Father-child attachment and externalizing problem behavior in early adolescence: A moderated mediation model

Previous research has documented that father-child attachment is positively associated with externalizing problem behavior of adolescents. However, little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relation. This study tested the mediating effect of self-esteem in the association between father-child attachment and externalizing problem behavior and whether this mediating process was moderated by gender. The model in this study was examined using 639 Chinese adolescents. The results showed that: (1) Boys' father-child attachment was significantly higher than that of girls, and boys' self-esteem was significantly higher than that of girls. There was no significant difference between boys and girls in externalizing problem behavior, but the addiction tendency of boys was significantly higher than that of girls; (2) Father-child attachment significantly negatively predicted adolescent externalizing problem behavior, and self-esteem played a partial mediating role in the relationship between father-child attachment and externalizing problem behavior; (3) The moderated mediation model of father-child attachment influencing externalizing problem behavior was established, and the direct and the first half paths of the model were regulated by gender. Specifically, father-child attachment has a greater impact on self-esteem among girls, whereas father-child attachment has a greater impact on externalizing problem behavior among boys.