Aggression In Early Adolescence Research Articles

Deviant peer affiliation, self-control, and aggression during early adolescence: within-person effects and between-person differences.

Abundant studies have explored the relations among deviant peer affiliation, self-control, and aggression without separating within-person from between-person effects. Moreover, it is unclear whether self-control mediates the associations between deviant peer affiliation and aggression during early adolescence. This longitudinal study used Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model to examine the dynamic relations among deviant peer affiliation, self-control, and aggression within individuals, including examining whether self-control mediated the relations between deviant peer affiliation and aggression. A total of 4078 early adolescents (54% boys, Mage=9.91, SD=0.73) completed questionnaires on four occasions across 2years. Results indicated: (a) Deviant peer affiliation and aggression positively predicted each other; (b) Self-control and aggression negatively predicted each other but were unstable; (c) Deviant peer affiliation and self-control negatively predicted each other; and (d) Self-control mediated the path from aggression to deviant peer affiliation, but not vice versa. The results more precisely identify the relations among deviant peer affiliation, self-control, and aggression within individuals, providing valuable information for prevention and intervention programs targeted at alleviating early adolescent aggression.

Developing a Short-Form Buss-Warren Aggression Questionnaire Based on Machine Learning.

For adolescents, high levels of aggression are often associated with suicide, physical injury, worsened academic performance, and crime. Therefore, there is a need for the early identification of and intervention for highly aggressive adolescents. The Buss-Warren Aggression Questionnaire (BWAQ) is one of the most widely used offensive measurement tools. It consists of 34 items, and the longer the scale, the more likely participants are to make an insufficient effort response (IER), which reduces the credibility of the results and increases the cost of implementation. This study aimed to develop a shorter BWAQ using machine learning (ML) techniques to reduce the frequency of IER and simultaneously decrease implementation costs. First, an initial version of the short-form questionnaire was created using stepwise regression and an ANOVA F-test. Then, a machine learning algorithm was used to create the optimal short-form questionnaire (BWAQ-ML). Finally, the reliability and validity of the optimal short-form questionnaire were tested using independent samples. The BWAQ-ML contains only four items, thirty items less than the BWAQ, and its AUC, accuracy, recall, precision, and F1 score are 0.85, 0.85, 0.89, 0.83, and 0.86, respectively. BWAQ-ML has a Cronbach's alpha of 0.84, a correlation with RPQ of 0.514, and a correlation with PTM of -0.042, suggesting good measurement performance. The BWAQ-ML can effectively measure individual aggression, and its smaller number of items improves the measurement efficiency for large samples and reduces the frequency of IER occurrence. It can be used as a convenient tool for early adolescent aggression identification and intervention.

Childhood maltreatment and homicidal ideation among Chinese early adolescents: The serial mediating role of borderline personality features and aggression.

A large body of evidence linked childhood maltreatment (CM) to juvenile violence and delinquent behavior. However, little is known about the association between CM and homicidal ideation in early adolescents. This study aimed to examine that relationship and to explore the serial mediating role of borderline personality features (BPF) and aggression in that relationship in a large sample of early adolescents. A total of 5724 early adolescents (mean age: 13.5 years) were recruited from three middle schools in Anhui Province, China. The participants were invited to complete self-report questionnaires regarding their history of CM, BPF, aggression, and homicidal ideation. Mediation analyses were evaluated using structural equation modeling. A total of 669 participants (11.7%) reported homicidal ideation in the past 6 months. CM victimization was positively associated with homicidal ideation after adjusting for covariates. Furthermore, the serial mediation analysis showed a significant indirect effect of CM on homicidal ideation through BPF and subsequent aggression. Exposure to maltreatment in childhood is likely to manifest BPF and subsequently higher levels of aggression, which in turn are related to increased homicidal ideation. These findings suggest the need for early intervention for BPF and aggression in early adolescents exposed to CM to prevent the development of homicidal ideation.

Developmental pathways from prenatal substance exposure to reactive aggression

Few studies have examined etiological pathways from prenatal substance exposure to adolescent reactive aggression. We tested a conceptual model that included hypothesized pathways from prenatal substance exposure to adolescent aggression via autonomic reactivity and violence exposure from infancy to early school age and maternal harshness across early childhood. The sample included 216 families (106 boys) who primarily self-identified as Black or Mixed Race. Results supported the hypothesized path from violence exposure across early childhood and early school age to school age autonomic reactivity and early adolescent reactive aggression. There was also a significant interaction effect of sympathetic and parasympathetic reactivity on adolescent reactive aggression, with sympathetic arousal and parasympathetic suppression at early school age associated with higher reactive relational and physical aggression in adolescence. Results emphasize the importance of early experiences and autonomic nervous system changes in contributing to the cascade of risk for reactive aggression in early adolescence.

지역사회 강력 범죄 수준이 청소년 비행에 미치는 영향

This study aims to examine the longitudinal role of level of neighborhood violent crime as a local risk factor on adolescents' aggression and their delinquency. Study analyses are based on 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 7th (hereafter each 'T1', 'T2', 'T3', 'T4) survey data waves from 1,829 (954 males and 875 females) in the Korean Children & Youth Panel Survey 2010 (KCYPS), a national representative adolescents panel survey. We utilized a latent growth model (LGM) of aggression using neighborhood violent crime level at T1 as a predictor and juvenile delinquency at T4 as an outcome predicted by the LGM of aggression. Main results of this study are as follows; First, participants living in high-violent crime neighborhood showed higher aggression from T1 to T4, and delinquency at T4. Second, high-violent crime neighborhood at T1 predicted aggression at T1 which mediated the association between high-violent crime neighborhood at T1 and juvenile delinquency at T4. The results suggest level of neighborhood violent crime may affect baseline of individual aggression and later delinquency indirectly. Policies aiming at dealing and reducing with aggression in early-adolescence are essential strategies to reduce later juvenile delinquency, especially in neighborhood with high levels of violent crime.

Parent-child Communication, Social Norms, and the Development of Cyber Aggression in Early Adolescence

To understand the development of cyber aggression during adolescence, it is important to consider the temporal variability of its potential predictors. This study uses a four-wave survey to investigate how changes in peer norms, parental norms, and parental communication are associated with two-year trajectories of online peer aggression. The sample includes 1521 Swiss middle school students (Mage T1 = 11.54, SD = 0.40; 48% female). The results showed that over time a better parental communication quality and anti-aggression norms predicted lower rates and slower development of cyber aggression. Moreover, parental variables emerged as a quite stable deterrent of aggressive conduct. Although entrance into adolescence is characterized by the rise of peer influence, results from this study suggest that parents maintain an important protective role.

A structural equatin model of the relationships between social-emotional competence, social support, depression, and aggression in early adolescents in South Korea

The current study examined whether social-emotional competence affects depression and aggression and whether social support serves as a significant mediator for Korean early adolescents.The current study surveyed 286 elementary school students at three elementary schools located in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do province in South Korea. Correlation analysis was conducted and structural equation modeling was used to assess the hypothesized structural relationships among the latent variables. The key findings of this study were as follows. First, significant correlations among all variables including social-emotional competence, social support, depression, and aggression were found. Second, a structural model of social-emotional competence, social support, depression, and aggression was proved to be valid. Third, the direct effect of social-emotional competence on depression and aggression was not statistically significant, suggesting the complete mediating effect of social support. The results of this study suggest that social-emotional competence and social support play crucial roles in decreasing depression and aggression in early adolescents. Social support plays a significant role as a mediator between social-emotional competence, depression, and aggression. These findings indicate that social-emotional competence and social support is significant to decrease depression and aggression in early adolescents. These findings are significant because early adolescents’ depression and aggression could be prevented or treated by enhancing social-emotional competence and providing social support in educational and counseling settings.

Associations between popularity and aggression in Turkish early adolescents

The purpose of this study was to determine both the linear and the curvilinear relationships amongst perceived and sociometric popularity and aggression in early adolescence. The study sample consisted of 423 volunteer students who were chosen through random sampling from 8th grade students who were attending 19 elementary schools in Turkey. Before examining the study hypotheses, gender differences in aggression, perceived and sociometric popularity were examined. The study findings revealed that boys’ physical, verbal and indirect aggression and anger scores were higher compared to girls. There was no significant gender difference in sociometric and perceived popularity. In addition, aggression scores of boys and girls had a negative linear effect on sociometric popularity, whereas they had a positive linear effect on perceived popularity. Curvilinear relationships showed that girls were more preferred by their peers when their anger scores were low and high, but their level of perceived popularity was slightly reduced at higher levels of physical and verbal aggression. Curvilinear relationships revealed that boys were preferred less at lower levels of verbal aggression. The curvilinear effect of aggression on perceived popularity was not statistically significant for boys.

Transactional Processes Among Childhood Maltreatment, Self-Control and Aggression in Early Adolescence: Disentangling Between- and Within-Person Associations.

Previous research has investigated the associations among childhood maltreatment, self-control, and aggression among adolescents without distinguishing between-person effects from within-person effects. Thus, we evaluated the dynamic longitudinal associations among childhood maltreatment, self-control, and aggression, including whether self-control functioned as a mediator of the reciprocal relations between childhood maltreatment and aggression at the within-person level after disentangling between- and within-person associations. A sample of 2050 Chinese early adolescents (43.69% girls, Mage = 10.39years, SD = 0.55, range = 9 to 12years at T1) completed measures on 5 occasions across 2.5years, using 6-month intervals. Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models were applied to disaggregate between- and within-person effects. RI-CLPMs analysis revealed that at the within-person level: (a) Childhood maltreatment and aggression bidirectionally predicted each other; (b) Childhood maltreatment and self-control bidirectionally predicted each other; (c) Aggression predicted subsequent self-control but not vice versa; (d) Childhood maltreatment did not indirectly predict aggression via self-control and vice versa; (e) Additionally, there were no gender differences observed in the longitudinal associations among childhood maltreatment, self-control and aggression. These findings advanced the literature by elucidating longitudinal associations among childhood maltreatment, self-control, and aggression at the within-person level, highlighting the significance of distinguishing between- and within-person effects in research informing the development of prevention and intervention programs aimed at reducing adolescent aggression.

Early Adolescent Predictors of Violent Behavior: Child and Contextual Risk, and Moderation by Rejecting Parenting

The current study explored early adolescent child-level predictors (physical aggression, impulsivity, empathy) and contextual-level predictors (peer deviance, neighborhood dangerousness) of violent and nonviolent antisocial behavior (AB) in late adolescence. Additionally, we tested the moderating role of rejecting parenting on these associations based on the importance of parent-child relationships in early adolescence and documented bidirectional associations between parenting and our predictor variables. Participants ( N = 272) came from the Pitt Mother and Child Project, a longitudinal study of high-risk boys. Higher levels of early adolescent physical aggression significantly predicted late adolescent engagement in both nonviolent and violent crimes. Peer deviance, impulsivity, and neighborhood dangerousness were also associated with later juvenile AB. Rejecting parenting moderated several of these associations. Results support the predictive validity of several early adolescent child- and contextual-level variables—particularly early adolescent aggression—for subsequent engagement in both violent and nonviolent AB.

Emotion processing associated with aggression in early adolescents: A focus on affective theory of mind.

Social-emotional factors associated with youth aggression have largely been studied in the context of social information-processing models. The ability to accurately encode and appropriately interpret others' emotions has yet to be fully examined in the context of aggressive behavior, particularly during adolescence. Using cross-sectional data from a sample of 282 at-risk early adolescents, the present study examined associations between teacher-reported aggression and youth performance on a task assessing two components of affective theory of mind: emotion recognition and situational attribution. Results indicated that emotion recognition, but not situational attribution accuracy, was significantly associated with teacher-reported aggressive behavior. Over-recognizing anger and under-recognizing sadness were unique error patterns associated with aggression, and these associations remained significant after controlling for demographics and other key social information-processing variables. Findings suggest that difficulties with emotion processing play an important role in the social information-processing patterns observed in the context of youth aggression. Implications for preventive interventions for youth at risk of engaging in aggressive behavior are discussed.

또래 괴롭힘 피해 경험이 사회적 불안과 공격성에 미치는 직접 영향과 대처전략을 통한 매개효과: 한국과 미국 청소년의 비교연구

또래 괴롭힘 피해 경험이 사회적 불안과 공격성에 미치는 직접 영향과 대처전략을 통한 매개효과: 한국과 미국 청소년의 비교연구

Longitudinal Associations Linking Elementary and Middle School Contexts with Student Aggression in Early Adolescence.

Growing up in poverty increases youth risk for developing aggressive behavior problems, which, in turn, are associated with a host of problematic outcomes, including school drop-out, substance use, mental health problems, and delinquency. In part, this may be due to exposure to adverse school contexts that create socialization influences supporting aggression. In the current study, 356 children from low-income families (58% White, 17% Latinx, 25% Black; 54% girls) were followed from preschool through seventh grade. Longitudinal data included measures of the school-level contexts experienced by study participants during their elementary and middle school years, including school levels of poverty (percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch) and academic achievement (percentage of students scoring below the basic proficiency level on state achievement tests). Regression analyses suggested little impact of these school-level contexts on teacher or parent ratings of aggression in fifth grade, controlling for child baseline aggression and demographics. In contrast, school-level contexts had significant effects on child aggression in seventh grade with unique contributions by school-level achievement, controlling for child fifth grade aggression and elementary school contexts along with baseline covariates. These effects were robust across teacher and parent ratings. Findings are discussed in terms of understanding the school-based socialization of aggressive behavior and implications for educational policy and prevention programming.

Developmental Course and Risk Factors of Physical Aggression in Late Adolescence

This study examined risk factors of physical aggression during transition from early to late adolescence using a two-wave longitudinal study. Specifically, we examined if risk factors in early adolescence predict physically aggressive behavior starting in late adolescence and why some adolescents desist physical aggressive behavior while others do not. The study sample consisted of 2289 Norwegian adolescents (1235 girls) who participated in the Young-HUNT1 study (mean age 14.5) and the follow-up study 4 years later, Young-HUNT2 study (mean age 18.4). One in six young adolescents reported engaging in physical fights. Moreover, physical aggression in early adolescence was significantly associated with male gender, attention problems, academic problems, being bullied, drinking alcohol, and smoking. Male gender and heavy drinking during early adolescence increased the risk for newly emerging aggressive behavior in late adolescence, whereas heavy drinking during early adolescence was a predictor for persistent versus desisting aggressive behavior in late adolescence.

Prospective Associations between Popularity, Victimization, and Aggression in Early Adolescence

Recent research has highlighted an understudied phenomenon in the peer victimization literature thus far: the overlap between high status (i.e., popularity) and victimization. However, the research on this phenomenon has primarily been cross-sectional. The current investigation uses a longitudinal design to address two questions related to high-status victims. First, the present study examined prospective associations between popularity and two forms of indirect victimization (reputational victimization and exclusion). Second, this study examined elevated aggression as a consequence of high-status youth’s victimization (using self- and peer- reports of victimization). Participants were 370 adolescents (Mage = 14.44, range = 14.00–16.00; 56.5% girls) who were followed for 1 year. Both high and low levels of popularity were prospectively associated with reputational victimization. Moreover, popularity moderated the association between self-reported indirect victimization (but not peer-reported indirect victimization) and aggression. The results help build toward a more comprehensive understanding of both victimization and aggression in adolescence. Findings are discussed in terms of implications for a cycle of aggression in youth and the lowered effectiveness of bullying interventions in adolescence.

Does adolescent heavier alcohol use predict young adult aggression and delinquency? Parallel analyses from four Australasian cohort studies.

While the association between heavy alcohol consumption and aggression has been well documented, the causal direction of this association, particularly at a population level, is disputed. A number of causal sequences have been proposed. First, that aggression leads to heavy alcohol use. Second, that heavy alcohol use leads to aggression. Third, that the association between alcohol use and aggression is due to confounding by (a) sociodemographic variables or (b) delinquency. We report here data from four Australasian prospective longitudinal studies of adolescents, to assess the temporal sequence of heavy drinking and aggression over the period from adolescence to young adulthood. The four cohort studies provide a total sample of 6,706 persons (Australian Temperament Project, n = 1701; Christchurch Health and Development Study, n = 931; Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy, n = 2437; Victorian Adolescent Health Cohort Study, n = 1637). We use multinomial logistic regression to determine whether early adolescent aggression predicts subsequent age of onset of heavy episodic drinking (HED), after adjustment for concurrent sociodemographic factors and delinquency. We then consider whether HED predicts subsequent aggression, after adjusting for past aggression, concurrent delinquency, and a range of confounders. There are broadly consistent findings across the four cohort studies. Early aggression strongly predicts subsequent HED. HED predicts later aggression after adjustment for prior aggression and other confounders. Policies that alter population levels of alcohol consumption are likely to impact on levels of aggression in societies where HED linked to aggression is more common.

Early adolescent aggression predicts antisocial personality disorder in young adults: a population-based study

Modestly prevalent in the general population (~ 4%), but highly prevalent in prison populations (> 40%), the diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) involves aggression as one of several possible criteria. Using multiple informants, we aimed to determine if general aggression, as well as direct and indirect subtypes, assessed in early adolescence (ages 12, 14) predict young adulthood ASPD in a population-based sample. Using data from a Finnish population-based longitudinal twin cohort study with psychiatric interviews available at age 22 (N = 1347), we obtained DSM-IV-based ASPD diagnoses. Aggression measures from ages 12 (parental and teacher ratings) and 14 (teacher, self, and co-twin ratings) were used to calculate odds ratios (OR) of ASPD from logistic regression models and the area under the curve (AUC) from receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Analyses were adjusted for sex, age, and family structure. All informants’ aggression ratings were significant (p < 0.05) predictors of ASPD (OR range 1.3–1.8; AUC range 0.65–0.72). Correlations between informants ranged from 0.13 to 0.33. Models including two or more aggression ratings, particularly age 14 teacher and self ratings, more accurately predicted ASPD (AUC: 0.80; 95% confidence interval 0.73–0.87). Direct aggression rated by all informants significantly predicted ASPD (OR range 1.4–1.9), whereas only self-rated indirect aggression was significantly associated with ASPD (OR = 1.4). Across different informants, general and direct aggression at ages 12 and 14 predicted ASPD in a population-based sample. Psychiatric, social, and parenting interventions for ASPD prevention should focus on children and adolescents with high aggression levels, with an aim to gather information from multiple informants.

The Effect of Self-esteem and Social Withdrawal on Aggression in Early Adolescents with Delinquent Behavior

Purpose: This study was conducted to explore the relationship between aggression, self-esteem, and social withdrawal. Methods: This research is a cross-sectional survey. This study used the 5th-year data of the Korean Children & Youth Panel Survey (KCYPS) including 218 middle school students having delinquent behavior. The collected data was analyzed through chi-square test, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and hierarchical multiple regression, using SPSS/Win (ver. 23.0). Results: Significant positive correlations were found between aggression and social withdrawal and between aggression and self-esteem. Higher aggression was associated with higher social withdrawal and lower self-esteem. The results of the 2-step regression are as follows. Aggression was negatively correlated with self-esteem, whereas self-esteem was positively correlated with social withdrawals. The hierarchical multiple regression showed that 21% of the variance of aggression was significantly accounted for by self-esteem and social withdrawal. The most significant factor influencing aggression was social withdrawal. Conclusion: These results suggest that earlier screening and intervention programs to increase self-esteem and decrease social withdrawal for early adolescents should be developed to prevent aggression.

Longitudinal Associations Between Family Aggression, Externalizing Behavior, and the Structure and Function of the Amygdala.

Using longitudinal data from 21 adolescents, we assessed family aggression (via mother, father, and youth report) in early adolescence, externalizing behavior in mid-adolescence, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data in late adolescence. Amygdalae were manually traced, and used as seed regions for resting state analyses. Both family aggression and subsequent externalizing behavior predicted larger right amygdala volumes and stronger amygdala-frontolimbic/salience network connectivity and weaker amygdala-posterior cingulate connectivity. Externalizing behavior in mid-adolescence mediated associations between family aggression in early adolescence and resting state connectivity between the amygdala and the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex, medial prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and posterior cingulate cortex in late adolescence. Family adversity and adolescent behavior problems may share common neural correlates.

Socialization of Aggression in Early-Adolescence: The Moderating Effect of Sense of Peer Community

본 연구는 초기 청소년기 학생의 또래네트워크가 공격성의 사회화(또래선택과 또래영향)에 미치는 영향을 탐색하고, 또래 공동체 의식의 조절효과를 탐색하는 데 그 목적이 있다. 이를 위하여 총 37학급 960명의 초등학교 5-6학년 학생(여학생 461명, 48%)을 대상으로, 1학기와 2학기 총 2회에 걸쳐 공격성과 또래네트워크를 측정하였다. 공격성의 또래선택과 또래영향 과정을 분석하기 위해 종단사회연결망분석(longitudinal social network analysis: SIENA)을 실시한 결과, 공격성의 사회화 경향이 나타났다. 학생들은 유사한 공격성 수준을 보이는 친구와 또래 네트워크를 형성하였으며, 또래네트워크의 구성원으로부터 공격성을 학습하는 경향을 보였다. 뿐만 아니라 공격성의 또래선택과 또래영향 과정에 대한 또래 공동체 의식의 조절효과가 나타났다. 또래 공동체 의식이 낮은 학급에서는 공격성의 또래선택과 또래영향 과정이 나타났다. 반면, 또래 공동체 의식이 높은 학급에서는 공격성의 또래선택과 또래영향 과정이 나타나지 않았다. 연구결과 높은 또래 공동체 의식은 공격성의 사회화를 예방하는 주요한 기제로 작용함을 알 수 있었다. 이와 같은 연구결과를 바탕으로 학급의 생활지도에 있어, 또래네트워크에 대한 이해의 중요성 및 교사의 역할을 논의하였다.