Bidirectional Links between Relational Aggression and Victimization in Adolescents: Different Effects of Maternal and Paternal Psychological Control

Abstract

Relational aggression and victimization are important forms of peer violence during adolescence. However, how these behaviors evolve over time and the specific roles of maternal versus paternal psychological control remain poorly understood. This study examined prospective reciprocal associations among perceived maternal and paternal psychological control, relational aggression, and relational victimization in a sample of Chilean adolescents. This three-wave longitudinal study involved students in Grades 7-9. The study included 530 participants at Wave 1, 474 at Wave 2, and 458 at Wave 3. Full information maximum likelihood (FIML) was employed to retain all available data under the missing-at-random assumption. Baseline ages ranged from 11 to 15 years (M = 12.68, SD = 0.82). Of these, 47% identified as female, 50% as male, and 3% as another gender. Adolescents reported on perceived maternal and paternal psychological control, as well as relational aggression and victimization. A cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) was used to examine longitudinal associations. Results showed reciprocal prospective associations between relational victimization (RV) and relational aggression (RA), such that higher levels of one construct were associated with higher subsequent levels of the other. Paternal psychological control (PPC) was linked to higher subsequent levels of RV, and RV was also associated with a small subsequent increase in perceived PPC. Additionally, maternal psychological control (MPC) showed a negative prospective association with later victimization, although this finding should be interpreted cautiously. Peer dynamics played a central role in the longitudinal coupling between relational aggression and victimization, whereas perceived PPC showed a specific prospective association with later victimization. Prevention efforts should address aggression and victimization jointly and incorporate parent-focused components aimed at reducing psychologically intrusive parenting practices, particularly those perceived by adolescents as PPC.