The mediating role of relational aggression in the relationship between parental control and social functioning of the adolescent [Ebeveyn kontrolü ve ergenin sosyal i?şlevselli?i arasindaki ba?lantida i?lişkisel saldirganli?in araci rolü]

Abstract

During the years of adolescence the effects of parental control becomes more complex and significant in many ways. In this research, the relationship between the two types of control -psychological and behavioral control- of parents perceived by the adolescent and the two indicators of social functioning -friendship quality and loneliness was examined according to the gender of the parent and the adolescent. Moreover, the mediating role of the adolescents' relational aggression was investigated in this association. The participants of the study consisted of 780 adolescents (428 female and 352 male) coming from middle SES families and from 7th-8th and 9 th-10th grades. The average age of the adolescents was 14.8 (range = 11.9-18.3; SD = 1.42). Psychological Control-Disrespect, Monitoring, Positive Friendship Quality, Relational Aggression, Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction, and UCLA Loneliness Scales were used as the measurement tools. According to Structural Equation Modeling findings, perceived psychological control of the mother was positively related to the relational aggression of both male and female adolescents; fathers' psychological control was positively related to only males' relational aggression, perceived behavioral control by the father was negatively related to male and female adolescents' relational aggression. Relational aggression positively predicted loneliness and negatively predicted positive friendship quality among male adolescents. Relational aggression mediated the relation between perceived psychological control from both parents and male adolescent's social functioning (positive friendship quality and loneliness); and the relation between perceived behavioral control of the father and loneliness level of male adolescent.