Harsh parenting and emotional and behavioral problems of rural adolescents: the chain mediation effect of insecure attachment and psychological resilience.

Harsh parenting is prevalent in rural China, and adolescents who experience it are more likely to exhibit emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs). However, the underlying mechanisms linking harsh parenting to EBPs remain insufficiently explored. This study aimed to investigate the associations between harsh parenting and emotional and behavioral problems among rural adolescents and to examine the mediating roles of insecure attachment and psychological resilience in this relationship. Participants included 537 students from two rural junior high schools. Self-report measures were administered using the Harsh Parenting Scale, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, the Adolescent Attachment Questionnaire, and the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. SPSS 26.0 was used to analyze variable relationships and test the mediation model. Results showed that harsh parenting was positively associated with emotional and behavioral problems among rural adolescents. Furthermore, both insecure attachment and psychological resilience mediated this relationship. Additionally, a chain mediation effect was found, with insecure attachment and psychological resilience jointly mediating the association between harsh parenting and EBPs. These findings reveal the potential mechanisms through which harsh parenting affects adolescents' emotional and behavioral functioning and provide a theoretical basis for family- and individual-level interventions aimed at preventing such problems.