Paternal and maternal negative parenting, self-esteem, and adolescent aggression - mediating pathways and coping moderation in Chinese adolescents

Previous research has confirmed that self-esteem mediates the relationship between negative parenting styles and adolescent aggression. A critical research gap lies in how paternal and maternal negative parenting styles are differentially linked to adolescent aggression through distinct psychological pathways. To address this research gap, we conducted a cross-sectional study involving 1100 Chinese adolescents aged 15–19 from multi-child families, who completed validated measures of negative parenting styles, self-esteem, coping styles, and aggressive behavior. Results revealed that self-esteem partially mediated the associations between both maternal and paternal negative parenting and adolescent aggression. Notably, coping styles specifically moderated the latter stage of the mediating pathway when maternal negative parenting served as the independent variable: adolescents employing positive coping strategies displayed lower baseline aggression and showed a more pronounced reduction in aggression as self-esteem increased, compared to those using negative coping strategies. These findings highlight the necessity of developing parent-specific interventions to mitigate the adverse outcomes of negative parenting on adolescent aggression.