Relational Aggression Research Articles

Examining the Role of Alcohol and Cannabis Use Patterns in Bystander Opportunity and Behavior for Sexual and Relationship Aggression.

This study aimed to investigate the association between alcohol and cannabis use patterns and bystander intervention for sexual and relationship violence risk among college students who have used cannabis in the past year. The study tested two hypotheses: (1) Reports of bystander opportunities will differ based on participants' alcohol and cannabis use patterns, and (2) among those who report bystander opportunities, reports of bystander behaviors will differ based on their alcohol and cannabis use patterns. Participants were 870 students recruited from two large, minority-serving universities in the United States who reported past-year cannabis use. Participants reported their typical alcohol and cannabis use patterns and bystander opportunities and behaviors. Students were grouped for analysis based on their reported average substance use into four groups: alcohol and cannabis use on the same day, alcohol use only, cannabis use only, or no use. Students who reported alcohol and cannabis use on the same day, compared with those who reported alcohol use only, reported more bystander opportunities and behaviors in situations at risk for sexual and relationship violence. Compared with alcohol use only, students who reported only using cannabis or no use reported fewer bystander opportunities and behavior related to keeping others safe in party settings. Alcohol and cannabis use patterns are associated with bystander intervention, emphasizing the need to include knowledge about cannabis and co-use in bystander programming that aims to reduce sexual and relationship violence.

The Relationship between Family Function and Aggression in Peer Relationships among Adolescents

This research studied the influence of family function on adolescents’ aggression in peer relationships, including romantic relationships and friendships. 62 participants from different high schools in Beijing fulfilled the Family Assessment Device (FAD) Family Functioning Scale and the Chinese Version of the Buss-Warren Attack Questionnaire (BWAQ). Results showed that in peer relationships, total family function, affective involvement, and general function have weak positive correlations with adolescent aggression; In friendship, affective involvement, and general function have weak positive correlations with adolescent aggression. This study helps identify potential risk factors for aggression in peer relationships, informs the design of effective prevention and intervention strategies, and can contribute to broader research on the impact on adolescent development and well-being.

클래스넷을 활용한 또래생태 및 학급규범 개선: 학생의 학업 열의와 사회적 행동

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of teacher-led interventions in the classroom on students’ academic and social behavior. The intervention focused on improving positive peer relationships and classroom norms. To fulfill this purpose, 115 classes (N = 2,858 students) across elementary, middle, and high school levels were divided into an experimental group (n = 66 classes) and a control group (n = 49 classes). Students’ academic engagement (behavior, emotion), social behavior (overt and relational aggression, prosocial behavior), teacher―student relationships (support, conflict), teacher alignment, and peer network attributes were collected at the beginning and end of the semester through student and teacher reports as well as peer nominations. Multilevel analyses and longitudinal social network analyses were utilized to evaluate the impact of the teacher-led intervention. The results of the multilevel analysis revealed that teacher alignment, teacher―student conflict, and an initial level of academic engagement were significant factors to improve academic engagement. In terms of overt and relational aggression, teacher support played a crucial role in the experimental effect, with varying impacts observed in elementary and middle school groups. Longitudinal social network analysis revealed significant classroom intervention effects on prosocial behavior. Both peer choice and socialization (influence) effects were significant in the experimental group, while only the peer influence effect was observed in the control group. This suggests that the class-based intervention contributed to the development of prosocial behaviors as class norms. This study has educational significance in that it highlights the importance of creating positive class norms and peer ecology to enhance students’ academic engagement and social behavior.

Learner experiences of safety at public high schools in three South African townships: Baseline findings from the National School Safety Framework learner surveys

Background Despite progressive policies and frameworks on school safety by the Department of Basic Education, safety remains a concern in South African schools. Methods A cross-sectional descriptive design was employed using the National School Safety Framework (NSSF) 152-question learner survey, exploring perceptions and experiences pertaining to eight safety domains: dangerous objects, drugs and alcohol, bullying, verbal abuse, physical violence, discrimination, sexual violence, and journey to and from school. Grade 9-11 learners from 15 government-funded high schools in the Girls Achieve Power trial in Khayelitsha, Soweto, and Thembisa townships were surveyed (March 2018 - April 2019), sampling 10% of the school population. Data analysis included Principal Component Analysis (PCA), reducing correlated variables into fewer questions, then analysis on a scree plot by calculating eigenvalues; repeated PCA with those that had a minimum eigenvalue of 1 and Cronbach Alpha test for internal reliability. Eleven composite variables were included in the final analysis. Results In total, 1034 learners completed the NSSF learner survey; 52.9% were female and the mean age was 16 years (SD=1.36). Results show statistically significant associations between four of the 11 composite variables in relation to sex. Over half (55%) of males have experienced peer provocation and relational aggression (p<0.001). Fifty-eight percent of females reported feeling unsafe on their way to and from school (p<0.003). Over half of males reported that their school was not effective in enforcing discipline (p=0.002) while 58% of females noted they could comfortably report any form of experienced or witnessed violence at school, to their educators (p<0.000). Conclusions Violence continues to be a concern in South African schools. Interventions should work across the ecological model to effectively prevent and reduce violence at school and community levels. Strengthened NSSF implementation is critical to achieving this. We recommend NSSF learner survey adaptations to increase utility and implementation.

Relational Aggression Targeting the Parent-Child Bond: A Pilot Study of Parent-Child Bond-Breaking Behavior

ABSTRACT Relational aggression involves targeting and weaponizing relationships. Similarly, what is currently called parental alienation (PA) behavior, concerns targeting and weaponizing the parent–child relationship in the context of separation and divorce by one parent in order to disrupt the bond between the child and their other parent. In this study we report results from 46 separated and divorced parents evaluating a new parent-child bond-breaking measure and examining associations among parents’ attachment, romantic relational aggression, and bond-breaking. Recognition of parent-child bond-breaking as relational aggression links it to a robust scientific literature base, enhances measurement, and opens new lines of scientific inquiry.

Investigating Preschoolers’ Perspectives on Aggression Through Observation and Video-Stimulated Recall

ABSTRACT This article explores video-stimulated recall as a novel approach to understanding children’s decisions to engage in relational and physical aggression. Past studies have relied on caregiver and observer reports to investigate children’s social behaviors, omitting children’s experience and interpretation of their own behavior. Within this Australian study, 68 children age 3 to 5 years were assessed for relational aggression by teachers. Nine children identified by teachers with high relational aggression and seven children identified with average levels of relational aggression were video recorded while engaging in free play. Immediately afterward, video footage of the child engaging in aggressive behavior was shown to the child to stimulate recall of the reasons for their behavior. Subsequent analysis were focused on assessing the intentions and functions of children’s aggressive behaviors, as reported by the child. Focusing on children’s own interpretations enabled a more nuanced and accurate understanding of the child’s social cognitive processes about the intent and functions of their aggression. We demonstrate that video observations alongside video-stimulated interviews can be used to effectively elicit children’s interpretations of their own behaviors. Incorporating children’s perspectives in research and practice has several implications, such as improving communication between children and adults and fostering children’s self-reflective awareness.

Verbal, physical and relational aggression: individual differences in emotion and cognitive regulation strategies

Cognitive and emotion regulation strategies play an influential role in the display of aggression, however much of this research has failed to identify specific regulation strategies related to aggression. The study’s objective was to assess how emotional processes and the habitual use of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies are associated with trait aggression. Participants (N = 306; Mage = 33.79; SD = 13.29), completed a self-report survey battery assessing four subtypes of trait aggression (physical, verbal and romantic relational and peer-directed relational), emotion (anger, hostility) and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies (blaming others, blaming self, ruminating, catastrophizing). Results indicated that anger and hostility (the emotion based variables) had greater influence on all subtypes of trait aggression (physical, verbal, and relational aggression), compared to cognitive emotion regulation strategies which had less of an influence. Blaming others had a positive association with physical and peer directed relational aggression. Low levels of rumination were associated with physical aggression, while low levels of self-blame were associated with peer directed relational aggression. Findings suggest that maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies have differential impact on different forms of aggressive behavior.

Can Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Protect from Relational Aggression and Victimization in College?

ABSTRACT Despite the importance of peer relationships in college, limited research has explored factors protecting students from the development of relational aggression and victimization, despite evidence of the manifestation of these phenomena. This study explored associations between negative emotional states, mindfulness and self-compassion, and relational aggression and victimization in a sample of college students. It was hypothesized that facets of mindfulness and self-compassion would predict lesser relational aggression/victimization and mediate the relationship between negative emotional states and relational aggression/victimization. A total of 389 university students were recruited from United Kingdom tertiary education institutions completing measures on relational aggression and victimization, mindfulness and self-compassion, and negative emotional states. Using regression analyses, results indicated that mindfulness facets of acting with awareness and nonjudgement negatively predicted relational aggression, while acting with awareness and reverse self-isolation negatively predicted relational victimization. The findings supported the hypothesis that mindfulness facets mediated the relationship between negative emotional states and relational aggression/victimization suggesting that these processes may operate protectively. The study considers research and practice implications in colleges.

A Social Process Model of forms of aggression and victimization and internalizing problems

Using one-year longitudinal data, the present study examined the association between forms of aggression and internalizing problems and whether peer rejection and victimization mediated this association among Taiwanese children. Participants in the current study were 269 fourth and fifth graders (51% boys and 49% girls; M age = 10.02 for boys and 9.99 for girls, at the first time point) from four public elementary schools in northern Taiwan. Data was collected at three time points during one calendar year, six months apart (fall of grades 4 and 5, spring of grades 4 and 5, fall of grades 5 and 6). Serial mediation models were tested in which independent variables were forms of aggression (relational and physical), mediators were peer rejection and forms of peer victimization (relational and physical), and dependent variables were internalizing problems. Results indicated that peer rejection and relational victimization, in that order, mediated the association between relational aggression and internalizing problems, while controlling for gender (serial mediation: relational aggression → peer rejection → relational victimization → internalizing problems). In contrast, the results did not support the mediation or indirect effect of physical aggression on internalizing problems through peer rejection and physical victimization. However, physical aggression directly predicted internalizing problems during one school year. These differences in the pathways from each form of aggression to internalizing problems via peer rejection and forms of peer victimization suggest the need for differentiated intervention and prevention programs for at-risk youth with forms of aggression and victimization in Taiwanese schools.

Unique roles of adolescents' friends and fathers in predicting verbal aggression in future adult romantic relationships.

This 20-year prospective study examined verbal aggression and intense conflict within the family of origin and between adolescents and their close friends as predictors of future verbal aggression in adult romantic relationships. A diverse community sample of 154 individuals was assessed repeatedly from age 13 to 34 years using self-, parent, peer, and romantic partner reports. As hypothesized, verbal aggression in adult romantic relationships was best predicted by both paternal verbal aggression toward mothers and by intense conflict within adolescent close friendships, with each factor contributing unique variance to explaining adult romantic verbal aggression. These factors also interacted, such that paternal verbal aggression was predictive of future romantic verbal aggression only in the context of co-occurring intense conflict between an adolescent and their closest friend. Predictions remained robust even after accounting for levels of parental abusive behavior toward the adolescent, levels of physical violence between parents, and the overall quality of the adolescent's close friendship. Results indicate the critical importance of exposure to aggression and conflict within key horizontal relationships in adolescence. Implications for early identification of risk as well as for potential preventive interventions are discussed.

Associations between forms of aggression and peer victimization: Does prosocial behavior matter?

Relatively little is known regarding factors that may mitigate the strength of the associations between forms of aggressive behavior and peer victimization. The goal of the current study was to investigate prosocial behavior as a moderator of these links over a 2-year period during middle childhood. Participants included 410 third-grade students (53% boys) and their homeroom teachers. Results indicated that prosocial behavior was associated with lower initial levels of victimization, whereas relational aggression was associated with higher initial levels of victimization. Physical aggression predicted more stable patterns of victimization over time, and prosocial behavior moderated the prospective link from relational aggression to peer victimization; specifically, relational aggression predicted decreases in victimization at higher levels of prosocial behavior and more stable patterns over time when levels of prosocial behavior were low. Further, gender differences were observed in the moderating effect of prosocial behavior on the prospective link from physical aggression to peer victimization, such that it served as a risk factor for boys and a protective factor for girls.

A social-ecological model of preschoolers' aggressive behavior: An exploratory analysis.

Understanding classroom-level correlates of preschool children's aggressive behavior is critical to identifying multiple avenues for intervention within schools. The present school-based study evaluated the reliability and validity of a classroom-level measure of physical and relational aggression and examined a social-ecological model to test whether individual variables (i.e., temperament), dyadic peer factors (i.e., peer victimization, the number of a child's play partners), and classroom-level aggression were associated with individual aggression. Observations of play partners and teacher reports of temperament (i.e., daring, prosociality, and negative emotionality), peer victimization (i.e., physical and relational victimization), and classroom aggression were collected in a sample of preschoolers (N = 307; Mage = 48.99 months, SD = 7.51). Observer reports of aggression were used to create aggression severity and directionality scores, reflecting the overall level of aggression a child displays and their propensity to use physical relative to relational aggression, respectively. There was evidence to support the reliability and validity of the classroom-level aggression measure providing initial support that this measure could be used by school psychologists. A multilevel regression model indicated that higher levels of negative emotionality, daring, and a greater number of play partners were associated with higher levels of aggression severity. Children in classrooms with more relational aggression were more likely to use relational instead of physical aggression. These findings demonstrate the importance for school psychologists to account for multiple levels of influence when examining preschoolers' aggression. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Violência escolar e o exercício da autoridade do professor: um estudo com adolescentes de São Paulo

Abstract This article investigated school violence based on a longitudinal survey conducted with adolescents in São Paulo. This is a quantitative research that analyzed the relation between the experience and the practice of violence among adolescents and their perceptions of the school climate and teachers’ authority with a structural equation model. Results showed that school victimization and relational aggression are related and negatively influence the evaluation of the school climate and the legitimacy of teachers. In turn, when teachers exercise their power based on values such as respect and impartiality, there is a positive effect on students’ perceptions, which might be a key to avoiding conflicts.

A convolutional neural network with image and numerical data to improve farming of edible crickets as a source of food-A decision support system.

Crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus) produce sounds as a natural means to communicate and convey various behaviors and activities, including mating, feeding, aggression, distress, and more. These vocalizations are intricately linked to prevailing environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity. By accurately monitoring, identifying, and appropriately addressing these behaviors and activities, the farming and production of crickets can be enhanced. This research implemented a decision support system that leverages machine learning (ML) algorithms to decode and classify cricket songs, along with their associated key weather variables (temperature and humidity). Videos capturing cricket behavior and weather variables were recorded. From these videos, sound signals were extracted and classified such as calling, aggression, and courtship. Numerical and image features were extracted from the sound signals and combined with the weather variables. The extracted numerical features, i.e., Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC), Linear Frequency Cepstral Coefficients, and chroma, were used to train shallow (support vector machine, k-nearest neighbors, and random forest (RF)) ML algorithms. While image features, i.e., spectrograms, were used to train different state-of-the-art deep ML models, i,e., convolutional neural network architectures (ResNet152V2, VGG16, and EfficientNetB4). In the deep ML category, ResNet152V2 had the best accuracy of 99.42%. The RF algorithm had the best accuracy of 95.63% in the shallow ML category when trained with a combination of MFCC+chroma and after feature selection. In descending order of importance, the top 6 ranked features in the RF algorithm were, namely humidity, temperature, C#, mfcc11, mfcc10, and D. From the selected features, it is notable that temperature and humidity are necessary for growth and metabolic activities in insects. Moreover, the songs produced by certain cricket species naturally align to musical tones such as C# and D as ranked by the algorithm. Using this knowledge, a decision support system was built to guide farmers about the optimal temperature and humidity ranges and interpret the songs (calling, aggression, and courtship) in relation to weather variables. With this information, farmers can put in place suitable measures such as temperature regulation, humidity control, addressing aggressors, and other relevant interventions to minimize or eliminate losses and enhance cricket production.

Psychosocial Factors and Dating Violence: A Review of the Literature

Dating violence is a major source of concern among the general population. Previous literature reviews have studied many other risk factors and dyadic implications of dating violence, but there has been very little research done in diverse elements of psychosocial factors linked to dating violence. The articles related to the term’s psychosocial factors (personality traits, attachment style and loneliness) and we looked for phrases linked to dating violence (aggression in romantic partnerships, violence in intimate relationships). The studies for this literature review must be from original studies with any gender sampling and should be written in English. This review included 27 papers that met the criteria for inclusion. The findings of this literature analysis revealed inconsistent results regarding the association between psychosocial factors and violent behaviour in romantic relationships, with some studies unable to detect such links. These findings are explored in terms of current gaps in the literature as well as suggested future research areas. The implication of this study can help in understanding the psychosocial factors that form the basis of relational aggression in romantic relationships and as a proactive step to avoid from being a victim of relational aggression.

The Effectiveness of Positive Mindfulness Therapy on Covert Relational Aggression and Marital Life Quality of Women Suffering from Marital Maladjustment

Background and Objective: Women suffering from marital maladjustment face many problems in their married life, especially in psychological fields, including covert relational aggression and marital life quality. The present research was conducted with the aim of determining the effectiveness of positive mindfulness therapy on covert relational aggression and marital life quality of women suffering from marital maladjustment. Methods and Materials: This research was a semi-experimental with a pretest and posttest design with a control group. The research population were all women suffering from marital maladjustment who referred to counseling centers in the three cities of Tehran city in the autumn season of 2023 year; So that the sample size for each group was considered to be 20 people and these people after checking the inclusion criteria were selected by purposeful sampling method and randomly assigned into two equal groups. The experimental group underwent 10 sessions of 90 minutes of positive mindfulness therapy and the control group remained on the waiting list for therapy. To collect data were used from scales of covert relational aggression (Nelson and Carroll, 2006), marital quality life (Zhang et al., 2013) and marital adjustment (Spanier, 1976), and for data analysis were used from multivariate analysis of covariance in SPSS version 26 software. Findings: The results showed that positive mindfulness therapy significantly reduced the covert relational aggression and increased the marital life quality of women suffering from marital maladjustment (P<0.001). Conclusion: According to the mentioned results, therapists, counselors and psychologists can use positive mindfulness therapy to reduce the covert relational aggression and increase the marital life quality of vulnerable groups, including women suffering from marital maladjustment.

Can Empathy Moderate the Interaction Between Anxiety and Indirect Aggression? Evidence-Based Study of Adolescent Girls

The current study looked into the connections between adolescent females' anxiety, empathy, and indirect aggression. It was hypothesized that the three different forms of anxiety (i.e., state, trait, and social anxiety) would predict and positively correlate to indirect aggression while empathy would moderate this relationship. A descriptive-predictive research design was employed and a sample of (N = 210) adolescent girls between the ages of (13 and 18) years (M = 14.54, SD = 1.27) was taken through a non-probability purposive sampling method. Study variables were assessed through the short version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Social Interaction Anxiety Inventory (SIAS), the Basic Empathy Scale (BES), and Relational Aggression Scale. Results showed a positive correlation among study variables and all three types of anxiety predicted indirect aggression while empathy moderated the relationship between them. This study was an empirical and research-based addition to the already existing indigenous body of literature regarding anxiety in school environments that could potentially cause indirect aggression among adolescent girls. Moreover, it provided insight into associations and predictions regarding study variables and filled the existing gap in the literature. These findings have implications within the fields of school psychology, gender psychology, and social psychology.

Maintenance Effects for Preschool Students Participating in First Step Next

In preschool settings, ample evidence has long existed that some administrators and educators rely heavily on exclusionary practices to address unwanted behaviors despite evidence they are ineffective. There is a need for evidence-based interventions that provide teachers with skills to foster positive student–teacher relationships, teach students skills that result in positive interactions with teachers and peers, and provide opportunities to practice new skills during daily classroom interactions. First Step Next (FSN) is a short-term, multi-component Tier 2 intervention that helps address these needs. The current study examines the extent to which the immediate post-intervention effects were maintained after the FSN intervention was delivered in U.S. preschool classrooms. Results provide evidence that initial, post-intervention gains reported for social skills, problem behavior, student–teacher conflict, and relational aggression domains were maintained for 2 months post-intervention. The current study adds to the evidence base suggesting that FSN is a promising alternative to exclusionary discipline as its’ implementation addresses several factors contributing to continued reliance on these ineffective approaches such as (a) the escalation of conflicts with students with challenging behavior, (b) failure to anticipate and defuse problem situations, (c) unclear communication of behavioral expectations, and (d) unskilled use of teacher directives.

Reactive, Proactive, Relational, and Slow Dissipation of Aggression in Children

This study investigated the associations between aggression subtypes (reactive, proactive, relational, and slow dissipation of aggression), callous-unemotional traits (CU), irritability (IRR), and sex among children. The sample included 508 children 5 to 12 years of age, rated by their mothers. A 4-factor model of aggression subtypes (reactive, proactive, relational, slow dissipation) provided a good fit to the data. Correlations between aggression subtypes and demographic variables were generally nonsignificant, except for a unique association between relational aggression and sex, with girls exhibiting higher scores, and proactive aggression was associated with younger age. Both CU and IRR correlated positively with all types of aggression. Slow dissipation of aggression showed a unique association with IRR, whereas reactive aggression was uniquely associated with both CU and IRR. Regressions showed an interaction between CU, IRR, and sex for slow dissipation and relational aggression. Interactions showed that boys with high levels of both CU and IRR demonstrated slower dissipation of aggression, indicating a tendency to hold grudges, and that sex differences in relational aggression depended on the co-occurrence of CU and IRR. This study sheds light on the interplay among aggression subtypes, CU, IRR, and sex in children. Findings emphasize the need for psychiatrists and other mental health professionals to consider the multifaceted nature of aggressive behavior and the role of CU and IRR when assessing aggressive children or developing treatment plans for them. Further research is warranted to examine these relationships longitudinally and across diverse populations. •Recognize the different types of aggression: Look beyond angry outbursts and consider reactive, proactive, relational, and slow dissipation of aggression to target intervention.•Emotional traits matter: Assess for callous-unemotional traits and irritability alongside aggression. High levels of both, especially in boys, may indicate greater difficulty managing anger and holding grudges.•Gender differences exist: Girls may be more prone to relational aggression compared to boys.•Proactive aggression might be more common in younger than in older children. Tailor interventions accordingly.

Preschool Teachers' Cognitions, Emotions, and Tolerance toward Children's Hypothetical Social Behaviors in the Classroom.

Teachers' tolerance toward children's social behaviors is, in part, guided by teachers' cognitions and emotions. Few studies have examined the associations between teachers' cognitions, emotions, and tolerance toward children's social behaviors. This study aimed to (1) describe the cognitions, emotions, and tolerance of Portuguese preschool teachers toward children's shy, physically and relationally aggressive, rough-and-tumble play, exuberant, and unsociable behaviors at preschool, depending on children's sex; and (2) examine the direct and indirect associations (via teachers' emotions) between teachers' cognitions and tolerance toward children's social behaviors, depending on children's sex. One hundred and seven preschool teachers completed the Child Behaviors Vignettes. Preschool teachers displayed more negative views toward children's physical and relational aggression, reported positive perspectives toward children's rough play and mixed attitudes toward children's exuberance, and differentiated shy from unsociable behaviors. Direct associations between teachers' cognitions and tolerance were found only for physical aggression. Teachers' anticipation of negative peer costs and academic performance appear to exert an indirect influence on teachers' tolerance toward physical aggression and unsociability, via increased levels of worry. These findings highlight the role of teachers' emotions for tolerance toward children's social behaviors and the need to enhance their self-awareness.