Processes underlying children's adjustment in families characterized by physical aggression

The hypothesis that physical aggression in the family affects children's ad justment through both observational learning/modeling and through its impac t on parenting was tested (via LISREL) using data from a representative sam ple of Canadian children (N = 11,221). Results showed that observational le arning and disrupted parenting provide reasonable, if only partial explanat ions, of mothers' assessments of children's adjustment in families characte rized by physical aggression. Models for preschool (4-5 years), young (6-9 years), and older school-age (10-11 years) children fit acceptably and show ed similar but weak effects, Children reported to witness more aggression a lso were reported to behave more aggressively. Mothers who reported being l ess warm and responsive in parenting reported that their children were more aggressive, had more internalizing behaviors, and had fewer prosocial beha viors.