Does School Composition Moderate the Longitudinal Association Between Social Status Insecurity and Aggression Among Latinx Adolescents?

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in social status insecurity and self-reported relational and overt aggression based on the ethnic context of the schools, and how ethnic context moderates the associations between social status insecurity and self-reported relational and overt aggression. Participants were 405 Latinx adolescents (53% girls; M = 14.51, SD = .58). Adolescents were from one of two schools in which they were either the majority (84% Latinx population; n = 203) or the minority (10% Latinx population; n = 202). They completed questionnaires on social status insecurity and self-reported relational and overt aggression at time 1 (in 7th grade) and self-reported relational and overt aggression at time 2 (1 year later in 8th grade). The findings revealed that minority adolescents reported higher levels of social status insecurity and self-reported relational aggression at time 1 and time 2. The association between social status insecurity and time 2 self-reported relational aggression was more positive for minority adolescents. Majority adolescent status did not influence this association.