The relative effects of physical and verbal discipline and gender variations on adolescents’ bonds to parents: a case of urban China

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examines the relative effects of physical and verbal discipline on Chinese adolescents’ bonds to parents and whether the relationship between parental discipline and adolescent–parent bonds may be gender- and domain-specific. Data drawn from over 500 middle school students from an urban city in China yielded results generally consistent with the hypotheses. Harsh discipline is significantly associated with a reduction in adolescent–parent bonds and verbal discipline exerts stronger overall effects than physical punishment. Furthermore, the effects of harsh discipline depend on the gender of adolescents and parents as well as domains of parental harshness. Father’s physical discipline is associated with a reduction in father–son closeness, whereas mother’s physical punishment is linked to the declined mother–daughter relationship. Meanwhile, father’s verbal discipline lowers girls’ bonds to father, whereas mother’s verbal harshness is associated with lower bonds of boys to both parents and girls’ bonds to mother only. Additionally, interactive effects are observed. Father’s verbal discipline is associated with a stronger detachment of girls to father and father’s physical discipline is related to higher bonds of girls to mother when mother applies low verbal or physical discipline. Lastly, physical and verbal discipline rendered by mother jointly reduces girls’ bonds to father.