample of 92 participants came from pre-existing data of couples and families who attended therapy at the Family Service Center at the University of Maryland, College Park. Physical and psychological aggression were measured by a self-report instrument of conflict behaviors, the Conflict Tactics Scale, Revised. Parenting practices were measured with the Parenting Practices Questionnaire. A Pearson's correlation or analyses of variance were used to determine if a relationship existed between the level of physical and psychological aggression and parenting styles, and whether this relationship varies by the race/culture of the family and gender of the parents. The findings suggest that the interaction of race and gender impacts the parenting styles of African-American mothers. Clinical implications are suggested.