Parenting and Child Competence in Aggressive Youth: Bidirectional Associations and the Role of Parental Depression

Abstract

Previous research has established associations between parenting factors and children’s competence, though these studies have been limited in their reliance on parenting styles and their examination of these associations cross-sectionally. The current study examined longitudinal growth trajectories and associations between two parenting practices (i.e., parental supervision and avoidance of discipline) and two dimensions of children’s self-perceived competence (i.e., academic and social competence) across six years spanning the transition from elementary school to middle and high school among aggressive youth. Associations and bidirectional influences across time were evaluated. Parental depressive symptoms were also examined as a moderator of these associations. Latent growth models suggested that child perceived competence and parenting practices showed significant variability and no stable growth trajectories. GEE analyses revealed that parental avoidance of discipline negatively predicted perceived academic competence, which, in turn, negatively predicted parental avoidance of discipline. Likewise, when depressive symptoms were low, similar bidirectional associations between parental supervision and perceived academic competence were evident. At low levels of parental depressive symptoms, avoidance of discipline also negatively predicted perceived social competence. Results lend support to developmental models that evaluate the nature of youth competence and parenting factors uniquely and in the context of other salient factors, such as parental psychopathology. Implications and future directions are discussed.