The Longitudinal and Reciprocal Associations Among Maternal Aggravation, Verbal Aggression, and Internalizing Problems from Childhood to Adolescence

Parents have major influences on child wellbeing, including the development of inter-nalizing symptomology in their children. Furthermore, the emotional impact between parents and their children could be reciprocal. This study examined the longitudinal, reciprocal association between maternal aggravation and child internalizing symptoms from childhood to adolescence and the mediating role of maternal verbal aggression. Using a sample of approximately 5,000 mothers across four waves from the Future of Families & Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), results from a cross-lagged autoregressive model suggested that maternal aggravation was related to child internalizing problems from childhood to adolescence, but not through verbal aggression. Meanwhile, child internalizing problems was related to maternal aggravation, but only during early childhood. These findings suggested stronger evidence of maternal effects than child effects, which have important implications for family researchers and practitioners regarding family functioning and child wellbeing.