ROLE OF COGNITIVE EMOTION REGULATION STRATEGIES AND FAMILY STRUCTURE AS DETERMINANTS OF AGGRESSION IN PAKISTANI ADOLESCENTS

Abstract

While cognitive emotion regulation strategies are viewed as mental approaches which impact emotionality and decision making of individuals, they are also viewed as mechanisms for controlling the level of aggression. This purpose of the present study was to assess the role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies as well as family structure with regard to impacting aggression in Pakistani adolescents. A sample of 300 (150 belonging to joint and 150 belonging to nuclear families) adolescents (aged 13-18 years) was recruited from schools in urban and rural areas of Pakistan. The participants completed questionnaires assessing cognitive emotion regulation strategies, family structure, and aggression levels. SPSS 21.0 and associated interventions were used for data analysis. reappraisal and refocus on planning had a significant negative association with physical and verbal aggression. However, cognitive emotional regulation strategies including self-blame, others blame, catastrophizing and other disruptive strategies were positively associated with physical and verbal aggression. It was also found that adolescents raised in nuclear family system used more disruptive strategies including rumination, catastrophizing, self-blame, others blame along with higher levels of verbal aggression and hostility while adolescents belonging to joint family systems used acceptance, positive refocusing, putting into perspective along with having a higher emphasis on planning which further allowed them to minimize their aggression. Keywords: family structure, joint family and aggression, nuclear family and aggression, cognitive emotional regulation strategies, hostility, anger