THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COUPLE PSYCHOLOGICAL AGGRESSION AND PARENTING BEHAVIOR

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between received couple psychological aggression and use of authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive parenting practices. Previous research examining couple aggression and parenting ignored psychological aggression and fathering, and found depression to be a mediator of the relationship. The current study aimed to determine the relationship between received psychological aggression and parenting (compared by gender), and to identify whether the relationship between received aggression and parenting is mediated by depression. Secondary analyses were conducted on pre-treatment data collected from couples seeking therapy at the Center for Healthy Families at University of Maryland, College Park. Results revealed a significant relationship between received aggression and authoritarian parenting for fathers, but not for permissive or authoritative behaviors. No relationship was found between mothers' received aggression and any parenting dimension. Depression partially influenced the relationship between received aggression and authoritarian parenting for both mothers and fathers, but not permissive or authoritative parenting.