Aggression In Early Childhood Research Articles

Early Childhood Aggression in Autistic and Non-Autistic Preschoolers: Prevalence, Topography, and Relationship to Emotional Reactivity

Early Childhood Aggression in Autistic and Non-Autistic Preschoolers: Prevalence, Topography, and Relationship to Emotional Reactivity

Co-occurrence of internalizing difficulties and aggression in early childhood and risk of mental health problems in middle childhood

The goal of this prospective longitudinal study was to explore whether co-occurrent internalizing difficulties and aggression in early childhood convey increased risk for later mental health problems in middle childhood. Participants were mothers from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), who provided assessments of child internalizing difficulties and aggression at ages 3 years (n = 54,644; 26,750 girls) and 5 years (n = 38,177; 18,794 girls), as measures of child depressive, anxiety, conduct-related, and oppositional defiant (OD) symptoms at age 8 years. Using latent profile analyses (LPA) of internalizing difficulties and aggression, four profiles were identified: low-symptom/normative; primarily internalizing; primarily aggressive; and co-occurrent. Among the other results, the co-occurrent group exhibited the highest levels of depressive, anxiety, and oppositional defiant symptoms at 8 years. Most children (78%) remained stable in their profile between ages 3 and 5 years. Among the transition patterns that emerged, transitions were observed both from the normative to a risk profile and vice versa. Children who remained stable within the co-occurrent profile or who transitioned from the co-occurrent profile to one of the other two risk profiles also exhibited more depressive, anxiety, and OD symptoms at 8 years of age, when compared with children who transitioned from the co-occurrent to the normative profile. The heterogeneity between early manifestation of internalizing difficulties and aggression, and specific type of later mental health symptoms not only supports a shared etiology between internalizing and externalizing difficulties but also points toward the need for person-centered monitoring in early childhood with further implications for early identification of difficulties and preventive measures.

Spanking and parental verbal aggression during early childhood: Association with later academic achievement and the mediating role of executive function

AbstractSpanking and parental verbal aggression are potentially toxic stressors that can negatively affect children's academic achievement by disrupting mental skills like executive function. Yet little empirical evidence has been provided for this mediating pathway. This study used data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Cohort of 2010–2011 (n = 11,421) to examine the associations between early childhood exposure to spanking and parental verbal aggression and subsequent academic achievement. We also investigated the mechanism for these associations by exploring the mediating role of executive function within those associations. Findings revealed that spanking and parental verbal aggression in kindergarten and first grade were negatively associated with reading and math scores in fifth grade, controlling for demographics and initial academic performance. Executive function (i.e., inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility and working memory) accounted for more than half (50%–57%) and more than one fourth (24%–31%) of the total effects of spanking and verbal aggression on academic achievement, respectively. Findings provide important evidence for early intervention programs aiming to promote children's academic achievement and executive function by interfering or preventing harsh discipline.Highlights We examined the pathway from spanking and verbal aggression in early childhood to academic achievement in later school years through executive function. Path analysis results show executive function was a significant mediator in the negative associations between academic achievement in fifth grade and early exposure to spanking and aggression. Besides avoiding harsh parenting, intervention programs to support child academic achievement could also target promoting executive function development.

Emotion recognition links to reactive and proactive aggression across childhood: A multi-study design.

Difficulty recognizing negative emotions is linked to aggression in children. However, it remains unclear how certain types of emotion recognition (insensitivities vs. biases) are associated with functions of aggression and whether these relations change across childhood. We addressed these gaps in two diverse community samples (study 1: aged 4 and 8; N = 300; study 2: aged 5 to 13, N = 374). Across studies, children performed a behavioral task to assess emotion recognition (sad, fear, angry, and happy facial expressions) while caregivers reported children's overt proactive and reactive aggression. Difficulty recognizing fear (especially in early childhood) and sadness was associated with greater proactive aggression. Insensitivity to anger - perceiving angry faces as showing no emotion - was associated with increased proactive aggression, especially in middle-to-late childhood. Additionally, greater happiness bias - mistaking negative emotions as being happy - was consistently related to higher reactive aggression only in early childhood. Together, difficulty recognizing negative emotions was related to proactive aggression, however, the strength of these relations varied based on the type of emotion and developmental period assessed. Alternately, difficulty determining emotion valence was related to reactive aggression in early childhood. These findings demonstrate that distinct forms of emotion recognition are important for understanding functions of aggression across development.

Trajectories of physical and relational aggression across early childhood: Relations with peer risk factors.

The goal of the current study was to examine trajectories of relational and physical aggression in early childhood and evaluate peer predictors of these trajectories (i.e., peer rejection, relational victimization, and physical victimization). The study spanned three-time points (T1 in the spring, T2 in the fall, and T3 in the spring) in early childhood (N = 300; 44.0% girls; Mage = 44.70 months, SD = 4.38; 3.0% African American/Black, 7.6% Asian/Asian American/Pacific Islander, 1.0% Hispanic/Latinx, 11.3% multiracial, 62.1% White, and 15.0% missing/unknown). Observations of peer victimization and teacher report of peer rejection were collected at T1, and teacher report of aggression was collected at all time points. Results from piecewise latent growth models demonstrated that both forms of aggression decreased from T1 to T2 as children entered a new classroom and increased from T2 to T3 as they remained in that classroom. The increase in physical aggression from T2 to T3 was only significant for boys. Peer rejection at T1 emerged as a predictor of both intercepts and slopes from T1 to T2, and physical victimization predicted the physical aggression intercept and physical aggression slope from T1 to T2. Children high on these peer risk variables had higher initial levels of aggression, followed by a greater decrease in aggression from T1 to T2. Results underscore the importance of studying incremental change in aggression in early childhood and suggest that children who experience negative peer treatment have greater fluctuations in aggression over time.

Suicide attempt endophenotypes: Latent profiles of child and adolescent aggression and impulsivity differentially predict suicide attempt in females

Suicide is a leading cause of death in young adulthood. Identifying early prevention targets to reduce later suicide is a public health priority. Impulsivity and aggression in early childhood may represent actionable early prevention candidate endophenotypes for later suicidal behavior. Our objective is to to understand the association of aggression and impulsivity trajectories with mental health outcomes to inform future prevention efforts. Participants were part of a longitudinal cohort of a preventative intervention trial (n = 597) and predominantly Black. They were assessed for aggressive and impulsive behaviors yearly in 1st–3rd and 6th–12th grades, and provided mental health data via self-report beginning in 6th grade. Longitudinal latent profiles of aggressive and impulsive behaviors were derived for males and females and used to determine whether profiles was associated with lifetime suicide attempt and meeting diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder. Two impulsivity and aggression classes were found for males, characterized by low behaviors or moderate to high behaviors across development. Three classes were found for females, one of which was characterized by an undulating pattern of behaviors. For females, the class of severe behaviors was associated with significant risk of suicide attempt (Wald = 6.01, p = 0.05). No relationship was found for males or for MDD diagnosis. An endophenotype model of impulsivity and aggression in predicting later suicide attempt was supported in females, but not males. Results underscore the importance of evaluating sex differences in suicide research and the potential identification of females at risk for later suicidal behavior in school settings.

The contribution of face-to-face and embedded mediation to early childhood aggression after watching violent media content.

The contribution of face-to-face and embedded mediation to early childhood aggression after watching violent media content.

Inhibitory Control in Early Childhood Aggression Subtypes: Mediation by Irritability.

The present study tested irritability as a mediator of inhibitory control's (IC) associations with crossed form and function aggression subtypes over one year in early childhood (N = 300, Mage = 44.70months, SD = 4.38months). We hypothesized lower IC would predict increases in irritability, which would in turn predict increases in aggression overall (severity) and a predominance of reactive over proactive subtypes (directionality), and considered moderation by gender. Irritability mediated IC's relations in the predicted direction for physical severity for girls only and relational severity for both genders. Lower IC predicted increases in irritability, which in turn predicted increasing predominance of reactive over proactive physical and relational aggression. The predicted indirect effect was significant for physical but not relational directionality. Findings highlight the viability of directionality scores for disentangling these effects, and that developmental associations between IC, irritability, and reactive functions of aggression are evident in early childhood.

A Commentary on “The Rorschach and Violent Crime” (de Ruiter, 2021)

A Commentary on “The Rorschach and Violent Crime” (de Ruiter, 2021)

Parent-to-child aggression, intimate partner aggression, conflict resolution, and children's social-emotional competence in early childhood.

Early childhood is critical to the development of children's social-emotional competence, which predicts peer relations and school adjustment in later periods of childhood. The effects of experiencing or witnessing aggression on children's social-emotional development are well known, yet the role of conflict resolution within the family has not been sufficiently studied. Social information processing models suggests that children who experience positive forms of conflict resolution within the family are likely to generalize these experiences and related skills outside the family, and thus develop greater social-emotional competence. In this longitudinal study, 128 parents (representing 79 families) participated in four quarterly telephone interviews in which they described aggressive conflicts that occurred in their family for which their children were present, including the degree to which each conflict was resolved. They also reported on the frequency of intimate partner aggression (IPA) and parent-to-child aggression (PCA) that occurred while the child was in toddlerhood and preschool as well as children's social-emotional competence at the end of the study. Multi-level models reveal that parents' reports of positive conflict resolution mitigated the concurrent and longitudinal negative effects of children's exposure to both IPA and PCA on their social-emotional competence. These findings reinforce prevention scientists' emphasis on conflict resolution skills as an essential component of parent education programs.

Measurement of aggressive behavior in early childhood: A critical analysis using five informants

Measurement of aggressive behavior in early childhood is unique given that relational aggression is just developing, physical aggression is still prevalent, and both forms of aggression are relatively overt or direct. The current study had three aims. The first aim was to examine the internal reliability, validity, and correspondence of five different assessments of aggressive behavior in early childhood: parent report, teacher report, observer report, child report, and naturalistic school-based observations. The second aim was to test a one- and two-factor model of early childhood aggression using confirmatory factor analysis. The final aim of the study was to investigate gender differences among different reports of aggression. Observations, teacher report, and observer (research assistant) report were collected in the children’s school, and parent report and child report were collected in a lab session at one time point (N = 300; 56% male; Mage = 44.86 months, SD = 5.55). Observations were collected using a focal child sampling with continuous recording approach, and previously validated measures were used for the remaining four informants. Results demonstrated that all measures were reliable with the exception of child report of relational aggression, and there was small to strong correspondence among the various informants. In addition, a two-factor structure of aggression provided the best fit to the data, providing evidence for divergence among relational and physical aggression. Finally, there were robust gender differences in physical aggression, but gender differences in relational aggression varied by method. The implications of different types of measurement are discussed.

Early Childhood Behavioral and Academic Antecedents of Lifetime Opioid Misuse among Urban Youth

ABSTRACT Objective Opioid misuse has become an epidemic in the United States. In the present study, we examine potential malleable early childhood predictors of opioid misuse including whether childhood achievement, aggressive behavior, attention problems, and peer social preference/likability in first grade predicted opioid misuse and whether these relationships differed depending on participant sex. Method Data are drawn from three cohorts of participants (N = 1,585; 46.7% male) recruited in first grade as part of a series of elementary school-based, universal preventive interventions conducted in a Mid-Atlantic region of the US. In first grade, participants completed standardized achievement tests, teachers reported on attention problems, and peers nominated their classmates with respect to their aggressive behavior and social preference/likability. At approximately age 20, participants reported on their misuse of opioids defined as lifetime use of heroin or misuse of prescription opioids. Results Higher levels of peer nominations for aggressive behavior in first grade predicted a greater likelihood of opioid misuse. An interaction between participant sex and attention problems was observed such that females higher in attention problems were more likely to misuse opioids, particularly prescription opioids, than females lower in attention problems. An interaction was also found between participant sex and peer likability such that males lower in peer-nominated likability were more likely to misuse opioids relative to males higher in likability. Conclusion Given the malleable nature of attention problems, aggression, and social skills in early childhood, prevention programs that target these behaviors during this developmental period may attenuate risk for opioid misuse.

Relational aggression during early childhood: A systematic review

Seminal work on relational aggression in middle childhood began in 1995 and the first study to examine relational aggression in early childhood was published in 1996 in the Journal of Research in Childhood Education. Since then, an abundance of research examining the prevalence of relational aggression during early childhood has been published in over 53 peer-reviewed journals. This review summarises the empirical evidence from these studies. A systematic search of the literature published between 1995 and 2019 identified 106 studies for inclusion. Studies were coded to extract data on participant characteristics, measurement characteristics, the prevalence of relational aggression, dependent variables (psychosocial factors), and research rigor. Results indicate that the prevalence of relational aggression during early childhood has remained stable over the past 25 years. However, we observed considerable heterogeneity regarding the instruments and informants that were used and psychosocial factors that were evaluated in the different studies. Recommendations and consideration are given to future directions in the study of relational aggression during early childhood.

Associations between multisystem stress reactivity and peer nominated aggression in early childhood vary by sex

There is emerging evidence that the development of problematic aggression in childhood may be associated with specific physiological stress response patterns, with both biological overactivation and underactivation implicated. This study tested associations between sex-specific patterns of stress responses across the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and peer nominations of aggression among 271 kindergarten children (Mean age = 5.32 years; 52% Female; 44% White). Upon entry to kindergarten, children participated in a multidomain standardized stress paradigm. Changes in pre-ejection period (PEP) and salivary cortisol were assessed. On a separate day, children provided peer ratings of physical and relational aggression in a standardized interview. As expected, there was a significant three-way interaction between PEP, cortisol reactivity, and sex, but only for physical aggression. Among boys, cortisol reactivity was positively associated with physical aggression only for those with higher SNS reactivity. Findings suggest that for boys, asymmetrical and symmetrical HPA/SNS reactivity may be associated with lower and higher risk for peer-directed physical aggression, respectively. Understanding the complex associations between multisystem physiology, child sex and peer-directed aggression in early childhood may offer insight into individual differences underlying the emergence of behavioral dysregulation in early peer contexts.

Correction to: Emotions and Cognitions in Early Childhood Aggression: the Role of Irritability and Hostile Attribution Biases

In the recently published article "Emotions and Cognitions in Early Childhood Aggression: the Role of Irritability and Hostile Attribution Biases" Figure captions (under Figs.1 and 2) and notes within the figures are redundant. These notes should be deleted.

Emotions and Cognitions in Early Childhood Aggression: the Role of Irritability and Hostile Attribution Biases.

The present study examines the role of irritability in form and function subtypes of aggression over 1year in early childhood (N= 300, Mage= 44.70months, SD= 4.38months). This study prospectively tests hostile attribution biases (HAB) as a mediator in irritability's relations with aggression, with hypothesized form-specific relations between HAB and aggression. Moderation by gender and a reversed alternative model (aggression to irritability, mediated by HAB), were also tested. Path analyses showed irritability predicted increases in all subtypes of aggression (βs =0.24-0.34), but with moderation by gender, such that irritability significantly predicted increases in reactive relational aggression for girls only (β=0.43). Reactive physical aggression also significantly predicted increases in irritability (β=0.15). HAB was not associated significantly with any forms or functions of aggression, although gender differences emerged between HAB for instrumental provocations and reactive physical aggression. No significant indirect effects were found. Results highlight the importance of considering both forms and functions of aggression when investigating irritability, and point to potential gender differences in the role of irritability in relational aggression in early childhood.

Individual and familial factors as mediators and moderators of young children’s aggressive behavior

Abstract Aggressive behavior in early childhood has been associated with several negative outcomes for children, such as short- and long-term academic, developmental, social, and emotional difficulties. This study used a social-ecological framework to consider the direct, indirect, and interactive effects of both individual and family factors on children’s aggressiveness. Individual factors included impulsivity and peer rejection, while familial factors included maternal support and involvement, and psychological control. In addition, the current study explored the mediating role of maternal psychological control in the association between co-parenting and child aggression, as well as the moderating role of impulsivity on the relationship between maternal psychological control and aggressive behaviors. The cross-sectional study was based on online structured self-report surveys completed anonymously by of 532 Israeli mothers of children aged 3–5 (31.6% Jews and 68.4% Arabs). The results showed that children’s aggression was positively associated with maternal use of psychological control and negatively with co-parenting and prosocial behavior. Psychological control mediated the association between co-parenting and children’s involvement in physical and indirect violence. However, while impulsivity moderated the effect of psychological control on physical aggression, no interaction effects between these factors were found in predicting indirect aggression. Prevention and intervention programs that deal with early childhood aggression should consider focusing on maternal and couple practices as much as on individual characteristics and mechanisms in order to prevent and restrain early childhood violence.

프로그램 유형에 따른 유아의 공격성 감소 효과

본 연구는 체계적 리뷰 및 메타분석을 통해 공격성 감소 프로그램 유형에 따른 유아의 공격성 감소 효과를 분석하는데 목적이 있다. 본 연구의 자료는 PICOS 선정 기준에 따라 3개월 동안 수집되었고, 연구 보고기준인 PRISMA를 바탕으로 총 45편의 연구는 체계적 리뷰에 포함되었다, 45편의 연구 중 44편의 연구는 메타분석에 포함되었다. 분석 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 공격성 감소 프로그램 유형에 따른 효과크기를 살펴보면 사회관계, 예술경험, 신체운동․건강 순으로 효과크기가 크게 나타났다. 그리고 프로그램 효과는 서로 통계적으로 유의하게 다른 것으로 나타났다. 둘째, 프로그램 유형에 따른 효과크기의 이질성을 밝히기 위해 연령, 보고유형, 프로그램 횟수 및 기간에 따라 조절효과분석을 실시한 결과 사회관계 및 신체운동․건강 프로그램에서 보고유형에 따라 유의한 차이가 있는 것으로 나타났다. 이러한 결과는 전반적으로 유아의 공격성 감소 효과는 프로그램 유형에 따라 유의한 차이가 있음을 제시하였다.

Language, Aggression, and Self-Regulation in Young Children

Aggression in early childhood has been found to predict negative outcomes later in life, including delinquency and psychopathology. The present study explored associations between young children’s language, self-regulation, and physical aggression. A community sample of 126 preschool children aged 3 to 6 years ( M = 4.87 years, SD = 0.87; 59% boys) and their mothers participated in the study. Children’s physical aggression and self-regulation were measured by the parents’ report. Children completed measures of intelligence and language. Their language abilities negatively predicted physical aggression. Children’s self-regulation—specifically, inhibitory self-control and emergent metacognition—mediated the relationship between language and physical aggression. The results suggest that, among young children, physical aggression is related to an understanding of language meaning and how that understanding is used to interpret and communicate. The specific language delays implicated may lead to physical aggression through a lag in inhibitory self-control and emergent metacognition. Implications of these findings for assessment and early intervention are highlighted.

Turkish Preschool Teachers’ Opinions on Aggression: Uncertainty of Relational Aggression

<p style="text-align:justify">Aggression in early childhood is considered to a common problem. Identification, reduction and prevention of aggression, especially in early childhood are also considered prevalent. Preschool teachers are known as one of the most important people in children’s lives as they are the first ones to meet the child after parents. Therefore, they hold an important role in identifying, reducing and preventing child aggression observed in early childhood. The purpose of the present study is to examine the knowledge and the awareness levels of preschool teachers about aggression and aggressive behaviours. The study is based on phenomenological approach, as one of the qualitative research designs. A semi-structured interview form, prepared for the study based on expert opinions, was applied to the participants. On the light of the findings from the preliminary findings, the related form was applied to a second group of teachers over the internet. Besides, an additional scale consisting of the items of two different instruments directed to determine the aggressive behaviours of preschool children were formed and applied to the second group of participants. The last scale, which was prepared depending on the findings obtained from the second group of teachers, was applied to a third group of participants because the first two participant groups could not recognize and define relational aggression. The relevant themes and sub-themes were created from the data obtained and the findings were discussed within the scope of the literature. According to the results of the study, it was seen that preschool teachers generally defined aggression as physical and verbal harm, and similarly, aggressive behaviours were categorized under physical aggression and verbal aggression types. It was determined that teachers generally recognized relational aggression when they saw the items related to it in the scale. However, they hardly emphasized it while they were defining aggression. So, it can be said that preschool teachers have limited knowledge and awareness of relational aggression as they recognize it only when they see it but can neither define nor name it. The results are discussed and some suggestions are recommended.</p>