Witnessing violence between parents and children’s bullying behavior: The mediating influences of parental characteristics

Abstract

Purpose The study examines how parenting characteristics of caregivers, such as low levels of parent-child communication, difficulty meeting parenting demands, and parenting frustration might mediate the association between witnessing violence between parents and bullying perpetration in children, aged 6-11 years.

Method Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine direct and indirect effects by using a sample of parents or guardians of 15,010 children, aged 6–11 years.

Results Witnessing violence between parents and parenting frustration were positively associated with child’s bullying perpetration. Also, parenting frustration partially mediated the association between witnessing violence between parents and child’s bullying perpetration.

Discussion This study findings can provide practitioners strategies to develop anti-bullying interventions for children who are exposed to violence between parents.