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

## TL;DR

This study shows that good parent-child relationships and caring teachers can reduce aggressive behavior in adolescents over time.

## Contribution

The study uses a longitudinal cross-lagged model to reveal causal relationships between aggression, parent-child relationships, and teacher behaviors.

## Key findings

- Strong parent-child relationships at T1 predict reduced aggression at T2.
- Caring teacher behaviors at T1 predict reduced aggression at T2.
- Parent-child relationships at T1 positively influence teacher caring behaviors at T2.

## Abstract

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.

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.

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.

(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).

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.