Emotional Intelligence as a Mediator between Parenting Style and Antisocial Behavior among Youth in Malaysia

Abstract

Despite the relentless effort by the local government, educational institutions and the social community, antisocial behaviors are still rampant in society, with 65% of those involved in antisocial behavior being youth. The main objective of this study was to investigate the mediation effect of emotional intelligence on the relationship between parenting style and antisocial behaviors among the youth in Malaysia. Parenting style was separated into three categories: permissive, authoritarian and authoritative. Emotional intelligence is the ability to manage and understand one own’s emotions as well as others’ emotions. Besides the parent–child relationship, emotional intelligence also plays an important role in the relationship between youth and antisocial behaviors, as multiple studies have found that youth with higher emotional intelligence are less likely to engage with antisocial behavior. A total of 400 young individuals (mean age 22.70 years) participated in this quantitative study by answering the Parental Authority Questionnaire; in addition, the Subtypes of Antisocial Behavior Questionnaire and the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale were employed. Pearson’s correlation coefficients, simple linear regression analysis, and covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) were used to analyze the data. The results indicate a negative association between permissive and authoritative parenting styles and antisocial behavior among youth, while authoritarian parenting displays a positive association with antisocial behavior. The results show that emotional intelligence acts as a significant full mediator of the relationship between the permissive parenting style and antisocial behavior in Malaysia. Thus, this study affirms the importance of instilling emotional intelligence in the youth and providing positive social sustainability development intervention programs that aim to reduce antisocial behaviors among the youth, especially for those with permissive parents.