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Children’s Aggression, Parenting Styles, and Distress for Hong Kong Parents

  • INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH ON AGGRESSION AND VIOLENCE
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Abstract

This study examined the connection between parental perceptions about their children’s reactive and proactive aggression, parenting styles, parent–child communication, and parental distress. A total of 1,485 Hong Kong parents and guardians with children 8 to 17 years old completed the Reactive and Proactive Aggression Questionnaire, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, Adjective Checklist, and Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire. When reactive and proactive aggression responses were used to predict parental distress, a significant regression model was obtained with both predictors making a contribution. A significant model also was discovered when parenting styles and parent–child communication were used to predict parental distress. Authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive parenting contributed significantly to this model. One final regression was performed with the significant predictors from the two previous equations. This model was significant, with reactive and proactive aggression, and authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive parenting styles making significant contributions. Practice and research implications are briefly discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Social Studies, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong

    Annis Lai-Chu Fung

  2. Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, 47304, USA

    Lawrence H. Gerstein

  3. Department of Counseling Psychology & Guidance Services, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA

    Yuichung Chan & Erica Hurley

Authors
  1. Annis Lai-Chu Fung
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  2. Lawrence H. Gerstein
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  3. Yuichung Chan
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  4. Erica Hurley
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Correspondence to Lawrence H. Gerstein.

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Fung, A.LC., Gerstein, L.H., Chan, Y. et al. Children’s Aggression, Parenting Styles, and Distress for Hong Kong Parents. J Fam Viol 28, 515–521 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-013-9518-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-013-9518-9

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