Parental Attachment and Bullying in South Korean Adolescents: Mediating Effects of Low Self-Control, Deviant Peer Associations, and Delinquency

Abstract

Utilizing a nationally representative, longitudinal South Korean student sample, the current study explores two pathways leading to bullying: (a) parental attachment to low self-control and (b) low self-control to deviant peer associations. Data for the study were derived from the Korean Youth Panel Study, and the study sample consisted of fourth graders in 2004 and eighth graders in 2008, producing three waves of data. Structural equation modeling was used to examine whether parental attachment (Wave 1), low self-control, deviant peer associations, and delinquency (Wave 2) were associated with bullying (Wave 3). Results suggest a significant indirect relationship between poor parental attachment and higher rates of bullying through low self-control. Implications for practice and research are also discussed.

The effect of parent–adolescent relationship quality on deviant peer affiliation: The mediating role of self-control and friendship quality

“…Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990) proposed the general theory which posits that low self-control is a fundamental trait common to people engaging in deviant peer affiliation. An individual with low self-control lacks the ability to regulate emotion and impulsive behavior (Cho et al, 2017), which may lead them to be alienated from conventional peers and push them to affiliate with other deviant peers. From the view of homophily selection (Dishion et al, 2012), deviant adolescents with similarly low self-control tend to have affiliation with deviant peers.…”

“…Indeed, longitudinal studies report that higher levels of parent–child relationship quality predict higher self-control among adolescents three months (Brody et al, 2005) and a year (Moilanen et al, 2010) later. Self-control had also been found to mediate the association between parent–adolescent relationship quality and bullying (Cho et al, 2017) or deviant behavior (Miller et al, 2009). Based on prior studies and theories, we propose the second hypothesis: Lower levels of parent–adolescent relationship quality would be associated with lower self-control, which in turn would be associated with greater deviant peer affiliation.…”

“…These studies exploring the correlates of deviant peer affiliation focused on a single factor or several independent factors, but they have rarely examined the mediating or moderating mechanisms among family, peer, and individual disposition factors. Several studies about problem behaviors suggested that parents exert their influence on adolescents’ deviant behavior indirectly through adolescents’ peer factors such as friendship quality (de Vries et al, 2016) or through disposition factors such as self-control (Cho et al, 2017), but no studies to our knowledge have examined disposition factors in conjunction with family and peer factors. In addition, it is unclear whether the mediating effects of friendship quality and self-control found in the association between parental factors and deviant behavior would also be found for the association between parental factors and deviant peer affiliation.…”

Joint Growth Trajectories of Bullying Perpetration and Victimization Among Korean Adolescents: Estimating a Second-Order Growth Mixture Model–Factor-of-Curves With Low Self-Control and Opportunity Correlates

“…The theory claims that individuals with lower levels of self-control are more likely to engage in deviance when presented with the opportunity (Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990). The theory has been applied to many deviant behaviors (e.g., K. S. Choi et al, 2017;Holtfreter et al, 2010;Turner et al, 2005;Yun et al, 2016), including bullying offending and victimization (Cho, 2017;Cho et al, 2017;Cho & Lee, 2018;Chui & Chan, 2013, 2015Haynie et al, 2001;Moon & Alarid, 2015;Moon et al, 2011;Unnever & Cornell, 2003).…”

Criminality, Substance abuse and Problematic Family Relations in Adolescence

“…These aspects guarantee informal control during the transition to adulthood and reduce likelihood of future involvement in the legal system. Secure attachment and close relationship with parents decrease the rate of violence [32] and promote relational and social skills [33]. Adolescents with secure attachment show more confi dence and better emotional regulation skills than adolescents with avoidant attachment, who have more diffi culty in interpersonal relationships [34].…”