Psychological Development and Education ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (3): 410-419.doi: 10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2025.03.11

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The Intergenerational Transmission of Violence—The Influence of Parental Abuse on Bullying Perpetration: An Analysis Based on Latent Growth Model

TAN Deqin1, DING Wan1, SONG Shengcheng1, WU Wei1, LIN Xiuyun2   

  1. 1. Intelligent Laboratory of Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Crisis Intervention of Zhejiang Province, Parent Education Research Center, School of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004;
    2. Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875
  • Published:2025-05-20

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Abstract: This study examined the effects of parental abuse on children’s bullying perpetration. By a cluster sampling method, 897 children aged 8~11 years from Anhui Province, China completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and the Olweus Bully Questionnaire at three time points. The main findings are as follows: (1) T1 parental physical abuse significantly predicted T2 three types of children’s bullying perpetration; T2 parental psychological abuse significantly predicted T3 three types of children’s bullying perpetration; (2) Three types of children’s bullying perpetration declined along with the growth of children. Boys were significantly higher than girls in the initial levels of the bullying perpetration, but no gender difference was found in the development speed of the bullying perpetration; (3) Higher levels of physical and psychological parental abuse hindered the reduction of three types of bullying perpetration in primary school children at the same moment. The current study supports and deepens the connotation of the cycle of violence theory and enriches relevant research on the relationship between parental abuse and children’s bullying perpetration in Chinese culture. In addition, this study provides an important reference for school and family education practice.

Key words: physical abuse, psychological abuse, development trajectory, gender difference, bullying perpetration

CLC Number: 

  • B844
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