Emotional instability and aggressiveness: Predicting factors

This article pursues a double aim: to analyse parent-child relationships and how it affects child development, as well as the association between aggression and emotional instability. Sample consisted of 2,747 students, aged 10 to 15 years old, from 36 education centres of the Valencian Community (50.6% boys and 49.4% girls). Results show a strong connection between students physical and verbal aggressiveness and their emotional instability. Prosocial individuals tend to be less aggressive in their relationships with others. In addition, certain types of rearing are associated with emotional instability and aggressive behaviour in the child. The main negative factors identified are mothers permissiveness and hostility. In contrast, positive factors are love and autonomy offered by the mother.