Abstract
The persistence of elevated subtypes of aggression beginning in childhood have been associated with long-term maladaptive outcomes. Yet it remains unclear to what extent there are clusters of individuals following similar developmental trajectories across forms (i.e., physical and indirect) and functions (i.e., proactive and reactive) of aggression. We aimed to identify groups of children with distinct profiles of the joint development of forms and functions of aggression and to identify risk factors for group membership. A sample of 787 children was followed from birth to adolescence. Parent and teacher reports, and standardised assessments were used to measure two forms and two functions of aggressive behaviour, between six and 13 years of age along with preceding child, maternal, and family-level risk-factors. Analyses were conducted using a group-based multi-trajectory modelling approach. Five trajectory groups emerged: non-aggressors, low-stable, moderate-engagers, high-desisting, and high-chronic. Coercive parenting increased membership risk in the moderate-engagers and high-chronic groups. Lower maternal IQ increased membership risk in both high-desisting and high-chronic groups, whereas maternal depression increased membership risk in the high-desisting group only. Never being breastfed increased membership risk in the moderate-engagers group. Boys were at greater risk for belonging to groups displaying elevated aggression. Individuals with chronic aggression problems use all subtypes of aggression. Risk factors suggest that prevention programs should start early in life and target mothers with lower IQ. Strategies to deal with maternal depression and enhance positive parenting while replacing coercive parenting tactics should be highlighted in programming efforts.
Highlights
Given previous identification of the above-mentioned risk factors for individual and/or joint forms and functions of aggression, we examined whether these same risk factors would predict membership in trajectories of combined forms and functions of aggression
Rooted within a developmental model and the early childhood perspective of aggression, we expected that a majority of children would follow moderate to low decreasing physical aggression trajectories with variation in stable to increasing indirect aggression over time
The literature has typically placed the examination of subtypes of aggression within a single or dual-dimensional context only, whereby a focus on either form (PA-Indirect aggression (IA)) or functions (PAA-reactive aggression (RA)) are studied in combination, with two, three- and four group trajectory models often being identified (e.g., Barker et al 2006; Côté et al 2007; Nagin and Tremblay 1999)
Summary
The first objective was to examine the heterogeneity in developmental trajectories of combined physical, indirect, proactive, and reactive aggression across childhood and into adolescence. Rooted within a developmental model and the early childhood perspective of aggression, we expected that a majority of children would follow moderate to low decreasing physical aggression trajectories with variation in stable to increasing indirect aggression over time. We predicted that these same children would likely decrease in reactive aggression over time, with potentially increasing proactive aggression in children who were following increasing trajectories of indirect aggression. In line with previous findings, we expected to find a small group of children who engaged in high and chronic forms and functions of aggression over time. We expected to see a group of children who did not engage in either forms or functions or aggression over time. We expected to find a three or four group model to best fit the data
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