Aggressive Youth Research Articles

Parallel Trajectories of Proactive and Reactive Aggression in Middle Childhood and Their Outcomes in Early Adolescence.

This study used an accelerated longitudinal design to investigate trajectories of proactive and reactive aggression in middlechildhood and their outcomes in early adolescence. Children (N = 1420; ages 5-12; 48% female) were assessed biannually over 6 school years. Classroom teachers rated students' proactive and reactive aggression throughout grades K-5; and multi-method (teacher-report, self-report, school records) measures of peer problems, depressive symptoms, academic performance, disciplinary actions, and school absenteeism were collected throughout grades 3-5. Latent class growth models were estimated to differentiate parallel-process trajectories of proactive-reactive aggression. Class membership was then examined as a predictor of outcomes at the end of 5th grade. The best-fitting solution had four trajectory classes: (1) low aggression, 76.7%; (2) high proactive-reactive aggression, 4.7%; (3) declining aggression, 4.9%; and (4) predominantly reactive aggression, 13.7%. Most classes showed seasonal upticks in aggressive behavior in the spring semester relative to fall; these were especially pronounced for proactive aggression, both as a variable and for the proactive-reactive class. Relative to their low-aggression peers, children in any elevated-aggression class had higher levels of peer problems, depressive symptoms, and disciplinary actions and lower GPAs at the end of 5th grade. The reactive class-which on no occasion had the highest total aggression-exhibited the most consistently unfavorable pattern of outcomes across methods and measures. Findings offer new insights concerning the multifinality and heterogeneity of aggressive behavior in childhood. Research, theory, and practice could benefit from adopting person-centered conceptualizations that consider the long-term trajectories, short-term variations, and proactive vs. reactive functions of youth aggression.

An autonomic nervous system context of harsh parenting and youth aggression versus delinquency

Harsh parenting is a significant predictor of youth aggression and delinquency. However, not every child exposed to adverse parenting develops such problem behaviors. Recent developmental evolutionary models suggest that variability in stress response reactivity to parenting, reflected by autonomic nervous system (ANS) functioning, may affect the impact of adverse parenting on youth behavioral adjustment. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the parasympathetic and sympathetic branches of the ANS moderate the association between parenting and aggressive and delinquent behaviors. The study sample included low-income, ethnically diverse preadolescents (M = 10.28 years old; N = 101) and their caregivers. Direct effects were found from basal RSA to delinquent behaviors. In addition, harsh parenting predicted increased youths’ aggressive and delinquent behaviors in the context of high RSA withdrawal and increased youths’ delinquent behaviors in the context of shortened basal PEP. Implications for prevention and intervention are discussed.

Co-reminiscing with a caregiver about a devastating tornado: Association with adolescent anxiety symptoms.

This study explores the association between caregivers' style of co-reminiscing with their adolescents about an EF4 tornado and youth anxiety symptoms several years following the disaster. Caregiver reward of their children's emotional expression, defined as attending to and validating emotionally salient content, is generally associated with adaptive youth psychosocial outcomes. However, caregiver reward of youth recollections that are centered around the youth's negative emotional expression could be an indicator that both caregivers and adolescents are engaged in co-rumination regarding negative emotional experiences. This process may contribute to relatively higher levels of anxiety over time. Adolescents (N = 169) drawn from an ongoing study for aggressive youth (ages 12 to 17; 82% African American) provided individual recollections about their experiences during a devastating tornado 4 to 5 years following the disaster. Caregivers and youth then co-reminisced about their tornado-related experiences. Individual youth recollections were coded for negative personal impact and use of negative emotion words; caregiver-adolescent conversations were coded for caregiver reward of negative emotional expression. Youth who noted more negative personal impacts and used more negative emotion words were higher in parent-rated youth anxiety, and these associations were moderated by caregiver reward of negative emotional expression. The associations between youth recollection qualities and anxiety emerged only when caregivers exhibited high levels of reward of negative emotional expression. These patterns were generally stronger for girls compared to boys. Findings suggest that excessively discussing and rehashing negative experiences, especially several years after the disaster, may be a risk factor for anxiety among disaster-exposed adolescents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Risk and Resilience among Children with Incarcerated Parents: Examining Heterogeneity in Delinquency and School Outcomes

The present study utilized latent profile analysis with 1088 children with incarcerated parents to identify heterogeneity in behavioral and social problems. Four profiles were observed. The majority (61%) were well-adjusted with low behavioral problems at school and less affiliation with antisocial friends. Youth classified as overactive (20%) displayed frequent disruptive and hyperactive behaviors, while isolated youth (14%) exhibited high loneliness and depression and were most likely to be bullied. Youth in the aggressive profile (7%) exhibited frequent aggression, school behavioral problems, and affiliation with antisocial friends. Although the aggressive profile represented the smallest proportion of the sample, their level of delinquent behavior and number of negative school outcomes were the most concerning. Examination of risk and protective factors by profile found overactive and isolated youth to be more likely to have two or more adults in the household compared to well-adjusted and aggressive youth. Meanwhile, well-adjusted youth had significantly higher school connectedness, parent support, and positive teacher relationships. Aggressive youth were least likely to be raised by a married caregiver. Universal behavioral assessments of children with incarcerated parents would be useful in identifying youth at risk for escalating or persistent delinquency or hyperactivity.

Accidental and Ambiguous Situations Reveal Specific Social Information Processing Biases and Deficits in Adolescents with Low Intellectual Level and Clinical Levels of Externalizing Behavior

Addressing aggression in youth requires understanding of the range of social problem situations that may lead to biased social information processing (SIP). The present study investigated situation-specificity of SIP and analyzed whether SIP deficits and biases are found in ambiguous as well as clearly accidental situations in adolescents with clinical levels of externalizing behavior or with low intellectual level, congruent with mild intellectual disability. Adolescents (N = 220, Mage = 15.21) completed a SIP test on a mobile app with six videos with ambiguous, hostile, and accidental social problems. Caretakers, teachers, and adolescents themselves reported on youth externalizing behavior problems. In accidental situations specifically, adolescents with low IQ scores more often attributed purposeful intent to perpetrators than peers with borderline or average IQ scores. In accidental situations, adolescents with clinical levels of externalizing behavior generated and selected more aggressive responses than nonclinical adolescents, regardless of their cognitive level. In line with previous literature, the ambiguous situations also brought out SIP differences between IQ groups. These results suggest that not only ambiguous situations should be considered informative for understanding SIP biases, but situations in which adolescents are clearly accidentally disadvantaged bring out SIP biases as well, that may lead to conflicts with others.

Community Violence Exposure and Youth Aggression: The Moderating Role of Working Memory.

Community violence exposure (CVE) is associated with aggression among youth, particularly those who reside in low-income, urban neighborhoods. However, not all youth who experience CVE exhibit aggression. Working memory (WM) difficulties may interfere with attributions or retrieval of nonaggressive responses, suggesting that individual differences in WM may contribute to proactive and/or reactive aggression among youth who experience CVE. Participants were 104 low-income, urban youth (M = 9.92 ± 1.22years old; 50.5% male; 95% African American). Youth reported on frequency of direct victimization and witnessing of violence in the community and completed two WM tasks. Teachers reported on youth proactive and reactive aggression. WM moderated the relation between direct victimization and proactive and reactive aggression, and between witnessing violence and reactive aggression. Among youth reporting less frequent victimization and witnessing, lower WM was associated with higher levels of proactive and reactive aggression. Among youth reporting more frequent direct victimization, lower WM was associated with higher levels of proactive aggression. Proactive and reactive aggression levels were similar among youth reporting more frequent witnessing regardless of WM levels. WM represents a potential target for early identification and intervention efforts to reduce reactive and proactive aggression among low-income, urban youth who are at elevated risk for CVE.

Do longitudinal studies support long-term relationships between aggressive game play and youth aggressive behaviour? A meta-analytic examination.

Whether video games with aggressive content contribute to aggressive behaviour in youth has been a matter of contention for decades. Recent re-evaluation of experimental evidence suggests that the literature suffers from publication bias, and that experimental studies are unable to demonstrate compelling short-term effects of aggressive game content on aggression. Long-term effects may still be plausible, if less-systematic short-term effects accumulate into systematic effects over time. However, longitudinal studies vary considerably in regard to whether they indicate long-term effects or not, and few analyses have considered what methodological factors may explain this heterogeneity in outcomes. The current meta-analysis included 28 independent samples including approximately 21 000 youth. Results revealed an overall effect size for this population of studies (r = 0.059) with no evidence of publication bias. Effect sizes were smaller for longer longitudinal periods, calling into question theories of accumulated effects, and effect sizes were lower for better-designed studies and those with less evidence for researcher expectancy effects. In exploratory analyses, studies with more best practices were statistically indistinguishable from zero (r = 0.012, 95% confidence interval: −0.010, 0.034). Overall, longitudinal studies do not appear to support substantive long-term links between aggressive game content and youth aggression. Correlations between aggressive game content and youth aggression appear better explained by methodological weaknesses and researcher expectancy effects than true effects in the real world.

Impact of TV Violence on Aggression of Youth; A Comparative Analysis of Male and Female Students of Lahore

This study focuses on impact of TV violence on aggression young viewers of Lahore. For this study 500 (Male, 250 and Female 250) students are taken as a sample size from different universities of Lahore. Data is collected through stratified and convenience sampling technique from the targeted population. Major results indicate the significant difference in exposure to TV violence and aggression of male and female students. Major results of statistical tests male student exposure and attitude to TV violence has significant impact on aggression but exposure of female student has not significant impact on aggression whereas attitude to TV violence has significant impact on aggression. Further, there is also need to set some sort of filters on media contents which are presenting violence.

HUBUNGAN ANTARA KECERDASAN EMOSIONAL DAN KECERDASAN SPIRITUAL DENGAN PERILAKU AGRESIF REMAJA DI SMP NEGERI 278 JAKARTA

ABSTRACT
 
 Anita Amaliah. 2015. The Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Spiritual Intelligence with Aggressive Youth Behavior in SMP Negeri 278 Jakarta. Guidance and Counseling Studies, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, As-Syafi'iyah Islamic University. The purpose of this study was to study the relationship between emotional intelligence and spiritual intelligence with the aggressive behaviour in SMP Negeri 278 Jakarta. The method used in this research is the correlational and ex-post facto methods. The population was 201 students and samples taken using the Slovin formula were 114 students. The data collection technique used was a questionnaire. The data analysis technique used is the product moment correction technique and multiple comparison analysis
 Based on the results of thought when the product with the SPSS 22.v program showed a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and adolescent intelligence with r=0.447 and Sig. 0,000 < 0.05. There was no significant relationship between spiritual intelligence and adolescent intelligence with r=0.015 and Sig. 0.473 > 0.05. There is a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and spiritual intelligence with aggressive intelligence where Fcount 14.438 <Ftable 3.08
 
 Bibliography: 12 of Book, 18 Article (2010-2018)
 Keywords: Emotional Intelligence, Spiritual Intelligence, Aggressive Teen Behavior

It's not just what you say, it's how you say it too. Adolescents' hostile attribution of intent and emotional responses to social comments.

A highly prevalent and relevant situation in which adolescents have to interpret the intentions of others is when they interact with peers. We therefore successfully introduced a new paradigm to measure hostile attribution bias (HAB) and emotional responses to such social interactions and examined how it related to youth's aggressiveness. We presented 881 adolescents (M age = 14.35 years; SD = 1.23; 48.1% male) with audio fragments of age‐mates expressing social comments that varied in content (e.g., what the person says) and tone of voice (e.g., how the person says it). Participants' peers also reported on their aggressiveness. In general, added negativity of content and tone was driving the youth's intent attribution and emotional responses to the comments. In line with the Social Information Processing model, we found more hostile attribution of intent and more negative emotional responses of aggressive youth to ambiguous stimuli. Aggression was also related to more hostile intent attributions when both content and tone were negative. Unlike most studies on HAB, the aggression effects in the current study emerged for girls, but not boys. Implications of these results and future use of the experimental paradigm are discussed.

Contemporary Pharmacotherapeutics and the Management of Aggressive Behavior in an Adolescent Animal Model of Maladaptive Aggression.

ObjectiveAntipsychotic and anticonvulsant medications are increasingly being used as pharmacotherapeutic treatments for maladaptive aggression in youth, yet no information is available regarding whether these drugs exhibit aggression- specific suppression in preclinical studies employing adolescent animal models of maladaptive aggression. This study examined whether the commonly used antipsychotics medications haloperidol and risperidone and the anticonvulsant medication valproate exert selective aggression-suppressing effects using a validated adolescent animal model of maladaptive aggression.MethodsTwenty-seven-day old Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) were administered testosterone for 30 consecutive days during the first 4 weeks of adolescent development. The following day (during late adolescence), experimental animals received a single dose of haloperidol (0.00, 0.025, 0.50, 1.0 mg/kg), risperidone (0.00, 0.01, 0.03, 1.0 mg/kg), or valproate (0.00, 1.0, 5.0, 10.0 mg/kg) and tested for offensive aggression using the Resident/Intruder Paradigm. As a baseline, non-aggressive behavioral control, a separate set of pubertal hamsters was treated with sesame oil vehicle during the first 4 weeks of adolescence and then tested for aggression during late adolescence in parallel with the haloperidol, risperidone or valproate-treated experimental animals.ResultsRisperidone and valproate selectively reduced the highly impulsive and intense maladaptive aggressive phenotype in a dose-dependent fashion. While haloperidol marginally reduced aggressive responding, its effects were non-specific as the decrease in aggression was concurrent with reductions in a several ancillary (non-aggressive) behaviors.ConclusionThese studies provide pre-clinical evidence that the contemporary pharmacotherapeutics risperidone and valproate exert specific aggression-suppressing effects in an adolescent animal model of maladaptive aggression.

The Complex Nature of Youth Aggression: Relations Between Cognition, Discrimination, and Peer Perceptions of Bullying Involvement

Youth victimization and aggression are common in adolescents’ everday lives. This study examines relations between youth cognition and reasoning around bullying and possible responses to bullying, peer nominations related to youth roles in the bullying ecology and self-report experiences of perceived racial discrimination using latent class analyses. Participants included 6th ( n = 423) and 9th ( n = 392) grade adolescents in the United States (49.1% female). Five distinct classes emerged: Typical, Uninvolved, Challengers, Experiences Discrimination, and Experiences Discrimination and Involved. Furthermore, participants in these classes reasoned about the acceptability of youth aggression and about their likelihood of different responses to youth aggression in distinct ways. Findings document that the Challengers class was most likely to judge the aggression as wrong and the least likely to indicate that they would not respond if they observed aggression. Furthermore, both classes of youth who reported experiencing discrimination judged the aggression as more acceptable.

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.

Maladaptive Social Consequences of Emotional Clarity Deficits in Early Adolescence

This study examined whether compromised emotional clarity prospectively contributes to maladaptive social behavior (aggression, anxious solitude) and adverse social experiences (low social status, victimization) in early adolescence; gender differences in these effects also were explored. Youth ( N = 636, [Formula: see text] age = 10.94, SD = 0.37) completed a self-report measure of emotional clarity in fifth grade, and their teachers completed measures of youth aggression, anxious solitude, social status, and victimization in fifth and sixth grades. Prospective path analyses revealed that emotional clarity deficits predicted anxious solitude and low social status in both girls and boys, and predicted aggression and victimization in girls but not boys. These findings provide support for theoretical models of emotional and affective social competence, and indicate some gender differences in the social consequences of emotional clarity deficits. More broadly, this research implicates emotional clarity as a target for socioemotional learning programs in early adolescence.

Internalizing problems and their impact on the relation between callous-unemotional traits, narcissism, and aggression.

Narcissism and callous-unemotional (CU) traits have demonstrated relations with youth aggression across studies. However, different forms of narcissism and internalizing problems may exacerbate the relation between CU traits and aggression. To that end, the current study examined the degree to which interactions among internalizing problems, CU traits, and dimensions of narcissism related to aggression in a sample of 219 adolescents (83.1% males), ages 16-19, enrolled in a military-style residential program. Consistent with previous research, psychopathy-linked narcissism significantly moderated the relation between CU traits and aggression. Addtionally, self-reported aggression was highest among adolescents who endorsed high levels of CU traits, psychopathy-linked narcissism, and internalizing problems. The same pattern of results was not evident for other forms of narcissism. These results suggest that internalizing problems further increase the probability of aggression among adolescents with psychopathic tendencies (i.e., CU traits, psychopathy-linked narcissism). Further implications are discussed.

The long-term effect of media violence exposure on aggression of youngsters

The effect of media violence on aggression has always been a trending issue, and a better understanding of the psychological mechanism of the impact of media violence on youth aggression is an extremely important research topic for preventing the negative impacts of media violence and juvenile delinquency. From the perspective of anger, this study explored the long-term effect of different degrees of media violence exposure on the aggression of youngsters, as well as the role of aggressive emotions. The studies found that individuals with a high degree of media violence exposure (H-MVE) exhibited higher levels of proactive aggression in both irritation situations and higher levels of reactive aggression in low-irritation situations than did participants with a low degree of media violence exposure (L-MVE). After being provoked, the anger of all participants was significantly increased, and the anger and proactive aggression levels of the H-MVE group were significantly higher than those of the L-MVE group. Additionally, rumination and anger played a mediating role in the relationship between media violence exposure and aggression. Overall, this study enriches the theoretical understanding of the long-term effect of media violence exposure on individual aggression. Second, this study deepens our understanding of the relatively new and relevant phenomenon of the mechanism between media violence exposure and individual aggression.

ФОРМЫ ПРОЯВЛЕНИЯ ЭКСТРЕМИЗМА В ФЕДЕРАТИВНОЙ РЕСПУБЛИКЕ ГЕРМАНИЯ

Representatives of German state (constitutional) law define political extremism as "a set of political beliefs and aspirations... which are aimed at denying the democratic constitutional state and its fundamental values". Based on the definition, the criterion for recognising any "political belief or aspiration" as extremist is the notion of a democratic constitutional state. In line with this, the Federal Constitutional Court of the Federal Republic of Germany has given an expansive interpretation of a "free democratic state" that "constitutes a legal state order whose basis is the self-determination of the people according to the will of the majority, freedom and equality. It excludes all forms of despotism or arbitrariness. Among the basic principles of this order are at least: the protection of human rights as laid down in the Basic Law of Germany, the sovereignty of the people, the separation of powers, the responsibility of the government, the legitimacy of government, the independence of the judiciary and the principle of multi-partyism. According to article 21, paragraph 2 of the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany (1949), political parties that "endeavour to harm or destroy the foundation of the free demo-cratic order or to endanger the existence of the Federal Republic of Germany" are declared unconstitutional by the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany. The possibility to ban political parties as provided for in the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany guarantees the development of a democratic political system of the state. It is worth emphasising that the stability and democratism of the German political system and the stability of the constitutional order in the state depend not only on the prohibition provision in the Basic Law of the FRG, but above all on the ability of political parties to reach agreement on the basic principles of a "free democratic state system" and to implement these principles in the minds of the people. To realise these goals, Germany has the Federal Office for the Protection of the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany of 1949, a public authority whose task is to control and supervise the legality of the activities of political parties. The forms of extremism in the Federal Republic of Germany are "left-wing extremism" and "right-wing extremism". In right-wing extremism, the older generation is gradually being freed from the aggressive youth, in an increased willingness to use force. Left-wing extremism has become less focused on global global themes - it has become more local and regional, more relatable and at the same time integrated. Because of the new nature of the development of extremism in a united Germany a left-right antagonism has emerged. At the same time, different tendencies of West and East Germany can be observed: in West Germany the struggle "left vs. right" prevails, in East Germany the struggle "right vs. left" prevails.

Diagnoza empatii i agresji nastolatków w kontekście postaw rodzicielskich

<p>Celem badań była analiza związku między postawami rodzicielskim a poziomem empatii i agresji dorastających dzieci. W badaniach wzięło udział 201 adolescentów w wieku 16–18 lat wychowywanych w pełnej rodzinie w dużym mieście. Do pomiaru empatii użyto kwestionariusza IRI (Davis 1983), poziom agresji diagnozowano na podstawie wyników kwestionariusza Bussa i Perry’ego (1992), a KPR -Roc (Plopa 2008) użyto do pomiaru retrospektywnych zachowań rodzicielskich pod kątem pięciu postaw: akceptacja/odrzucenie, nadmierne wymagania, autonomia, niekonsekwencja oraz nadmierna ochrona. Wyniki badań własnych potwierdzają istnienie związku między postawami rodzicielskimi a poziomem zachowań empatycznych i agresywnych u dzieci. Umiejętność przyjmowania cudzej perspektywy oraz współodczuwania przez synów i córki zależy w dużym stopniu od postaw rodzica tej samej płci. Dla poziomu empatii dziewcząt predyktorami okazały się postawy matek, zaś poziom empatii chłopców w największym stopniu wyjaśniają postawy ojców. Ponadto, brak pozytywnych postaw ojców i duże nasilenie negatywnych ma związek z nieumiejętnością radzenia sobie z własnymi emocjami przez młodzież obu płci i wzmaga ich personalny dystres. Również diagnoza poziomu agresji młodzieńczej była rozpatrywana w kontekście pozytywnych oraz negatywnych postaw rodzicielskich, które mogą sprzyjać bądź hamować agresję swoich dzieci. Zarówno pozytywne jak i negatywne postawy obojga rodziców miały istotne znaczenie dla nasilenia agresji dzieci w zależności od rodzaju aktu agresywnego. Agresję bezpośrednią dziewcząt najsilniej wyjaśniały negatywne postawy obojga rodziców, zaś agresję pośrednią głównie postawy ojców. U chłopców, dla poziomu agresji fizycznej i werbalnej istotne okazały się postawy matek, zaś dla agresji pośredniej jak gniew i wrogość – głownie postawy ojców. Wyniki badań potwierdzają, że zarówno matka, jak i ojciec odgrywają istotną rolę w kształtowaniu odpowiednich społeczno-emocjonalnych umiejętności swojego dziecka. Dowiodły również istnienia odmiennych wzorców relacji pomiędzy postawami matek i ojców a zachowaniem empatycznym i agresywnym ich dzieci.</p>

Presidential Address: Emotion Dysregulation in Children and Adolescents

Presidential Address: Emotion Dysregulation in Children and Adolescents

Understanding Chronic Aggression and Its Treatment in Children and Adolescents.

Youth aggression is common and has a significant burden on individuals, families, and society. However, its treatment is often a challenge for clinicians. Thus, this review will examine the current understanding of youth aggression, conceptualize aggression as a symptom rather than its own disorder, and provide an overview of treatment strategies. Youth aggression is associated with complex genetic, neurobiological, and environmental risks. Prevention strategies are of the utmost importance for at-risk families and youth. Psychosocial interventions are the first line treatment. But if not fully effective, then pharmacologic interventions-including psychostimulants, alpha-2 agonists, atomoxetine, and risperidone-have shown benefits. Other medications, such as SSRIs, can be useful in certain scenarios. It is important to conceptualize youth aggression as being a trans-diagnostic symptom in psychopathology. Determining the underlying cause of aggression will help to guide treatment.