Abstract
The Reactive Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ) is a self-report tool for assessing reactive aggression (RA) and proactive aggression (PA). This study contributes to the literature by testing the psychometric properties of the RPQ across detained boys from various ethnicities whilst using data that were gathered during clinical assessments. The factorial, convergent, and criterion validity, and the internal consistency of the RPQ scores received strong support in the total sample and across four ethnicity groups. Also, three groups of boys were identified, with the group including boys with high levels of both RA and PA including the most severe boys in terms of anger, delinquency, alcohol/drug use, and psychopathic traits, and having the highest prevalence rate of conduct disorder and substance use disorder. Together, these findings suggest that the RPQ may hold promise for assessing RA and PA in detained boys, even when confidentiality and anonymity of the information is not guaranteed.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10578-015-0553-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Aggression is an umbrella term that captures different types of aggression that differ in underlying mechanisms, forms, functions, and prognosis [1]
Results from confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) supported the two-factor structure over the one-factor structure of the Reactive Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ), and showed that a significant distinction can be made between reactive aggression and proactive aggression in detained adolescent males
Because the v2/df ratio was below the cut-off value in three subgroups and because all the other fit indices supported the two-factor model of the RPQ, this model can be considered to be acceptable in the total sample as well
Summary
Aggression is an umbrella term that captures different types of aggression that differ in underlying mechanisms, forms, functions, and prognosis [1]. Reactive aggression is often accompanied by anger and rage, autonomic arousal and loss of impulse control, and, has been described as a ‘hot’ form of aggression [3, 4]. Reactive aggression and proactive aggression are highly correlated [7], previous research in adolescents has shown that both types of aggression differ in the direction and/or strength of relations to variables of interest. With respect to internalizing problems, reactive aggression is positively related to depression [8], suicide risk [9], and anxiety [10], whereas proactive aggression is not. With respect to externalizing problems, proactive aggression is positively correlated to conduct problems [8], bullying [11] and substance abuse [7], whereas reactive aggression is not, or less strongly, related to these features. Reactive aggression, but not proactive aggression, is positively related to impulsivity [12]. Proactive aggression, but not reactive aggression, is independently and positively related to offending in general [12], and violent offending in specific [7], though it must be noted that studies have shown a positive relationship between reactive aggression and offending, or did not
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