Parental reactions to children's negative emotions: Longitudinal relationsto quality of children's social functioning

Relations between self-reported parental reactions to children's negative e motions (PNRs) and children's socially appropriate/problem behavior and neg ative emotionality were examined longitudinally. Evidence was consistent wi th the conclusion that relations between children's externalizing (but not internalizing) emotion and parental punitive reactions to children's negati ve emotions are bidirectional. Reports of PNRs generally were correlated wi th low quality of social functioning. In structural models, mother-reported problem behavior at ages 10-12 was at least marginally predicted from moth er-reported problem behavior, children's regulation, and parental punitive or distress reactions. Moreover, parental distress and punitive reactions a t ages 6-8 predicted reports of children's regulation at ages 8-10, and reg ulation predicted parental punitive reactions at ages 10-12. Father reports of problem behavior at ages 10-12 were predicted by earlier problem behavi or and parental distress or punitive reactions; some of the relations betwe en regulation and parental reactions were similar to those in the models fo r mother-reported problem behavior. Parental perceptions of their reactions were substantially correlated over 6 years. Some nonsupportive reactions d eclined in the early to mid-school years, but all increased into late child hood/early adolescence.