Like Father, like Child: Early Life Family Adversity and Children’s Bullying Behaviors in Elementary School

Abstract

Family adversity has been associated with children’s bullying behaviors. The evidence is, however, dominated by mothers’ perceptions of the family environment and a focus on mothers’ behaviors. This prospective population-based study examined whether children’s bullying behaviors were associated with mother- and father-reported family adversity, assessed before and after child birth. Peer-nominations were used to assess bullying behaviors of 1298 children in elementary school (mean age 7.5 years). The following paternal risk factors were prospectively associated with children’s bullying behaviors: (1) father-reported prenatal family distress, (2) fathers’ hostility at preschool age, and (3) fathers’ harsh disciplinary practices at preschool age, but effect sizes were relatively small. The effect of maternal risk factors was less consistent, only mother-reported family distress in childhood was associated with children’s bullying behaviors. The associations were independent of background family risk factors (i.e., life stress, contextual factors, and other background factors such as parental education and risk taking record) and early childhood externalizing problems. Moreover, our results indicated that father-reported family adversity predicted children’s bullying behaviors over and above the background family risk factors, early childhood externalizing problems and mother-reported family adversity. We also demonstrated that the association of fathers’ prenatal hostility and family distress with subsequent bullying behavior of their child at school was partly mediated by fathers’ harsh disciplinary practices at preschool age. Our findings highlight the importance of fathers’ behaviors in the development of children’s bullying behaviors.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s10802-017-0380-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The relation between harsh parenting and bullying involvement and the moderating role of child inhibitory control: A population‐based study

“…Fathers’ harsh parenting increased the odds of being a perpetrator, but we did not find this relation for mothers. Our findings are consistent with studies that reported relations between negative and harsh parenting and increased child aggression and bullying (de Vries et al, 2018 ; Nocentini et al, 2019 ), as well as studies that found effects for fathers’ (but not mothers’) harsh parenting on aggression (Chang et al, 2003 ) and cyberbullying (Zurcher et al, 2018 ). The finding that inhibitory control problems increased the odds of being a perpetrator is consistent with previous reports on inhibitory control being related to externalizing problems (Riggs et al, 2004 ) and aggression (Raaijmakers et al, 2008 ).…”

“…Specifically, parental discipline provides key socializing moments for children's learning of moral reasoning and disengagement (Campaert et al, 2018 ). For example, children who receive harsh discipline after misbehaving may learn that aggression is an acceptable way to achieve a certain outcome (i.e., getting your way, de Vries et al, 2018 ). In early childhood, when children have few other social circles that could buffer against adverse modeling influences, harsh parenting is an environmental factor to which children are vulnerable and susceptible (Labella & Masten, 2018 ).…”

Statistical analysis of childhood and early adolescent externalizing behaviors in a middle low income country

“…Economic problems, poverty [18], unemployment [19], family conflicts or adversity [20], parental mental health [21] and tobacco use [22] are also positively associated with or predictors of both internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Weak social structure and social exclusion are also breeding grounds for behavioral deviations.…”

Effects of CALM and SPACE Parent Training Programs on Rumination and Anxiety in Mothers With Bully Sons

“…He considered a bully as an aggressive and impulsive individual who requires domination (Thomas Cook 2020). About one-third of children in primary school are involved in bullying (De Vries et al 2017). Currently, 15%-30% of students are affected by bullying and its consequences (Hosseini & Rhmadrash 2020).…”