Parental Harsh Discipline and Children's Anxiety in China: An Examination of the Moderating and Mediating Roles of Teacher-Student Relationships and Peer Relationships

Objective: The present study examined the moderating and mediating roles of teacher-student relationships (TSR) and peer relationships in the effects of parental harsh discipline on children's anxiety in Chinese society. Method: A total of 1,040 children (53.8% boys; M-age = 10.64 years, SD = 1.12) and their parents were participated in this study. We constructed the structural equation model to explore the effects of paternal and maternal harsh discipline on children's anxiety, as well as the moderating and mediating roles of teacher-student relationships and peer relationships. Results: The findings revealed that maternal but not paternal harsh discipline predicted children's anxiety 6 months later. Better teacher-student relationships intensified the negative effect of maternal harsh discipline on children's anxiety, whereas peer relationships did not moderate the effect. Teacher-student relationships and peer rejection interactively moderated the effect of maternal harsh discipline on children's anxiety. Specifically, high levels of peer rejection intensified the impact of teacher-student relationships on the effect of maternal harsh discipline on children's anxiety. Moreover, teacher-student relationships also served as mediators in the negative effect of maternal harsh discipline on children's anxiety. Conclusions: Findings provide partial support for the "healthy context paradox" (negative impact of parental harsh discipline may be more severe in healthy contexts) and highlight the importance of considering the effects of the home-school mesosystems on child adjustment.