Parental gatekeeping and parenting in families with children: a network analysis

Parental gatekeeping plays an important role in interparental dynamics, yet its broader associations with parenting remain underexplored, as most studies have focused primarily on its links with father involvement. Adopting a systemic perspective, we employed network analysis to investigate the interrelations between parental gatekeeping and multiple dimensions of parenting. The sample comprised 478 Brazilian caregivers (M = 37.03 years, SD = 6.01; 78.45% mothers; 81,1% married and 78.3% with at least college degree), of children aged between 3 and 11 years (M = 6.42 years, SD = 2.64). Data were collected through online surveys with closed-ended items. Results showed that discouragement had high centrality in the network and was positively associated with coercive and inconsistent parenting. Control was more strongly related to discouragement, reflecting interparental power dynamics. In contrast, affective validation and co-regulation emerged as central and protective dimensions, showing negative associations with coercive and inconsistent practices. Overall, these findings highlight discouragement as a key mechanism linking coparental dynamics to negative parenting, while affective validation and co-regulation appear to buffer such effects, reinforcing the relevance of parental gatekeeping within a broader parenting framework. From a methodological standpoint, the network approach advances understanding complex family processes, reinforcing the need for precise behavioral definitions rather than broad typologies to guide both research and professional practice.