Parenting styles and children’s internalizing-externalizing behavior: The mediating role of behavioral regulation

The goal was to examine the contribution of parenting style to externalizing/internalizing problems in children and early-adolescents, on the hypothesis that parenting style would affect externalizing and internalizing problems via its effects on behavioral dysregulation. The participants were parents and teachers of 199 children (111 F) from 6 to 15 years old. A multi-informant study was carried out to assess parenting style (parents reports), and (a) behavioral dysregulation, (b) aggressive behavior with peers, (c) hyperactivity/distractibility, (d) anxiety/fear, in an ecological interactive context such as the classroom (teacher report). We tested our hypotheses with Structural Equation Model analysis. Authoritarian style is associated with aggressive behavior with peers, hyperactivity/distractibility, and anxiety/fear, via its effects on behavioral dysregulation. These findings confirm that the authoritarian style plays an important role in externalizing and internalizing problems by increasing behavioral dysregulation, and it has broad implications for interventions aimed at reducing maladjustment in children and adolescents.