Different Forms Of Aggression Research Articles

Relationship of Alcohol Use to Combat Exposure, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, and Aggressive Behaviors Among Army National Guard OIF/OEF Veterans

Previous studies have shown alcohol use to be associated with aggressive behaviors, though results have varied, in particular, when aggression is examined separately as nonphysical versus physical aggression. This topic is especially relevant for returning soldiers who report post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, which often accompany postdeployment interpersonal aggression. The present study used survey data obtained from recently returning deployed Army National Guard soldiers ( N = 4,567 soldiers in 50 company-sized units) to test relationships (through structural equation modeling) among combat exposure, PTSD symptoms, alcohol use, and aggressive behaviors, both nonphysical and physical. Combat exposure had no statistically reliable association with aggression. PTSD symptoms (specifically, reexperiencing and sleep difficulty) were positively associated with aggressive behaviors. Combat exposure and PTSD symptoms showed an additional indirect effect through alcohol use on aggression, with stronger effects for nonphysical than for physical aggressive behavior. Observed differences in relationships among combat exposure, PTSD symptoms, and alcohol use for different forms of aggression may relate to the underlying psychological state (whether negative emotions or hyperaroused) varying qualitatively and quantitatively, and thus operate differently on expression of nonphysical aggression (e.g., shouting, yelling) and physical aggression (e.g., hitting, slapping). Findings have implications for preventive and clinical practice.

Moderating effects of group status, cohesion, and ethnic composition on socialization of aggression in children's peer groups.

We explored the effects of 3 group features (i.e., status, cohesion, and ethnic composition) on socialization processes of aggression in early adolescents' natural peer social groups. Gender differences in these effects were also determined. A total of 245 seventh-grade individuals belonging to 65 peer groups were included in the analyses. All 3 group features moderated the strength of group socialization on physical aggression with the exception of group status on girls' physical aggression. Stronger socialization of physical aggression occurred in higher status, more cohesive, or ethnically more homogeneous groups. In contrast, only group cohesion moderated the strength of group socialization on social aggression among girls. These findings suggest that somewhat different processes may be involved in peer group influences on different forms of aggression. Future intervention and prevention efforts for adolescent aggression should consider peer group membership and group features simultaneously.

Aggressive and prosocial behaviors

This study examined the social functioning of bistrategic youths (i.e., those who employ both aggressive and prosocial behavior) in order to further understand their social competence in peer social networks. Within our sample of 318 fifth-grade participants recruited from an urban school district in the northeastern US, bistrategic preadolescents were identified, along with aggressives, prosocials, typicals, and noncontrollers. Bistrategic youths were found to hold the highest individual status and group status among all five subtypes within the network. Bistrategic youths and other active controller youths (i.e., prosocials and aggressives) were more likely to associate with peers of the same subtype in social groups. In addition, bistrategics who associated with same subtype (i.e., homogenous) peers held elevated group status, whereas bistrategics who associated with non-homogenous peers held heightened individual status. Further, results illustrate how bistrategics selectively target highly popular peers as victims of social aggression. Findings extend previous research by demonstrating the social success of bistrategic youths based on their high individual and group status, and by illuminating their strategic employment of different forms of aggression towards peers of different popularity status.

Forms and Functions of Aggression in Adolescents: Validation of the Portuguese Version of the Peer Conflict Scale

Aggression in adolescence may assume different forms and functions, and is often associated with maladjustment. To adequately assess aggression in adolescence, instruments need to evaluate both its forms and its functions, as is the case with the Peer Conflict Scale. This research presents and evaluates the Portuguese version of this instrument, and evaluates levels of aggression in an adolescent community sample (n = 785; 63.6 % female, mean age of 15.97 years old). The four factor structure originally proposed for the instrument (i.e. proactive overt, reactive overt, proactive relational and reactive relational aggression) represented a satisfactory solution for the data, and for both girls and boys. Results also have shown adequate reliability. Regarding levels of aggression, boys reported being overall more aggressive than girls. When aggression is impulsive/ reactive, both boys and girls practice its overt form. It is only when the aggression is pondered upon (proactive) that boys and girls chose to use different forms of aggression. Accurately evaluating different forms and functions of aggression has implications for designing, implementing and evaluating adequate and tailored interventions.

Parental punishment and peer victimization as developmental precursors to physical dating violence involvement among girls.

The current study examined harsh punishment and peer victimization as developmental precursors to girls' involvement in physical dating violence (PDV), and the putative mediating effect of rejection sensitivity. The sample comprised 475 African American and European American participants of the longitudinal Pittsburgh Girls Study who were dating at age 17. About 10% of girls reported significant perpetration and/or victimization of physical aggression in the relationship. Results showed that initial level and escalation in harsh punishment (between 10-13 years) and escalation in peer victimization (10-15 years) predicted PDV involvement, but this relationship was not mediated by rejection sensitivity. The results highlight the need to consider the impact of early experience of different forms of aggression on girls' risk for PDV involvement.

The additive and interactive roles of aggression, prosocial behavior, and social preference in predicting resource control in young children

PurposeDistinguishing between physical and social aggression, this study aimed to examine whether the predictive effect of aggression on resource control is moderated by prosocial behavior and corresponds to a linear or a curvilinear trend. Moderating effects of children's social preference among peers and child sex in this context were also tested.Design/methodology/approachBased on a sample of 682 kindergarten children (348 girls; average age 72.7 months, 3.6 SD), multilevel regressions revealed additive linear effects of social preference and prosociality on resource control.FindingsModerate (but not high) levels of social aggression also facilitated resource control for disliked children. There was no such threshold effect for well‐liked children, who increasingly controlled the resource the more socially aggressive they were. In contrast, physical aggression hampered resource control unless used very modestly.Originality/valueThe present study has a number of positive features. First, the distinction between physical and social aggression improves our understanding of the relation between aggression and social competence and sketches a more differentiated picture of the role of different forms of aggression in resource control. Second, this study combines the concept of resource control with the concept of social preference and investigates curvilinear effects of aggression. Third, the direct observation of resource control in the Movie Viewer increases the internal validity of this study.

Televised relational and physical aggression and children’s hostile intent attributions

An experiment was conducted with 150 children (mean age=10.1years) in third to fifth grades to test whether exposure to different forms of aggression in the media affected hostile attributional biases in response to different forms of provocation scenarios. Children were randomly assigned to watch a clip containing physical aggression, relational aggression, or no aggression. After exposure, children were asked to respond to a series of written provocation scenarios where a character caused some form of harm (instrumental or relational) to a target person, but the intent of the provocateur was ambiguous. Results revealed that exposure to relationally aggressive portrayals resulted in a hostile attributional bias in response to relational scenarios, whereas exposure to portrayals of physical aggression was associated with a hostile attributional bias in response to instrumental scenarios. Moreover, these biases were shown to be specific to the exposure condition (physical or relational) and not simply associated with exposure to aggression in general. The findings are discussed in terms of the general aggression model and children’s social information processing.

La agresión entre iguales en la era digital: estrategias de afrontamiento de los estudiantes del último ciclo de Primaria y del primero de Secundaria

Abstract. The influence of age and, particularly, gender is a topic of much debate in research on aggression between peers. The emergence of new types of attack also raises important questions regarding attitudes to different forms of aggression and the role of peers. This study explores the coping strategies adopted by students in the last two years of primary school and the first two years of secondary school in response to direct, relational and technology-mediated aggression, from the perspective of both victim and observer. It also analyzes the possible association between personal confidence in one’s ability to respond in a positive way to challenging or threatening situations, and preferred strategy in response to aggression. Participants were 1,018 students from 12 schools in the Autonomous Region of the Basque Country in Spain, and the data were collected using two instruments: a situational questionnaire, which presents prototypical cases of three types of aggression and a proactive coping questionnaire (PCS). From among the results obtained, based on the SPSS analyses (Pearson’s chi squared, standardized residuals, Student’s t test and ANOVAS), the following findings are of particular interest: 1) a statistically significant relationship was found between gender and coping strategy in all types of aggression analyzed, although particularly in assertiveness and negative reciprocity; 2) the association between educational stage and chosen strategy was only significant for some types of aggression and 3) no significant differences were found between boys and girls in relation to proactive coping, although a difference of this kind was observed between primary and secondary school students. Also, an association was found between proactive coping and response to aggression for the position of victim. These data indicate that the percentage distribution of strategies chosen by students varies in accordance with whether they put themselves in the position of victim or classmate, the context and the type of aggression involved.

Facial asymmetry and aggression in Spanish adolescents

Intrasexual competition is often characterized by the struggle for sexual partners. Men’s competitive behavior typically includes physically aggressive acts or anger, whereas women tend to disgrace their rivals via derogation. Fluctuating asymmetry (FA), a measure of developmental instability and health, has been reported to negatively correlate with physical aggression in boys and young adults. In this study, we investigated the relationship between facial FA and different forms of aggression in a sample of 296 Spanish adolescents (148 men and 148 women) aged 14–19years. Geometric morphometrics was used to assess facial FA and the buss and perry aggression questionnaire (BPAQ) was administered to collect self-reports of physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger and hostility. Our results showed a negative association between facial FA and anger in male adolescents and with hostility only in older adolescent women (17–19years). No significant association was detected between physical aggression and facial FA in either sex. We discuss our results with reference to the recalibrational theory of anger (in men) and in terms of competitor derogation (in women).

The Effects of Parenting Styles and Temperament on Adolescent Aggression: Examining Unique, Differential, and Mediation Effects

Youth aggression is a worldwide public health problem. Understanding the antecedents of aggression is the precursor of any successful prevention and intervention. A large body of literature shows that parenting styles and temperament are closely related to aggressive behaviors in adolescence. However, our understanding of the association among these variables is limited in several ways. First, there is a paucity of research that examines the unique effects of parenting styles and temperament on aggression. Second, work is needed that distinguishes different forms of aggression (i.e., direct vs. indirect aggression) and examines the similarity of and differences among the antecedents of these behaviors. Third, the existing research is not clear about the underlying mechanisms in the relationship between parenting styles, temperament, and aggressive behaviors. The purpose of the present study is to investigate: 1) the unique and differential associations of parenting styles and temperament with direct and indirect aggression in adolescence; 2) whether adolescents' normative beliefs about aggression mediates the relationship between parenting styles or temperament, and direct and indirect aggression. Participants were 660 middle school students (mean age = 14.14 years, 364 females) recruited from a southern province in mainland China. In school, participants completed Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire, Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire (Revised Version, Short Form), and Aggressive Beliefs and Behaviors in Adolescence Scale. Multiple and multivariate regression analyses showed that (a) parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive) were not significantly associated with direct aggression, while temperamental characteristics (effortful control, anger/frustration, and sensation seeking) were uniquely associated with direct aggression. In contrast, parenting styles and temperament were both uniquely associated with indirect aggression. (b) Parenting styles were more strongly related to indirect aggression than to direct aggression. However, temperamental characteristics (anger/frustration and sensation seeking) were more strongly related to direct aggression than to indirect aggression. (c) Normative beliefs about direct aggression mediated the association between temperament and aggressive behaviors, while normative beliefs about indirect aggression mediated the association between parenting styles and temperament, and aggressive behaviors. In conclusion, parenting styles are to some extent specifically related to indirect aggression, whereas temperamental characteristics are specifically related to direct aggression. Normative beliefs about aggression are important mediators in the relationship between parenting styles, temperament, and aggression in adolescence.

UPON TYPE, FREQUENCY AND SOME CLINICAL ASPECTS OF PSYCHOTIC SYMPTOMS IN ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

SUMMARY: Various psychotic disorders develop often at different stages of the disease. A comprehensive approach of type, frequency and clinical aspects of the psychotic disorders patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can optimize management of these conditions in patients with dementia. We examined 120 patients with probable AD. The routine clinical examination and observation were used to delineate the most common psychotic symptoms. Delusions, found in the explored patients were predominantly paranoid. The delusions are often short lived and lack complexity of that seen in schizophrenia. In number of cases they are difficult to be distinguished from confabulations. Hallucinations were mostly verbal, visual and tactile. Misidentification syndromes were identified in a considerable number of patients. They are often disputable or have been classified as delusions or hallucinations, depending on interpretation of psychotic phenomena. We discuss different forms of misidentification. The presence of psychotic symptoms predicts the occurrence and frequency of different forms of aggression and destructive behavior.

Two Sides of the Same Coin? Consistency in Aggression to Conspecifics and Predators in a Female Songbird

Different forms of aggression have traditionally been treated separately according to function or context (e.g. aggression towards a conspecific versus a predator). However, recent work on individual consistency in behavior predicts that different forms of aggression may be correlated across contexts, suggesting a lack of independence. For nesting birds, aggression towards both conspecifics and nest predators can affect reproductive success, yet the relationship between these behaviors, especially in females, is not known. Here we examine free-living female dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis) and compare their aggressive responses towards three types of simulated intruders near the nest: a same-sex conspecific, an opposite-sex conspecific, and a nest predator. We also examine differences in the strength of response that might relate to the immediacy of the perceived threat the intruder poses for the female or her offspring. We found greater aggression directed towards a predator than a same-sex intruder, and towards a same-sex than an opposite-sex intruder, consistent with a predator being a more immediate threat than a same-sex intruder, followed by an opposite-sex intruder. We also found positive relationships across individuals between responses to a same-sex intruder and a simulated predator, and between responses to a same-sex and an opposite-sex intruder, indicating that individual females are consistent in their relative level of aggression across contexts. If correlated behaviors are mediated by related mechanisms, then different forms of aggression may be expressions of the same behavioral tendency and constrained from evolving independently.

The Impact of Teachers’ Aggressive Management Techniques on Students’ Attitudes to Schoolwork

ABSTRACT Previous studies have shown that teachers’ aggressive classroom management impacts negatively on students. The authors compared student reaction to teachers’ use of aggressive management techniques in Australia, China, and Israel. Reactions included distraction negativity toward teachers and perceptions that teachers’ responses were unjustified, yet the perception of aggression as justified (or not) only minimally affected the degree of students’ distraction and negativity toward the teacher. Yelling in anger and sarcasm appeared less problematic in Israel and somewhat less so in China; in Australia, no difference in potential impact between different forms of aggression was evident. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Physiological reactivity and different forms of aggression in girls: Moderating roles of rejection sensitivity and peer rejection

Associations between physiological reactivity to exclusion (i.e., heart rate [HRR], respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSAR], and skin conductance [SCR]) and relational and physical aggression were assessed. It was hypothesized that blunted “fight or flight” responses to stress (i.e., blunted HRR, SCR, and RSA withdrawal) would be associated with relational aggression, whereas heightened “fight or flight” responses (i.e., heightened HRR, SCR, and RSA withdrawal) would be associated with physical aggression. In addition, it was hypothesized that heightened “fight or flight” responses would interact with social and cognitive risk factors in the prediction of physical aggression. Data were collected at an all-girls residential summer camp (mean age=12.47 years; N=119). Overall, findings indicated that blunted “fight or flight” was associated with relational aggression whereas heightened “fight or flight” was associated with physical aggression, particularly in the context of high social and cognitive risk. These findings contribute to our understanding of the relationship between physiological reactivity and different forms of aggression in girls.

Evaluation of behaviour testing for human directed aggression in dogs

Behaviour test batteries are used to identify aggressive dogs. The Dutch Socially Acceptable Behaviour (SAB)-test has been used since 2001 to select against unwanted aggression and fear in specific dog breeds, though much is unknown yet regarding its reliability, validity and feasibility. In this paper the SAB-test is evaluated and the results describe its usefulness for identifying aggression towards humans in dogs. Behaviour test outcomes on 345 dogs (479 records on tests performed indoor and outdoor) scored by the judges of the Dutch Kennel Club were compared to owner reported assessments of their dogs’ behaviour prior to testing. Dogs were labelled aggressive when having bitten a human at least once according to the owner and were diagnosed by the judges as such when attacking at least once during the SAB-test. Aggressive dogs showed significantly more attacks than non-aggressive controls and a Principal Components Analysis of detailed observations on 76 dogs grouped aggressive behaviours like growl, bare teeth, snap, lunge and bite in one dimension, confirming the test's validity. Analysis of 479 test records revealed a sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 0.33, 0.81 and 0.64, respectively. The specificity could be increased to 0.93 by raising the threshold for positive test results to at least 2 attacks during the test. The low sensitivity is explained by the decision to classify dogs as aggressive on the basis of one bite incident only and by a relative weak capacity of the test to detect specific forms of aggression. The reliability of the test was investigated by comparing test outcomes on 133 dogs when tested indoor and outdoor. The accuracy decreased from 0.67 to 0.62, but overall the indoor test outcomes were similar to those found outdoors. Scores for aggression and anxiety were significantly higher when dogs were tested for the first time in the morning than the second time in the afternoon, suggesting desensitization. Salivary cortisol concentrations in 20 dogs were not different in samples taken before and after the test, which oppose severe levels of stress. The SAB-test allows one to evaluate aggression in dogs, but present findings indicate that probably those that behave aggressively in the absence of fear remain undetected. It is recommended to increase the test's usefulness by refining or including new test components that target different forms of aggression. Formulating a risk assessment based on detailed information on a dog's behaviour during testing instead of simply producing a pass–fail judgement will facilitate a purpose specific use of the SAB-test.

Suicidal attempts and increased right amygdala volume in schizophrenia

Suicide is a major cause of death in schizophrenia. Neurobiological studies suggest that suicidality is associated with abnormal brain structure and connectivity in fronto-temporo-limbic regions. However, it is still unclear whether suicidality in schizophrenia is related to volumetric abnormalities in subcortical structures that play a key role in emotion regulation, aggression and impulse control. Therefore, we aimed to examine whether the volume of selected subcortical regions is associated with previous suicidal attempts and self-aggression in schizophrenia. For this cross-sectional study, we recruited 50 outpatients with schizophrenia and 50 healthy controls (HC) matched for age and gender. Fourteen patients had a history of one or more suicide attempts. Different forms of aggression were assessed using the Modified Overt Aggression Scale. All participants underwent structural MR imaging at 3 Tesla. Physical volumetric measures were calculated for the lateral ventricles, thalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, caudate, putamen, pallidum and accumbens using an automatic segmentation method on T1-weighted high-resolution (voxel size 1 × 1 × 1 mm 3) images. Multivariate and follow-up univariate ANOVAs revealed a selective increase in volume in the right amygdala of patients with a history of suicidality compared both to patients without such a history and HC. Moreover, in the entire patient group increased right amygdala volume was related to increased self-aggression. Our findings suggest that right amygdala hypertrophy may be a risk factor for suicide attempts in patients with schizophrenia and this could be relevant for suicide prevention.

Promise and Problems: Aggression in Male Led Preadolescent Girls Group Treatment

This paper discusses different forms of aggression exhibited by children and challenges previous conclusions that boys are more aggressive than girls. After an analysis of how aggression manifests in girls who have experienced significant environmental deficits, transferential issues between male practitioners and female youth clients are considered. Finally, group psychotherapy is proposed as an appropriate modality for containing aggression and addressing the needs of girls who struggle with social disturbances.

Associations between peer‐perceived status and aggression in young adolescents

AbstractDifferent functions within different forms of aggression were examined in relation to peer‐perceived preference and popularity among middle school students. Two hundred and three 7th grade students were nominated by a subset of their grade mates based on indices of likeability, popularity, and aggressiveness. Both linear and curvilinear associations were examined. Lower peer preference, but higher popularity, was associated with increased levels of all types of aggression, supporting the need to differentiate the relationship between aggression and these two facets of peer status. Relational aggression was associated with both low and high levels of popularity. Overt aggression was related to low peer preference and, to a lesser degree, high peer preference. It appears that what separates low‐ and high‐status students is not the presence of aggression per se, but how effectively their displays of aggression achieve their social goals. Findings are discussed in respect to social dominance theory, and implications for practice are considered. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Contingent responses of mothers and peers to indirect and direct aggression in preschool and school‐aged children

The primary goal of the study was to determine whether mother and peer's responses to direct and indirect aggression would contribute to children's use of direct and indirect aggression. Using adaptations of the Direct and Indirect Aggression Scale, a multi-informant strategy, and a sample of disadvantaged families, data were collected from 296 mothers of children ages 4-11, 237 children ages 6-11, and 151 teachers of those children. Mothers and peers were reported to react more harshly in response to direct aggression compared with indirect aggression, and higher rates of direct aggression were associated with reduced popularity. These findings were seen as being consistent with the hypothesis that different forms of aggression result in differential responding by mothers and peers, as well as the notion that direct aggression is a higher cost option than indirect aggression. Results also replicated previous findings that boys tend to use physical aggression more than girls, but girls use indirect aggression more than boys. Finally, low IQ was correlated with higher direct aggression in girls but had no relation with aggression in boys.

Self-Reported Use of Different Forms of Aggression in Late Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood

Two studies investigated the psychometric properties of a self-report measure of commonly recognized forms of aggression (FOA) that could be used to efficiently gather aggression data in large samples. EFA and CFA in Study 1 suggested that a five-factor model (Physical, Property, Verbal, Relational, and Passive-Rational) best represented the data across high school and college students. However, factor analyses in Study 2 using an ethnically diverse university sample revealed a four-factor solution (combining Physical and Property items). As a confirmation of the construct validity of FOA, physical and property aggression were lower, and verbal and passive-rational aggression were higher in college versus high school students. Gender differences were observed across FOA subscales, except relational aggression. FOA subscales correlated as expected with other anger and personality scales. Overall, the data revealed adequate psychometric properties for the FOA and suggest that current category distinctions (e.g., direct-indirect) may not adequately account for different forms of aggression. Researchers may want to reevaluate these categories.