Psychological control and indulgent parenting predict emotional-abuse victimization in romantic relationships

The present study investigated the effects parental psychological control, warmth, and behavioral control have on emotional-abuse victimization in romantic relationships. Two hundred and thirty university students who had been in a romantic relationship for at least six months completed the Parenting Styles Questionnaire, the Earlier Abuse Experience Information Form, and the Emotional Abuse Questionnaire. Moderation analysis indicated that the three-way interaction between mother’s psychological control, warmth, and behavioral control in regard to emotional abuse was significant. More specifically, mother’s psychological control predicted emotional-abuse victimization when warmth was both moderate and high while behavioral control was low. These findings indicate that, when parents do not provide sufficient behavioral control and monitoring of inappropriate behaviors during childhood, parental warmth exacerbates the negative effects psychological control has on emotional-abuse victimization in the romantic relationships of late adolescents. The present study significantly contributes to developing an understanding of how perceived childhood experiences of parental psychological control and parental attitudes are transferred to late adolescence and consequently could be a risk factor for adolescents’ experiences of emotional abuse in their romantic relationships.