Modeling the Structural Relationships of Conflicts between Parents and Students with Aggression: The Mediating Role of Moral Disengagement

Aggression is a social damage which is increasing in the society. In addition, aggression is one of the most important issues of childhood and adolescence which is related to parent-child relationships and family conflicts. Therefore, present study aimed to modeling the structural relationships of conflicts between the parents and adolescents with aggression through the moderating role of moral disengagement in female students.   

This was a study with descriptive-correlational design and structural equations. The study population included all the female students studying at the secondary schools of Qom in the academic year of 2019-2020. A sample of 607 students was selected by multi-stage cluster sampling to participate in this research. The participants answered Parent-Child Relationship Scale (Fine, Moreland, & Schwebel, 1983), Moral Disengagement Scale (Caprara et al., 2006) and Aggression Questionnaire (Buss & Perry, 1992). To analyze the data, structural equations modeling with AMOS was used.   

Results showed that effect of adolescent-parent conflict on moral disengagement (P<0.01, β=0.67) and aggression (P<0.01, β=0.47) was positive and significant. The effect of moral disengagement on aggression (P<0.01, β=0.26) was positive and significant. Moral disengagement had a positive and significant mediating role in the relationship between parent-adolescent conflict and adolescent aggression (P<0.01, β=0.17).

Based on the results of the present research, it can be concluded that the parent- adolescent conflict leads to the increase of moral disengagement and aggression in female students. Also, moral disengagement increases the relationship between parent-adolescent conflict and aggression.