The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word REBUKING
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
R
E
B
U
K
I
N
G
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Scolding" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case scolding = rebuking.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does REBUKING mean?
REBUKING verb- To criticise harshly; to reprove.
- The act of giving a rebuke.