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Decoding Aggression: The Differential Impact of Parenting Styles on Reactive, Proactive, and Co-occurring Aggression
Annis Lai Chu Fung1, Weiye Zhou1
1City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, China.
Journal of Interpersonal Violence
|August 11, 2026
Summary
Childhood aggression profiles are linked to parenting styles. Coercive parenting, including verbal hostility and physical coercion, is associated with higher aggression, especially in children with co-occurring reactive-proactive aggression.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Family Studies
Background:
- Childhood aggression predicts future psychosocial difficulties.
- Limited research exists on parenting behaviors linked to specific aggression types (reactive, proactive, co-occurring).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate associations between parenting styles and aggression profiles in Chinese children.
- To differentiate parenting correlates of reactive-only, proactive-only, and co-occurring reactive-proactive aggression.
Main Methods:
- 1,278 children (grades 3-6) and their parents in Hong Kong participated.
- Multi-informant reports assessed parenting styles and child aggression (reactive and proactive).
- Children were classified into aggression profiles; MANCOVAs and path analyses were used.
Main Results:
- Aggression profile differences were mainly linked to authoritarian and coercive parenting.
- Children with co-occurring reactive-proactive aggression showed more coercive practices.
- Authoritative and positive parenting showed no significant profile differences.
- Reactive and proactive aggression remained correlated; verbal hostility and physical coercion were key correlates.
Conclusions:
- Coercive parenting behaviors are significant family correlates of childhood aggression.
- Examining reactive and proactive aggression together is valuable for understanding family influences.
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