NCJ Number
237384
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 40 Issue: 11 Dated: November 2011 Pages: 1489-1502
Date Published
November 2011
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This study examined the explanation of interparental aggression its implication as a cause of child and adolescent antisocial behavior.
Abstract
Interparental aggression has long been implicated as a cause of child and adolescent antisocial behavior. Four theoretical explanations (viz., an aggressogenic cognition model, general strain theory, an emotional security model, and a spillover model) have been proposed to account for this deleterious effect. To gain a better understanding of the mechanism whereby interparental aggression promotes antisocial behavior, this study tests the competing explanations simultaneously using longitudinal data from a sample of 508 African-American families with a child aged 12-14 (53.5 percent are girls). Using path analysis, the results support both the general strain theory and the emotional security model for girls. The results also show weak support for the spillover model. Whereas, for boys, all of the four explanations were supported, though the support for the spillover model is weak. Thus, the findings suggest that the mechanisms whereby interparental aggression fosters antisocial behavior may differ by gender. Implications and limitations of the current research are discussed. (Published Abstract)