Types of Aggression Among Kindergarten and Preschool Children of Mohr County/Fars Province in 2013–2014

Abstract

Background: Aggression in childhood is the predictor of delinquency, depression, school dropout, and drug abuse in higher ages. The preschool year is an appropriate time to diagnose children’s problems and plan for interventions to prevent their emotional, social, and educational problems. Objectives: The present study determines the types of aggression among kindergarten and preschool children. Patients and Methods: A total of 14 kindergarten and preschool centers were chosen using random cluster sampling in Mohr County 2013. The inclusion criteria were level of aggression higher than 125.77 for boys and 117.48 for girls based on the preschooler aggression inventory. In this regard, 60 kindergarten and preschool children were enrolled in this study. Results: The results showed that 33.45%, 31.15%, 22.29%, and 13.11% of the children had verbal aggression, physical aggression, relational aggression, and impulsive anger, respectively. In addition, the verbal aggression and physical aggression scores of the boys were higher than for girls. However, no significant differences were found between the genders concerning relational aggression and impulsive anger. Moreover, the highest level of aggression was observed among 6 years old children followed by 5-, 3-, and 4-years old children. Conclusions: Considering the high rate of verbal and physical aggression and the negative effects of aggression on educational and social behavior, early intervention is recommended for prevention and treatment.