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A cross-lagged analysis of the relationship between adolescents' aggressive behavior, parent-child relationships, and teacher caring behaviors

Na Li,Tianpei Li,Lumin Liu,Duo Zhang

Published 2025 in Frontiers in Psychology

ABSTRACT

Background Aggressive behavior in secondary school students significantly affects their mental health, academic performance, and social adjustment. Parent-child relationships and caring teacher behaviors are recognized as key influences. However, most existing studies employ a cross-sectional design, limiting their ability to reveal dynamic causal relationships among variables. Purpose This study aimed to examine the longitudinal mechanisms underlying the interactions between parent-child relationships, caring teacher behaviors, and aggression in middle school students using a cross-lagged model. Methods Data were collected from 824 junior and senior high school students in Shandong Province using a longitudinal design, with a two-stage follow-up survey (one semester apart) employing the Aggression Behavior Scale, the Parent-Child Relationship Scale, and the Teacher Caring Behavior Scale. Correlation analyses and cross-lagged modeling tests were performed using SPSS and Amos, with measures taken to control for common method bias. Results (1) T1 parent-child relationship significantly negatively predicted T2 aggressive behavior (β = −0.231, p < 0.001), but the reverse path was not significant. (2) T1 teacher caring behaviors significantly negatively predicted T2 aggressive behaviors (β = −0.142, p < 0.001), and T1 parent-child relationships positively influenced T2 teacher caring behaviors (β = 0.097, p = 0.009). (3) Aggressive behavior demonstrated temporal stability (β = 0.114, p = 0.002). Conclusion Both parent-child relationships and caring teacher behaviors independently mitigate aggression in middle school students, with parent-child relationships potentially exerting an indirect effect by enhancing caring teacher behaviors. These findings highlight the significance of collaborative family-school interventions and offer a theoretical foundation for preventing adolescent behavioral problems.

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