International Journal of
Information and Education Technology

Abstract

Objectives: Examine possible differences in patterns of maternal functioning related to physical and indirect types of aggression one year later and to determine whether patterns were gender-related in children. The hypothesized coercion model assumes that maternal emotional distress indirectly influences children’s aggressive behavior through the independent effect of hostile parenting. Method: Longitudinal analyses were conducted on 110 girls and 115 boys in Grades 1 to 3 (mean age = 7.59, sd = 0.91) attending sociodemographically disadvantaged elementary schools. Mothers provided self-reports of emotional well-being and parenting at T1, and teachers reported on child’s aggression at T1 and T2. Results: Greater maternal emotional distress predicted teacher-rated sons’ and daughters’ physically aggressive behavior, as well as daughters’ (but not sons’) indirect aggression 12 months later, via hostile parenting. Conclusion: Findings contribute toward a better understanding of gender role aspects of physical and indirect aggression and their links with dysfunctional parenting behaviors.