Parent-Adolescent Relationships, Physical Disciplinary History, and Adjustment in Adolescents

Physical discipline occurs within the context of the parent‐child relationship, yet it is often not examined within this important context. The current study examined whether negative effects of physical discipline on older adolescent adjustment are mediated by the overall parent‐child relationship....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Family process 1997-09, Vol.36 (3), p.311-322
Main Author: DeVET, KATHERINE A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological
Adjustment
Adolescent
Adolescent Behavior - psychology
Adolescents
Adult
Biological and medical sciences
Childhood Factors
Childrearing Practices
College Students
Couple and family
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Male
Middle Class
Parent Child Relations
Parenting - psychology
Parenting - trends
Psychological Development
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Punishment
Punishment - psychology
Self Concept
Sex Differences
Sex Factors
Social Behavior
Social psychology
Whites
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Summary:Physical discipline occurs within the context of the parent‐child relationship, yet it is often not examined within this important context. The current study examined whether negative effects of physical discipline on older adolescent adjustment are mediated by the overall parent‐child relationship. The sample consisted of 253, mostly Caucasian, middle‐class, adolescent participants (mean age = 18.4, 67% female). Physical punishment history, parent‐adolescent relationships, and adjustment were assessed with self‐report instruments. For females, relationships with parents partially mediated the association between physical punishment and adjustment. Physical punishment was negatively associated with both adjustment and parent‐adolescent relationships. For males, physical punishment was not related to adjustment. Parent‐adolescent relationships were positively associated with adjustment for both females and males. Physical punishment by fathers was negatively associated with father‐son relationships. The results suggest the importance of exploring links between physical punishment and adjustment within the context of parent‐child relationship, as well as examining males, females, mothers, and fathers separately.
ISSN:0014-7370
1545-5300
DOI:10.1111/j.1545-5300.1997.00311.x