Interparental Conflict Styles and Parenting Behaviors: Associations With Overt and Relational Aggression Among Chinese Children

This study examined how interparental conflict styles related to Chinese children’s overt and relational aggression directly and indirectly through parenting behaviors. Mothers (n = 670) and fathers (n = 570) reported their overt and covert interparental conflict styles and different parenting behaviors. Children’s (n = 671) aggression was assessed by peer nominations. Consistent with previous research, coercive control and psychological control showed positive associations with children’s overt and relational aggression, which varied by parent-child gender. The significant indirect effects of interparental conflict styles showed that paternal overt conflict was positively related to boys’ aggression mediating through paternal coercive control and that maternal covert conflict was positively related to boys’ aggression mediating through psychological control. Discussions regarding parent-child gender moderations and implications of the findings in the Chinese cultural context are provided