Psychological Development and Education ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (4): 577-585.doi: 10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2026.04.12

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Dynamic Reciprocal Relations between Parental Corporal Punishment and Adolescent Aggression

LIU Yuan1, CAO Wenjin1, WANG Meifang2, QUAN Sixiang1   

  1. 1. School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048;
    2. College of Elementary Education, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048
  • Published:2026-07-04

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Abstract: To investigate the reciprocal relations between corporal punishment from both fathers and mothers and adolescent aggression at the between-person and within-person levels, the present study conducted a three-wave longitudinal assessment of 738 middle school students and their parents in Jinan. Results from the cross-lagged panel model revealed significant child-driven effects: adolescents’ aggression at T1 and T2 significantly and positively predicted paternal and maternal corporal punishment one year later. In addition, there were significant reciprocal associations between paternal and maternal corporal punishment. Results from the random intercept cross-lagged panel model indicated that, at the between-person level, paternal corporal punishment, maternal corporal punishment, and adolescent aggression were all significantly and positively associated with each other. At the within-person level, increases in adolescent aggression significantly predicted subsequent increases in paternal, but not maternal, corporal punishment. Overall, the findings suggest that adolescents with higher levels of aggression are at dual risk of being punished by both parents, with paternal punishment playing a particularly important and unique role as adolescent aggression increases.

Key words: parental corporal punishment, aggression, reciprocal relations, cross-lagged panel model, random intercepts cross-lagged panel model

CLC Number: 

  • B844
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