Dimensions of harsh parenting and Chinese adolescents' internalizing problems: Roles of emotion regulation and neuroticism

IF 2 3区社会学 Q2 FAMILY STUDIES

Family Relations Pub Date : 2026-03-11 Epub Date: 2026-01-28 DOI:10.1111/fare.70158

Shuang Bi, Linfei Liu, Qi Liu, Yaping Cao

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective

We aimed to differentiate the effect of psychological aggression and corporal punishment of harsh parenting on Chinese adolescents' internalizing problems through the mediating role of adolescents' maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies (MCERS) and the moderating role of neuroticism.

Background

Past research has linked harsh parenting to internalizing problems in adolescents but overlooked the unique role of different dimensions of harsh parenting and the corresponding pathways linked to adolescents' internalizing problems.

Method

A total of 530 Chinese families including both parents and their adolescents (M_age = 14.06; SD = 0.86; 52.8% girls and 47.2% boys) from a junior high school in northern mainland China participated in the study. Parents completed questionnaires on their use of corporal punishment and psychological aggression. Adolescents completed self-reports on their MCERS, internalizing problems, and neuroticism.

Results

Results showed that psychological aggression indirectly affected Chinese adolescents' internalizing problems through MCERS, whereas corporal punishment did not show such an effect on adolescents' internalizing problems. Additionally, neuroticism moderated the relationship between MCERS and internalizing problems, such that adolescents with higher neuroticism were more vulnerable to the impact of MCERS.

Conclusion

The findings indicate that psychological aggression, but not corporal punishment, is associated with Chinese adolescents' MCERS and more internalizing problems, especially among adolescents who reported higher levels of neuroticism.

Implications

Prevention efforts, including school-based intervention and family life education, should emphasize the adverse role of parents' psychological aggression in addressing adolescents' internalizing problems and particular attention should be given to adolescents who are higher on neuroticism.

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严厉教养与中国青少年内化问题的维度：情绪调节和神经质的作用

目的通过青少年不适应认知情绪调节策略（MCERS）的中介作用和神经质的调节作用，探讨严厉父母的心理攻击和体罚对青少年内化问题的影响。过去的研究将严厉的父母教育与青少年的内化问题联系起来，但忽视了严厉的父母教育的不同维度以及与青少年内化问题相关的相应途径的独特作用。方法选取中国大陆北部一所初中的530个中国家庭，包括父母双方及其青少年（Mage = 14.06, SD = 0.86，女生52.8%，男生47.2%）参与研究。家长们填写了关于他们使用体罚和心理攻击的问卷。青少年完成了关于MCERS、内化问题和神经质的自我报告。结果心理攻击通过MCERS间接影响青少年的内化问题，而体罚对青少年的内化问题没有影响。此外，神经质调节了MCERS与内化问题之间的关系，因此高神经质的青少年更容易受到MCERS的影响。结论中国青少年的MCERS和内化问题与心理攻击有关，而与体罚无关，特别是在神经质水平较高的青少年中。包括学校干预和家庭生活教育在内的预防工作应强调父母的心理攻击在解决青少年内化问题中的不利作用，并应特别注意神经质程度较高的青少年。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Family Relations Multiple-

CiteScore

3.40

自引率

13.60%

发文量

164

期刊介绍： A premier, applied journal of family studies, Family Relations is mandatory reading for family scholars and all professionals who work with families, including: family practitioners, educators, marriage and family therapists, researchers, and social policy specialists. The journal"s content emphasizes family research with implications for intervention, education, and public policy, always publishing original, innovative and interdisciplinary works with specific recommendations for practice.