Adolescent Hostility Research Articles

Understanding Shame-Driven Aggression: The Roles of Externalization of Blame and Hostility in Chinese Adolescents.

Shame-proneness, particularly in adolescence, is a critical psychological construct linked to aggressive behavior. This study addresses the gap in understanding the specific mechanisms of this relationship within the cultural context of Chinese adolescents. The study aims to explore the mediating roles of hostility and externalization of blame in the connection between shame-proneness and aggression among Chinese adolescents. A comprehensive sample of 1489 Chinese adolescents participated in the study. They completed the Test of Self-Conscious Affect for Adolescents to assess shame-proneness and an aggression questionnaire to measure aggressive behaviors. The study utilized network analysis and mediational analysis, to unravel the complex interactions between shame-proneness, externalization of blame, hostility, anger, and aggression. The results identified two distinct pathways linking shame-proneness to aggression: one mediated by hostility and the other by externalization of blame. The pathway via hostility was particularly pronounced, marking it as a central node in the shame-aggression relationship. Interestingly, the study also revealed a direct, though less pronounced, inhibitory effect of shame-proneness on aggression, indicating a dualistic role of shame in adolescent behavior. These findings were consistent across different demographic subgroups, suggesting a generalizable pattern in the studied population. The dual nature of shame-proneness, as both an inhibitor and a facilitator of aggression, underscores the need for culturally sensitive approaches in psychological interventions and future research. The central role of hostility in this relationship points to potential targets for therapeutic interventions aimed at mitigating aggression in adolescents.

Attachment styles and their association with aggression, hostility, and anger in Lebanese adolescents: a national study

BackgroundThe idea that attachment styles can affect the level of anger in an individual educes a reason why people develop anger issues and behavioral problems in adolescence that escalate into adulthood. Lebanon suffers from a shortage of data pertaining to insecure attachment styles and the affective and cognitive aspects of anger and behavioral anger expression among the Lebanese youth population. This study aimed to investigate the association between attachment dimensions and anger expression (trait anger, hostility, physical aggression, and verbal aggression) among a sample of Lebanese adolescent participants.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was performed between January and May 2019 among 1810 Lebanese high-school students aged 12–18 and used two validated measures, the Adolescent-Relationship Questionnaire (A-RQ) and The Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ). The A-RQ assessed attachment behaviors, while the BPAQ evaluated aggression.ResultsHigher fearful and dismissing attachment styles, and higher physical activity index were significantly associated with higher physical and verbal aggression. A higher fearful attachment style was significantly associated with more anger. A higher secure attachment style was significantly associated with less anger. Higher preoccupied and dismissing attachment styles were significantly associated with higher hostility.ConclusionOur findings revealed a significant relationship between both insecure attachment dimensions and the tripartite model of anger expression. This study adds to the anger literature by providing a more informed understanding of how variations in anger expression are linked to the processing of interpersonal interactions, which are the hidden facets of attachment systems.

Association Between Parental Divorce and Anger, Aggression, and Hostility in Adolescents: Results of a National Lebanese Study

To evaluate the association between divorce and aggression patterns (physical and verbal aggression and hostility) in Lebanese adolescents. This cross-sectional study enrolled 1810 (90.5%) students (January–May 2019) using a proportionate random sample of participants aged 12–17 years, drawn from private schools of all Lebanese districts. Parental divorce was significantly associated with more physical and verbal aggression and anger and hostility in adolescents. Significantly higher adjusted means of physical aggression (32.53 vs. 31.32; p = .013), verbal aggression (19.00 vs. 17.73; p < .001), anger (26.10 vs. 23.43; p < .001), and hostility (29.68 vs. 26.73; p < .001) were found among adolescents whose parents are divorced. Verbal and physical aggression, anger, and hostility were more shown in adolescents whose parents were divorced compared to adolescents whose parents are non-separated. Therefore, divorced parents must be motivated to provide their children with social, economic, and psychological needs to overcome these negative behaviors.

Cognitive coping strategies and aggression in adolescents

The analysis of psychological factors associated with aggressive behavior of adolescents is an important area of research of a scientific and practical nature. The aim of the study was to identify the relationship between cognitive emotion regulation strategies and physical aggression, anger and hostility in Polish and Ukrainian adolescents. The study involved 70 Polish and 63 Ukrainian teenagers aged 11 to 15 years. The research tools used in the study included the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and the Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire. It was found that primarily maladaptive strategies were strongly associated with hostility and to a somewhat lesser extent with anger. Within their cultures, boys and girls hardly differed in the results of the studied variables, which may indicate that gender does not differentiate the level of aggression and the frequency of use of cognitive coping strategies. On the basis of the obtained results it may be concluded that the main focus of preventive measures should be the development of effective coping skills aimed primarily at reducing the use of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies such as self-blame, catastrophizing, rumination and blaming others.

Art Therapy for Treating Anxiety in Adolescents with Psychosomatic Diseases

The purpose of our study was to develop and test a program for treating anxiety and hostility in adolescents with psychosomatic diseases (PSDs) by means of art therapy. Methods and Results: This study included 20 patients with PSDs aged between 15 years and 17 years. The patients’ examination included clinical data analysis, using standard records, and testing, using a questionnaire to reveal the severity of psychopathological symptoms (SCL–90–R, adapted by Tarabrina et al. 1997) and the Bekhterev Institute Personality Questionnaire (BIPQ, 1980). Art therapy sessions were conducted from 11:00 a.m. till 1:00 p.m., which coincides with the transition in the daily rhythm of autonomic nervous system activity and is more suitable for the reserve capabilities of the body. The course consisted of 10 daily 1.5-hour procedures. The controlled study duration was 10±2 days. The examination showed that adolescents with PSDs had an above-normal "Anxiety" (ANX) indicator, according to the SCL-90-R method, and a high score for the "Anxious" type (AT) of attitude toward the disease, according to the Bekhterev Institute Personality Questionnaire (BIPQ). Conclusion: Art therapy for treatment of adolescents with PSD contributed to a normalization of their emotional state, helped them gain new experience in solving problems, and improved the quality of life.

Difficoltà alessitimiche e funzionamento familiare in adolescenza: uno studio sui cluster familiari

Numerosi studi hanno sottolineato l'importanza della capacità di identificare e descrivere le emozioni, come centrale rispetto al benessere psicologico in adolescenza. Sono pochi gli studi che hanno però indagato le difficoltà alessitimiche degli adolescenti, in relazione al funzionamento familiare. Nel presente studio gli autori si sono posti l'obiettivo di indagare le difficoltà alessitimiche di adolescenti appartenenti alla popolazione generale, in relazione al loro funzio-namento familiare, tenendo in considerazione il proprio rischio psicopatologico. Il campione era composto da N = 314 famiglie con adolescenti. Gli adolescenti hanno compilato alcuni questionari self-report per la valutazione delle difficoltà alessitimiche e del rischio psicopatologico e madri, padri e adolescenti hanno compilato un questionario per la valutazione del funzionamento familiare. Al fine di verificare la presenza di eventuali differenti funzionamenti familiari, gli autori hanno condotto una cluster analysis, identificando quattro profili distinti di funzionamento familiare. È stata poi condotta un'analisi di covarianza che ha evidenziato una maggiore somatizzazione e ostilità in adolescenti con famiglie che mostrano una minore coesione e flessibilità e maggiori livelli di ipercoinvolgimento, o disimpegno. Inoltre, gli adolescenti appartenenti a queste famiglie, riportavano maggiori difficoltà a descrivere le emozioni ed un pensiero maggiormente concreto.

Attachment insecurity, posttraumatic stress, and hostility in adolescents exposed to armed conflict.

Attachment insecurity, posttraumatic stress, and hostility in adolescents exposed to armed conflict.

Heart rate, health, and hurtful behavior.

Hostility is a risk factor for cardiovascular events. When challenged, individuals high on hostility exhibit a hyperreactive psychophysiological response to stressors, thereby increasing risk for developing cardiovascular disease. However, low resting heart rate (HR) is associated with physical aggression and hostility in children, adolescents, and adults. Based on a community sample of 296 men (mean age = 32.0), we (a) address whether aggression/hostility relates to physical health through relationships with cardiovascular levels at rest and in response to stressors, and (b) determine how relations between aggression and health are altered by including psychophysiological indices in statistical models. The Cook-Medley cynical/hostile attitudes and the Buss-Perry physical aggression and hostility measures assessed aggression. Health was assessed as systolic blood pressure (SBP), report of medical conditions, and a metabolic composite. Reactivity to stressors was assessed with HR, SBP, and diastolic blood pressure. Aggression was negatively related to both resting HR and reactivity. High resting HR and reactivity were, however, positively related to poor health. Thus, the relationship between aggression and HR and reactivity suppressed an overall relationship between high aggression/hostility and poor health. In the presence of covariates for socioeconomic status, race, health behaviors, and medications, the relationship between aggression and health was significantly strengthened when HR level and reactivity were included in models. In sum, at early midlife, low HR among aggressive and hostile individuals is related to less health risk. Aggression and hostility have a deleterious influence on health, but primarily among individuals with higher HR and possibly greater cardiovascular reactivity.

Trajectories of adolescent hostile-aggressive behavior and family climate: Longitudinal implications for young adult romantic relationship competence.

The formation and maintenance of young adult romantic relationships that are free from violence and are characterized by love, connection, and effective problem-solving have important implications for later well-being and family functioning. In this study, we examined adolescent hostile-aggressive behavior (HAB) and family relationship quality as key individual and family level factors that may forecast later romantic relationship functioning. Guided by a family systems framework, we evaluated the reciprocal influences of adolescent hostility and family climate, to provide a more comprehensive picture of the etiology of romantic relationship functioning. We drew on a large sample (N = 974) of young adults (mean age = 19.5) that were followed starting in the fall of 6th grade, and subsequently in spring of 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th grades prior to the young adult assessment. Using a latent difference score cross-lag model (McArdle, 2009), our results indicated that a more positive family climate was associated with decreases in HAB, but HAB was not associated with changes in family climate. Further, the influence of the family climate on HAB was consistent across all time points. HAB and family climate had different predictions for young adult romantic relationships: Increasing HAB over adolescence predicted relationship violence, while maintenance in family climate was a key predictor of relationship problem-solving skills. The only predictor of love and connection in relationships was early family functioning. Implications for developmental theory and prevention science are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Effect of a Psychological Support Program on Anxiety, Hostility and Post-traumatic Stress in Adolescents Witnessed Traumatic Event

Purpose: This study, by providing the psychological support program to the adolescents who have witnessed traumatic events (drowning incidents), was attempted to determine the influence on the adolescents’ anxiety, hostility and post- traumatic stress. Methods: The design of this study was a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. There were 32 participants in the experimental group and 25 in the control group. Psychological Support Program was used as the experimental treatment from June 18 to July 16, 2015. The experimental group received psychological support program intervention 4 times. Data were analyzed using x2-test, independent t-test and paired t-test using the SPSS programs. Result: The post-value of the extent of anxiety, hostility, and post-traumatic stress, after carrying out the psychological support program in both experimental and control groups, was slightly more reduced than the prior-value, but didn't show a statistically significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion: In order for a continuous effects of the psychological programs for the adolescents who have witnessed traumatic events, should not just end up with an application of the short-term program, but should do a long-term follow-up studies considering the avoidance of adolescents’ self-expressions.

Adolescent and Parental Contributions to Parent–Adolescent Hostility Across Early Adolescence

Early adolescence is characterized by increases in parent-adolescent hostility, yet little is known about what predicts these changes. Utilizing a fairly large sample (N = 416, 51 % girls, 91 % European American), this study examined the conjoint and unique influences of adolescent social anxiety symptoms and parental intrusiveness on changes in parent-adolescent hostility across early adolescence. Higher mother and father intrusiveness were associated with increased mother- and father-adolescent hostility. An examination of reciprocal effects revealed that mother- and father-adolescent hostility predicted increased mother and father intrusiveness. Significant associations were not substantiated for adolescent social anxiety symptoms. These findings suggest that intrusive parenting has important implications for subsequent parent-adolescent interactions and that similar patterns may characterize some aspects of mother- and father-adolescent relationships.

Can We Use Convergence Between Caregiver Reports of Adolescent Mental Health to Index Severity of Adolescent Mental Health Concerns?

Clinical assessments of adolescent mental health often incorporate the perspectives of multiple caregivers (e.g., mothers and fathers). Caregiver reports tend to exhibit relatively high levels of correspondence versus other informant pairs such as caregivers and teachers. Yet, caregiver reports are not redundant with one another. Thus, researchers often apply strategies for integrating caregiver reports (e.g., composite score), assuming that greater convergence between caregivers on reports of high adolescent mental health concerns points to greater severity in such concerns. To our knowledge, this assumption has never been directly tested. We examined patterns of convergence and divergence between caregiver reports of adolescent mental health in a sample of 519 families from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Caregivers and adolescents completed reports of adolescent mental health, and independent coders rated levels of adolescent hostility displayed in separate caregiver–adolescent interactions (e.g., mother–adolescent vs. father–adolescent). We identified caregiver dyads that converged in their reports of relatively high levels of adolescent mental health concerns, as well as dyads that diverged in reports of such concerns. Relative to adolescents whose caregivers diverged in their reports of adolescent mental health, those adolescents with caregivers who converged on reports of relatively high adolescent mental health concerns both self-reported high levels of mental health concerns, and displayed greater levels of hostility within caregiver–adolescent interactions. Our findings have important implications for using convergence between caregiver reports of adolescent mental health concerns as an indicator of the severity of such concerns.

Lien entre comportements agressifs et vécu dépressif chez l’adolescent. Une étude transversale menée au centre psychiatrique d’orientation et d’accueil de l’hôpital Sainte-Anne

The link between depression and aggressive behavior in adults has been found in many studies. In adolescents, this relationship is still controversial. Several studies point out that irritability is a key symptom in adolescent depressed. Few studies have analyzed precisely the kind of aggressive behavior. This study sets out to assess the relationship between aggressive behavior and depressive affects in adolescents. We also pay attention in this population to hopelessness feelings, anxiety, global functioning and the type of aggressive behavior. This is a descriptive and observational cross-sectional study. Data was collected from 49 successive adolescents admitted for a 24-hour evaluation in the emergency department of the Sainte-Anne psychiatric hospital. The inclusion period was from February to April 2012, with age limits between 15 and 18. For each patient, the clinician completed with the parents or other caregivers the Modified Overt Aggressive Scale (MOAS) searching for existence of aggressive behavior in the week prior to the consultation. The population was divided into two groups: P- group when the MOAS score was < 3 and the P+ group when the MOAS score was ≥ 3. The Global Assessment of Functioning Scale and Adolescent Depression Rating Scale for clinicians (ADRSc) were also completed. Each patient completed the self-report Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (QA), the Beck Hopelessness scale and the Adolescent Depression Rating Scale for patients (ADRSp). Forty-nine adolescents with a median age of 16 years and 4 months participated. The first reason for consultation was depressive symptoms, followed by disruptive behavior. The analysis was conducted on 39 questionnaires. The demographic profile of the two groups was similar. We did not find any significant difference between the groups P+ and P- on ADRSc scores and secondary criteria. However, we found higher scores in the QA in the more depressed patient, especially a higher hostility score in this sample. In the subgroup analysis: as expected self-aggressive behavior was associated with a higher depression score, more hospitalization and a poor global functioning score. Surprisingly, the patients who showed physical aggression against others had a better prognosis and lower depression scores. The study did not conclude on the link between aggressive behavior and depression in this population. The adolescent hostility appears more characteristic of depression compared to other dimensions of aggressivity (anger, verbal aggression, physical aggression) in adolescents. Physical aggression against others appeared not only less typical in depression but was also associated with a better global functioning. Clinicians should pay particular attention to the kind of aggressive behavior in clinical evaluations of adolescents in an emergency context.

Interparental Boundary Problems, Parent-Adolescent Hostility, and Adolescent-Parent Hostility: A Family Process Model for Adolescent Aggression Problems.

This study tests interparental boundary problems (IBPs), parent hostility with adolescents, and adolescent hostility with parents within a reciprocal influence model and tests each as risk factors for adolescent aggression problems. Prospective, longitudinal analyses were conducted with multi-informant data from 768 adolescents and their families, from 6th to 9th grade. Guided by spillover and social learning perspectives, our findings suggest that IBPs have a robust, negative influence on both parent and adolescent hostility. In turn, adolescent hostility was the best predictor of global adolescent aggression problems. Two indirect effects were found that link IBPs and adolescent aggression problems; however, findings indicate that adolescent hostile behavior in the family is the key risk indicator for adolescents' later aggression problems. Model invariance tests revealed that this model was not different for boys and girls, or for adolescents in families with two biological parents and youth in families with two caregivers (e.g. stepparent families).

Adolescent Hostility Toward Therapists

Many therapists avoid working with adolescents. One of the reasons is that many adolescents are unreasonably hostile to therapists and express this hostility in ways that are hard to take. This is particularly difficult if you take their hostility at face value. But there is something ironic about adolescent hostility toward therapists. Although it would be bad therapy to laugh at them, it is funny (ironic): If you take their hostility at face value, you cannot tolerate them. If you do not take it at face value, you can tolerate their hostility, and if you keep working with them, they will get better. You will notice this even though they will tell you that you are not helping them.Theoretically, this is related to the unreasonable hostility of adolescents toward their parents and its basis in the need of the adolescent to prove to himself or herself that they do not want to still be a child even though a part of them does want to be a child. Several cases are presented, where taking the hostility seriously would have led to therapeutic failure, and where not taking it seriously led to therapeutic success. There was nothing funny, however, about the hostility of one adolescent patient who was a serial killer.

Hostility in adolescents and adults: a genome-wide association study of the Young Finns

Hostility is a multidimensional personality trait with changing expression over the life course. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of the components of hostility in a population-based sample of Finnish men and women for whom a total of 2.5 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were available through direct or in silico genotyping. Hostility dimensions (anger, cynicism and paranoia) were assessed at four time points over a 15-year interval (age range 15–30 years at phase 1 and 30–45 years at phase 4) in 982–1780 participants depending on the hostility measure. Few promising areas from chromosome 14 at 99 cM (top SNPs rs3783337, rs7158754, rs3783332, rs2181102, rs7159195, rs11160570, rs941898, P values <3.9 × 10−8 with nearest gene Enah/Vasp-like (EVL)) were found suggestively to be related to paranoia and from chromosome 7 at 86 cM (top SNPs rs802047, rs802028, rs802030, rs802026, rs802036, rs802025, rs802024, rs802032, rs802049, rs802051, P values <6.9 × 10−7 with nearest gene CROT (carnitine O-octanoyltransferase)) to cynicism, respectively. Some shared suggestive genetic influence for both paranoia and cynicism was also found from chromosome 17 at 2.8 cM (SNPs rs12936442, rs894664, rs6502671, rs7216028) and chromosome 22 at 43 cM (SNPs rs7510759, rs7510924, rs7290560), with nearest genes RAP1 GTPase activating protein 2 (RAP1GAP2) and KIAA1644, respectively. These suggestive associations did not replicate across all measurement times, which warrants further study on these SNPs in other populations.

Depressive Symptoms and Subclinical Markers of Cardiovascular Disease in Adolescents

To examine the association between depressive symptoms and subclinical markers of cardiovascular disease (CVD), specifically arterial stiffness, as indexed by pulse wave velocity (PWV), and carotid artery intima media thickening (IMT), in a sample of healthy adolescents, and to explore adolescent hostility as a potential moderator of depression on subclinical markers of CVD. One hundred fifty-seven (n = 157) black and white adolescents between the ages of 16-21 completed a follow-up study of psychosocial stress and cardiovascular risk factors that included measures of PWV and carotid IMT. Psychosocial measures included the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (divided into tertiles), and the Cook-Medley Hostility Inventory subscales. Linear regression models controlled for sociodemographic variables, health behaviors, blood pressure, body mass index, and heart rate. Results show that more severe depressive symptoms were associated with higher levels of PWV (B = .17, R(2) = .30, ΔR(2) = .03, confidence interval = 2.2-47.0, p = .03) but not with higher IMT. Adolescent depression remained a significant predictor of PWV when controlling for adolescent hostility; hostility did not moderate the relationship between adolescent depression and PWV. Depression may be important in the development of arterial stiffness in adolescence. Further research is needed to delineate the relationship in adolescence and young adulthood between depressive symptoms and the pathogenesis of CVD.

Impact of Stress Reduction Interventions on Hostility and Ambulatory Systolic Blood Pressure in African American Adolescents.

This study examined the impact of breathing awareness meditation (BAM), life skills (LS) training, and health education (HE) interventions on self-reported hostility and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) in 121 African American (AA) ninth graders at increased risk for development of essential hypertension. They were randomly assigned to BAM, LS, or HE and engaged in intervention sessions during health class for 3 months. Before, after, and 3 months following intervention cessation, self-reported hostility and 24-hour ABP were measured. Results indicated that between pre- and postintervention, BAM participants displayed significant reductions in self-reported hostility and 24-hour systolic ABP. Reductions in hostility were significantly related to reductions in 24-hour systolic ABP. Between postintervention and follow-up, participants receiving LS showed a significant reduction in hostility but not in 24-hour ABP. Significant changes were not found for the HE group in 24-hour ABP or self-reported hostility, but these change scores were significantly correlated. The implications of the findings are discussed with regard to behavioral stress reduction programs for the physical and emotional health of AAs.

Longitudinal associations between hostility in adolescents' family relationships and friendships and hostility in their romantic relationships.

This study examined longitudinal predictors of hostility in adolescents' romantic relationships. The sample included 110 adolescents and their parents from 72 families. Observational measures of parents' marital hostility and parent-child hostility and self-reports of hostility in close friendships were collected when adolescents ranged from 14 to 16 years old. Three years later, when they were 17 to 19 years old, adolescents reported on the hostility in their romantic relationships. Results indicated that hostility in parents' marital relationships and in adolescents' friendships accounted for independent variance in hostility in adolescents' later romantic relationships. Results highlight the importance of both family relationships and friendships for predicting hostility in adolescents' romantic relationships over time.

Attachment representations of institutionalized adolescents and their professional caregivers: Predicting the development of therapeutic relationships.

This study prospectively examined the effects of adolescent (N=81) and professional caregiver (N=33) attachment representations, measured using the Adult Attachment Interview, on therapeutic relationships in a youth treatment institution. After the first 3 months of the clients' stay in the institution, no effects of adolescents' or mentors' (i.e., the professional caregiver assigned) security and type of attachment representations were found. In a subgroup of 28 clients staying for a longer period, more secure adolescents were perceived by their mentors as increasing their secure base use and decreasing avoidance of contact, whereas more secure mentors were increasingly perceived as available as a secure base. Moreover, specific combinations of attachment representations of mentor and adolescent had different effects on adolescent hostility.