Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 18, 2025
The Other End of the Leash: An Experimental Test to Analyze How Owners Interact with Their Pet Dogs
Published on: October 13, 2017
Families, Parenting and Aggressive Preschoolers: A Scoping Review of Studies Examining Family Variables Related to
Raúl Navarro1, Elisa Larrañaga1, Santiago Yubero1
1Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Humanities, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Avda de los Alfares, 42, 16071 Cuenca, Spain.
Insights
Family factors significantly influence preschool aggression and victimization. Understanding these complex family dynamics is crucial for early intervention and preventing later behavioral issues.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Family Studies
Background:
- Childhood aggression is a growing research concern due to its adverse consequences.
- Early aggression can predict later bullying and other aggressive behaviors.
- Aggression is linked to individual, peer, school, family, and cultural factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify family variables researched in relation to preschool aggression.
- To determine family variables associated with perpetration and victimization in preschoolers.
Main Methods:
- A scoping review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines.
- Four major databases (Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, PsycINFO) were searched for studies from 2000-2022.
- 39 peer-reviewed articles were included from an initial pool of 2002.
Main Results:
- Parental behaviors, adverse childhood experiences, and household characteristics were the primary family variables examined.
- Most studies focused on aggressive (perpetration) behaviors.
- Key family variables identified as risk factors for aggressive and victimizing behaviors.
Conclusions:
- Family environment factors significantly increase the risk for aggressive and victimizing behaviors in preschoolers.
- The link between family variables and preschool aggression is complex and may be mediated by factors like gender or child-teacher relationships.
- Further research is needed to understand mediating factors in the family-aggression relationship.
Background:
A growing body of research has shown that children behave aggressively from an early age. In recent decades, such behaviour has become a focus of scientific interest, not only because of the adverse consequences of these interactions, but also because high levels of aggression, especially at an early age, may be a risk factor for the use of other forms of aggression, such as bullying, later on during their development. These behaviours are related not only to individual characteristics, but also to peer relationships, teacher behaviours, school variables, family factors and cultural influences.
Method:
In order to find out which family variables have been researched in relation to preschool aggression and which family variables are associated with perpetration and victimisation, a scoping review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Four databases (Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed and PsycINFO) were used to map the studies published between 2000 and 2022.
Results:
This scoping review included 39 peer-reviewed articles from an initial sample of 2002 of them. The majority of studies looked only at perpetration behaviours. The main family variables covered in the articles concern parental behaviours, adverse childhood experiences in the family environment, and the household structural and sociodemographic characteristics.
Conclusion:
This scoping review shows that different factors within the family environment increase the risk of developing aggressive and victimising behaviours in the preschool setting. However, the relationship between the family variables and preschool aggression is complex, and it may be mediated by other factors such as gender, child-teacher closeness or parent-child dyads.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:47Aggression
01:28Conduct Disorder
02:04Bullying
01:30Socioemotional Experience and Gender Development
01:27Parenting Styles
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative...
02:01Group Design