Factors Related to Aggressive and Violent Behavior among Preadolescent African-American Boys

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study investigates factors that are related to aggressive behavior, violent behavior, and aggressive and violent attitudes among African-American preadolescent boys. These factors include exposure to verbal aggression in the home, exposure to community violence, family structure, and peer behavior. Two analyses are performed. The first is based on the behavior ratings of group leaders who were conducting after-school groups with the boys. The findings revealed that leaders' ratings were unrelated to the boys' self-reported behavior or attitudes, as well as the family, community, and peer variables. The second analysis focuses on the effects of family arguments, exposure to community violence, family structure, and peer behavior on self-reported aggressive and violent behavior and attitudes. All of the variables except peer behavior affected self-control. Peer behavior, exposure to community violence, and family arguments affected aggressive and violent behavior. When multivariate analyses were performed, family arguments had a strong negative effect on both attitudes and behavior, positive peers had a strong positive effect on behavior, and age had a strong negative effect on self-control. The findings are discussed in terms of the contextual nature of violent behavior, and from an ecological/developmental perspective. Finally, the findings are also discussed in terms of their implications for practice.