Family Aggression Research Articles

The relationship between family aggression history and expressed aggression among college males

The relationship between family of origin aggression and aggression across numerous relationship types was examined among a sample of 197 college-aged males. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire assessing the frequency and severity of family aggression (aggression between parents, parental aggression directed toward participants), as well as the frequency and severity of participants' aggression across a number of relationship types (dating, friends, strangers, people in bars, co-workers, bosses, police officers). The results of the present study indicate that a substantial proportion of college-aged males report a history of aggressive behavior, both in dating/spousal relationship and other-relationship types. Analyses revealed that observing parental aggression and receiving aggression from parents was related to aggression in dating relationships. However, only received aggression from parents was related to more general aggressiveness in other non–dating/spousal relationship types. The pattern of findings also suggest that it is important to assess the aggressive behavior of both parents to get a better understanding of the link between family aggression and later expressed aggression. Aggr. Behav. 25:255–267, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Behavior Problems in Children Exposed to Wife Abuse: Gender Differences

Family aggression patterns and behavior problems of children, aged 6-12, recruited from shelters for battered women (shelter group) were contrasted with three comparison groups of currently nonviolent families: two-parent, single-mother, and homeless. Girls who had been exposed to recent interparental wife abuse were predicted to show more internalizing and externalizing behavior problems than similarly exposed boys, based on recent literature. Homeless and shelter mothers reported the highest rates of parent-child aggression. Shelter girls obtained significantly higher total, internalizing and externalizing behavior problem ratings than shelter boys, and than two-parent and single-mother girls. Shelter boys obtained significantly higher internalizing ratings than two-parent boys. Shelter and homeless children were rated as having equivalent levels of behaviour problems. Across all groups, mothers' psychological adjustment was a better predictor of daughters' adjustment than that of sons. The study concluded that the assumption that preadolescent girls have greater immunity to psychosocial risk is unfounded.

Family, Religiosity, and the Risk of Adolescent Drug Use

With questionnaire data from a random sample of 13,250 adolescents, we used structural equation modeling to estimate how mother-adolescent bonding, father-adolescent bonding, parental monitoring, family aggression, family drug problems, and religiosity were associated with adolescent drug use. Mother-adolescent bonding and family drug problems had modest, indirect effects on the likelihood of adolescent drug use. Fatheradolescent bonding, parental monitoring, and family aggression had relatively weak effects on adolescent drug use. Students who were religious tended not to use drugs or to have close friends who use drugs. The influence of these risk factors was similar for both females and males and for all three types of drugs. Key Words: adolescent drug use, parent-adolescent bonding, parental monitoring, religiosity. One of the current approaches to preventing adolescent drug use has been termed risk-focused prevention (Clayton, 1992; Hawkins, 1995; Newcomb & Bentler, 1986). Based on a public health model, the objective is to identify a variety of risk and protective factors associated with drug consumption and then implement community programs to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors. Although several family characteristics have been identified as risk and protective factors, there is uncertainty regarding how and to what extent different family characteristics may increase or decrease the likelihood that adolescents will use drugs (Clayton, 1992; Hawkins, Catalano, & Miller, 1992; Newcomb & Bentler, 1986). In addition, there has not been adequate attention given to religiosity as a protective factor. The purpose of this research is to examine several family characteristics and religiosity as risk and protective factors in adolescent drug use. PREVIOUS RESEARCH Families, religious organizations, schools, and peers are social groups where individuals form bonds and learn attitudes and values about the use of drugs. Here we summarize research on how adolescent drug consumption may be influenced by family characteristics, religiosity, educational commitment, and peers. For more complete reviews, consult Bahr and Hawks (1995), Hawkins et al. (1992), and Petraitis, Flay, and Miller (1995). Hawkins et al. (1992) identified four family characteristics that influence the likelihood of adolescent drug use: (a) low level of bonding to family, (b) poor and inconsistent family management practices, (c) family conflict, and (d) family alcohol and drug behavior and attitudes. We begin with a brief review of research on each of these four family characteristics. Bonding to Family Bonding is the amount of attachment, connection, or closeness adolescents feel toward their parents (Barber, 1997). In several theories of adolescent drug use, parent-adolescent bonding is one of the variables that tends to decrease the likelihood that adolescents will consume various drugs (Brook & Brook, 1990; Clayton, 1992; Hirschi, 1969; Petraitis et al., 1995). Using social control theory, scholars hypothesize that adolescents refrain from taking drugs because of the parent-adolescent bonds that have developed. When there are strong parent-child bonds, adolescents may respect, listen to, and desire to please their parents more than when bonds are weak. Thus, strong bonds may help adolescents resist pro-drug influences from peers. Bonding also may increase the extent to which children internalize parental values opposing substance use (Larzelere & Patterson, 1990). Some researchers have confirmed that strong bonds to parents tend to discourage initiation to drugs and that weak bonds tend to increase the likelihood of drug experimentation and use (Barnes, Farrell, & Cairns, 1986; Coombs, Paulson, & Richardson, 1991; Hundleby & Mercer, 1987; Smart, Chibucos, & Didier, 1990). This finding has been verified in different samples taken at different times using somewhat different measures of bonding. …

The Effects of Systemic Family Violence on Children's Mental Health

This study examines the link between different forms of family aggression and children's symptoms of psychopathology. The goal of the study was to understand what forms children's problems might take in violent homes and whether close ties within the family (to the mother or a sibling) buffered children. Interviews with 365 mothers and 1 of their children between the ages of 6 and 12 about abuse in the home, support and closeness within the nuclear family, and mother's and children's mental health formed the basis of this study. Families were recruited from battered women's shelters and the community. We found that different forms of abuse in the home were highly interrelated and that children of battered women were at risk for child abuse. Domestic violence predicted children's general psychopathology, but we uncovered little evidence for the presence of specific sorts of disorders as a result of family dysfunction. Although mothers experiencing conjugal violence were more likely to have mental health problems, their mental health did not mediate the children's response to family conflict. Finally, there was less sibling and parental warmth in families marked by aggression, although when it was present, family social support failed to buffer children. Although the general pattern of results was consistent across respondents (mother and child), there was low agreement on symptoms of child psychopathology.

Aggressive family communication, weight gain, and improved eating attitudes during systemic family therapy for anorexia nervosa.

During systemic family therapy with 15 hospitalized anorexics, family communication was evaluated, using a Family Aggression Scale developed by one of the authors. Initially members communicated aggression covertly. This finding may partially explain the common clinical observation that the families of anorexics present a strong facade of togetherness and avoid overt conflict. During therapy members shifted from covert communication of aggression to covert communication of aggression. This shift correlated with improvement in subjects' eating attitudes reflected by their EAT-26 scores. All subjects gained weight. Greater weight gain occurred in subjects whose families had low levels of covert or indirect aggression. A regression analysis showed that 86% of the variance in weight gain was predicted by two leading indicators in the middle phase of treatment. Two other factors accounted for 64% of the variance in EAT scores. The findings of this study suggest that family aggression as measured by the Family Aggression Scale is a significant index of pathology in anorexics' families and is also a clinically meaningful measure of improved conflict resolution during systemic family therapy.

Prevalence of spouse aggression in Hong Kong

The present study explored the extent of spouse aggression in Chinese families in Hong Kong. Subjects were 246 female and 136 male undergraduate students who reported on the various forms of interparental aggression and violence. About 75% of the subjects reported interparental verbal or symbolic aggression and 14% indicated the use of physical violence between parents. In general, compared to mothers, fathers engaged in more verbal aggression against their spouses. Mothers were as likely as fathers to use actual physical force toward their spouses. Interparental responses to family conflicts did not vary with children's gender except that female subjects observed that fathers reasoned less but engaged in more insulting, throwing, smashing, hitting, or kicking things than mothers.

Refining the Intergenerational Transmission Hypothesis

The theory that aggression within the family of origin predicts the later enactment of family aggression is refined by suggesting that several features of family of origin aggression should be considered when trying to understand the intergenerational transmission of family aggression. These include the frequency and severity of family of origin aggression, the impact of the aggression, identification with parents, model and observer gender, and whether the aggression was witnessed or experienced. A total of 73 dating men and women participated. A multiplicative index explained a significant proportion of the variance in current relationship aggression over and above each of the individual components. It is concluded that the intergenerational transmission of family aggression depends on certain features of the original learning situation.

Argument and verbal aggression in constructive and destructive family and organizational disagreements

This study explored the extent to which argumentative and verbally aggressive behavior is perceived in family and organizational disagreement situations which are either constructive or destructive. The comparison of participants’ and observers’ perceptions was of interest. Three hypotheses were derived from a recently developed model of aggressive forms of communication. Participants (N = 137) described in writing an experienced family or organizational disagreement which was either constructive or destructive. Later, 137 persons (observers) read the descriptions. Both participants and observers rated the communication described in terms of argumentative and verbally aggressive conduct. Considerable support was observed for two of the three hypotheses. More argument and less verbal aggression were observed in constructive as compared to destructive disagreements regardless of context. More verbal aggression was reported in family as compared to organizational disagreements. Finally, participants, when co...

The intergenerational transmission of family aggression

This paper analyzes the coexistence of aggressive relations reported by 888 intact child-rearing families using the National Survey of Physical Violence in American Families. The existence of spousal violence in the family of origin increased the likelihood that the respondent, whether husband or wife, was the target of aggression from his or her spouse. Aggression between parent and child in female respondents' families of origin increased the likelihood that females behaved aggressively toward their children. Among these families, no pervasive pattern of sex-specific learned perpetration was found. Instead, vulnerability to aggression was transmitted more than the learned role of perpetrator. The analysis differs from earlier studies in that all of the patterns of family aggression are analyzed simultaneously, thereby taking into account current family interactions as well as historical ones.

Multiple Correlates of Physical Aggression in Dating Couples

Participants in a study of the correlates of courtship aggression included 408 college students (125 males, 283 females) who were involved in a dating relationship of two months or longer. Subjects completed self-report measures of courtship aggression, family aggression, personality, dating problems, problem solving, life change, and personal history of aggression. The pattern of significant correlations differed for men and women. The variables significantly discriminated between aggressive and nonaggressive individuals, for both men and women. The contribution of the individual variables to the discriminant function was also determined. The variables measuring relationship problems, problem-solving ability, and a history of fighting contributed to the discrimination of aggressive and nonaggressive men. For the women, the number of relationship problems and an aggressive personality made significant individual contributions.

The Intergenerational Transmission of Marital Aggression

Data from a nationally representative sample of 2,143 adults were used to explore the relationship between two types of childhood family aggression and severe marital aggression in the next generation. The results indicate that observing hitting between one's parents is more strongly related to involvement in severe marital aggression than is being hit as a teenager by one's parents. In addition, the modeling of marital aggression does not appear to be sex specific. Observing one's father hitting one's mother increases the likelihood that sons will be victims as well as perpetrators, and that daughters will be perpetrators as well as victims of severe marital aggression. These results suggest that the transmission offamily aggression across generations, while not sex specific, tends to be role specific and should be studied as such.

The hemodialysis unit.

The psychological reactions of patients on chronic center hemodialysis, their relatives and their medical staff were briefly described. Most of the questions pertaining to the sources of stress for the three groups of participants, as well as their respective adjustments, were ignored. Yet some striking similarities are to be found in the psychological reactions of all involved: high frequency of depressive reactions was found in patients, families and even staff. All use similar defense mechanisms, especially denial but also displacement, reaction formation, etc. It has also been suggested that all participants in chronic central dialysis have to handle their own as well as others' increased aggression, although the sources for the increase in aggression in patients, families and staff are very different indeed. The report also tried to summarize the often contradictory opinions about the psychotherapeutic interventions that should be carried out with patients, families and staff.

Stress and Physical and Verbal Aggression in Families and the Incidence of Acute Physical Illness in Pre‐School Children

Stress and Physical and Verbal Aggression in Families and the Incidence of Acute Physical Illness in Pre‐School Children

The Therapist's Response to The Family's Aggression*

Within our own bodies our cells are constantly in a process of repair and disassemblage. It is this process of disassemblage which is the physical analog of psychological destructive ness. In some families, the primary interchanges are not aimed at encouraging constructive ness, and if the family is uncomfortable with this state of affairs they may seek professional help. If the counselor does nothing to relieve the anxiety engendered by their hostile interchanges, the family may view him as just one more discordant element in their unhappy system and leave him very quickly. They may take up the gauntlet with another counselor or they may go on to continue to engage in the process of feeding their energy into the perpetuation of a system which takes up so much of the family's energy that it permits the family to accomplish little else besides maintaining the status quo.

Resistance to home dialysis.

This report on the difficulties of training patients for home dialysis is based on two years of experience with eight patients. In that period only one patient has gone on home dialysis; another is on his way, and the other six patients are still in various stages of resistance to home dialysis. Clinical psychiatric observations carried out during these two years helped to identify five factors that influence the patient's and the family's attitudes to home dialysis. In the present report two of these factors were briefly described: the financial situation and what we called the “set-up” as well as the “normal” apprehension and fear of dialysis. More attention was given to the other three factors: the attitude of the medical team, which in our unit was strongly anti-home dialysis and was attributed to overprotectiveness, possessiveness and injury to the professional image; the personality of the patient as it influenced his attitude to home dialysis and especially the patient's dependency needs; and the patient's family emphasizing the family's aggression and methods of handling it. Towards the end of the report some suggestions for avoiding the extreme resistance to home dialysis were brought up.

Masculinity-femininity in fantasy preferences: an indirect approach.

Summary Using free response reports of preferences for books and movies that are presumed to be an index of subjects' fantasy interests, content codes for these materials were developed that successfully discriminated adolescent boys and girls. In two samples boys preferred stories about (1) sports, (2) adventure themes, (3) stories of man-machine relationships. Girls preferred stories of (1) suffering, hardship, overcoming personal and interpersonal obstacles, (2) romance, (3) teenage life, and 4) religious and inspirational themes. Stories about family life, nurturance, sex, and aggression were among the codes that did not discriminate the sexes. Implications of the findings and suggestions for further development of the instrument are discussed.