Pathways from parental alienation to adolescent problem behaviors: A longitudinal study of parent-child attachment and emotion regulation

Family environment significantly shapes adolescents’ development, with accumulating evidence suggesting that family risk factors predict adolescent problem behaviors. Research has established links between parental alienation behaviors and adolescent maladjustment, but the causal pathways and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Methods: This longitudinal study employed three waves of data collection over two years to investigate how parental alienation behaviors influence adolescent problem behaviors through parent–child attachment and emotion regulation strategies. Participants were 815 Chinese adolescents from three middle schools in Jilin Province. Measures included the Parental Alienation Behaviors Scale, Parent-Child Attachment Scale, Emotion Regulation Strategies Scale, and Adolescent Problem Behaviors Scale. Results: (1) parental alienation behaviors significantly predicted adolescent problem behaviors; (2) the relationship between parental alienation behaviors and adolescent problem behaviors is mediated by parent–child attachment; (3) The relationship is also mediated by emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal, expressive inhibition); and (4) parent–child attachment and emotion regulation strategies demonstrated significant chain-mediating effects. Conclusion: This study advances our understanding of how parental alienation behaviors impact adolescent problem behaviors by identifying key mediating mechanisms. The findings illuminate the role of parent–child attachment and emotion regulation within Chinese cultural contexts while offering implications for prevention and intervention strategies targeting both internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescents.