Aggressive Research Articles

Internet gaming disorder and aggression: A meta-analysis of teenagers and young adults.

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) and aggression (AG) are widespread phenomena around the world. Numerous studies have explored the relationship between the two but findings from such studies are inconsistent. The meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the relationship between IGD and AG as well as identify the variables moderating the relationship. Studies investigating the relationship between IGD and AG were searched using selected terms to identify studies published from 1999 to 2022 on CNKI, Wanfang Data, Chongqing VIP Information Co., Ltd. (VIP), Baidu scholar, ProQuest dissertations, Taylor & Francis, Springer, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Elsevier Science (Science Direct), EBSCO, and PsycINFO. The identified studies were pooled and analyzed. A total of 30 samples comprising 20,790 subjects were identified. Results showed that there was a moderate relationship between IGD and AG (r = 0.300, 95%CI [0.246, 0.353]). Moderator analysis revealed that the relationship between IGD and AG was moderated by the region, age, and survey year. This meta-analysis indicated that people with a higher level of IGD might show more aggression, and people with more aggression might have a higher level of IGD. The correlation coefficient between IGD and AG was significantly higher in Asia than in Europe, higher in primary school than in middle school and university, and higher by increasing year. Overall, our findings provide a basis for developing prevention and intervention strategies against IGD and AG. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022375267, 42022375267.

Термінологічна взаємодія «агресія–агресивність» у філософсько-правовому дискурсі

The article conceptualizes the essence of aggression as a philosophical and legal phenomenon and reveals the specifics of the terminological interaction "aggression-aggressiveness". The distinction between the concepts of "aggression" and "aggressiveness" indicates that, on the one hand, not all aggressive actions of the subject are actually based on the aggressiveness of the person as a trait, on the other hand, the aggressiveness of a person does not always manifest itself in clearly aggressive actions. Manifestation or non-manifestation of aggressiveness as a personal trait in certain acts of behavior is always the result of a complex interaction of transsituational and situational factors. It turns out that aggression is organically connected with violence and is its natural basis, just as for human society - social matter, the basis is the natural environment, in particular, living matter, in which aggression is a mandatory attribute, but aggression as a phenomenon is not identical to violence, as living matter and social matter are not identical. It is noted that there are many scientific definitions for the category of "aggression", however, researchers often confuse the concepts of "aggression" and "aggressiveness" (that is, a form of behavior and a personal trait), others are too narrow and do not cover all types and forms of aggressive behavior ( direct and indirect aggression, physical and verbal, active and passive, hostile and instrumental, rational and affective, direct and displaced, constructive and destructive, proactive and reactive, socialized and antisocial, etc.), the third, on the contrary, are too broad and include such actions , which are mostly not considered as aggression. It is concluded that aggression is actions that cause damage or lead to the destruction of animate or inanimate object; direct or indirect use of armed force, attack. Aggressiveness is a relatively stable personality trait, the subject's readiness for aggressive behavior.

Fathering and children's relational aggression: Moderating effects of children's temperament and gender.

In this exploratory study, we analyzed the contribution of fathering to relational aggression (RA) in middle childhood and the moderating role of children's temperament and gender. Participants (N = 234; 46% girls) were attending public elementary school (mean age = 8.15; SD = 1.23) in middle-class neighborhoods in two Spanish cities. Fathers provided information about their parenting practices using the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire, parents gave data on their child's temperament using the Temperament in Middle Childhood Questionnaire and children provided information about their peers' aggressive behavior using the Mini Direct Indirect Aggression Inventory. Fathering dimensions considered were Authoritative Cold, Authoritative Warm, Physical Punishment, and Insecurity; temperament dimensions considered were negative affect (NA), effortful control (EC), activity (AC), and shyness (SH). Gender, fathering, and temperament dimensions additively accounted for a significant proportion of the variance observed in RA. Several significant interactions suggested that the effect of fathering on RA was moderated by temperament and, in some cases, by children's gender. NA increased the potential risk of Authoritative Cold fathering (CF) and, in boys only, of Insecure fathering, while EC potentiated the protective effect of Authoritative-Warm fathering and, in boys only, buffered the risk effect of CF. SH buffered the risk effect of CF and decreased the protective effect of Authoritative Warm fathering on RA. Lastly, AC also buffered the risk effect of CF on RA. Results are discussed in light of the protective or the vulnerability role of temperament and in relation to models that explain sensitivity differences to environmental contexts.

The a criminal’s identity as an element of forensic characteristics of causing negligent serious or moderate bodily harm

The characteristic features of the criminal’s personality as an element of forensic characteristics of causing negligent serious or moderate bodily harm have been defined and revealed. The following criminologically significant features inherent in the person of the criminal have been analyzed, such as demographic data, moral qualities, psychological features; a set of psychophysical properties and qualities, motivational attitudes, emotional and rational spheres of human consciousness; social and legal data, natural and biological information about a person; socio-demographic properties, psychological qualities, biological features; social, biological, psychological and other characteristics.
 An analysis of the suspect’s moral and psychological characteristics, the presence of a certain degree of irritability and excitement, the ability to go to active aggressive, inappropriate actions has been carried out. It has been established that the criminal’s lifestyle, propensity to abuse alcoholic beverages or the use of narcotic drugs are of great importance, which can affect the psychological state of a person and his reactions to events.
 Aggressive reactions of the criminal during careless infliction of severe or moderate bodily harm have been studied, among which the following were highlighted, in particular physical aggression (assault); indirect aggression; irritability; negativism; image; suspiciousness; verbal aggression. Reckless criminals were divided into the following categories: random criminals who committed reckless crimes for the first time, acted unconsciously under the influence of a contributing or even provoking situation or a special psychophysiological state; unstable criminals, who for the first time committed careless crimes in a normal or hindering situation, violated the rules of caution knowingly; malicious careless criminals who were previously convicted of crimes, and also committed particularly malicious violations of the rules of caution with a general negative orientation of the person.
 According to the results of the conducted research, the following characteristic features of criminals who commit bodily harm due to carelessness have been identified, namely they are mainly adult men who commit the crime alone, without prior training, have secondary special and general secondary education, are unmarried, are temporarily employed in a low-paid job or not work, were not in a state of intoxication at the time of committing the crime, mainly had no previous convictions.

A Mimetic Reading of the Passover

The use of sacrificial animal blood in the Hebrew Bible has generated much discussion. While various scholars have attempted to explain the significance of these blood rites, each of these attempts has proved problematic. The current paper employs mimetic theory to develop a more robust and plausible model for exploring biblical animal sacrifice. Using the Passover ritual as a model, I develop a model of sacrificial blood rites as pantomimes of mimetic violence. These pantomimes re‐create a violent yet transformative crisis from the community's collective memory. Such rituals allow the community to enter into and re‐experience the cleansing violence of a mimetic crisis, albeit in a more controlled manner. Through these pantomimes, the community attempts to appease the primitive sacred's blood lust and re‐discover the divine blessing secured through the original crisis. This model may prove helpful when applied to more opaque examples of biblical blood manipulation.

Personality traits in adolescents with the Internet Gaming Disorder. Part II

Abstract Introduction: The aim of this study was to characterize types of gamers in terms of selected personality traits. Material and methods: The study involved 576 individuals aged 16 to 19 years. The participants were surveyed using Gough and Heilbrun’s ACL, the Coping with Stress Questionnaire, and the Psychological Inventory of the Aggression Syndrome. Results: The four types of online gamers identified in the first part of the study reported in this paper differed significantly in the following personality characteristics: self-image, coping styles and aggression types. Conclusions: 1. Individuals severely addicted to Internet gaming, significantly more often than those addicted moderately, mildly or not addicted at all, used escapist and emotional coping strategies and responded with auto-aggression, and physical and displaced aggression. Compared to the respondents not addicted to online gaming, they had a more negative self-esteem and were characterized by greater impulsivity, hostility, and were less responsible and autonomous. 2. Adolescents moderately addicted to gaming, compared to their non-addicted peers, were characterized by greater hostility, impulsivity, proneness to conflict, tendency to humiliate others, and verbal, physical and indirect aggression. 3. Young people with mild online gaming addiction, significantly more often than non-addicted adolescents, used psychoactive drugs, showed self-aggressive behavior and responded with displaced aggression in situations of stress.

Emotional Adjustment in Children with Vocal Fold Nodules

Vocal fold nodules (VNs) in children are benign, bilateral, callous-like lesions at the junction of the anterior third and posterior two-thirds of the true vocal folds. Chronic, repetitive, and intense vocal behavior is often cited as the primary etiology; however, difficulties with emotional adjustment may predispose some children towards extreme and possibly phonotraumatic vocal activity, thereby contributing secondarily to the development of VNs. This case-control study examined the association between features of emotional adjustment and VNs in children. Parents of children with VNs (N=40, Mage=7.5, SDage=2.03) and two medical control groups [ie, voice disordered, but not VNs (VDCs; N=40, Mage= 7.09, SDage=2.01) and vocally normal controls (VNCs; N=40, Mage=7.6, SDage=1.54)] participated in the study. Features of emotional adjustment were assessed using two inventories: the Parent Rating scale for Reactive and Proactive Aggression and the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale - Parent version. As compared with the VNCs, children with VNs were significantly more aggressive (P=0.042, Cohen's d=0.47) whereas the VDCs were more depressed (P=0.013, Cohen's d=0.60). Furthermore, VDCs experienced more separation anxiety than VNs (P=0.038, Cohen's d=0.45) and VNCs (P=0.021, Cohen's d=0.55). No other significant between-group differences were identified between the VNs and VDCs. When present, elevated aggression may represent a risk factor for VNs formation in children, and possibly influence treatment outcomes. Therefore, the current results highlight the importance of understanding the role of emotional adjustment in the evaluation and treatment of dysphonia in children.

A Comparative Follow-Up Study of Patients with Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Associated or Not with Graves' Disease.

Whether papillary carcinoma (PC) behavior is more aggressive in Graves' disease (GD) patients than PC cases without GD is controversial. We retrospectively enrolled 33 thyroidectomized PC/GD patients during long-term follow-up, 23/33 without risk factors at surgery, and 18/33 microcarcinomas; 312 PC euthyroid-matched patients without risk factors served as controls. A total of 14/33 (42.4%) PC/GD patients, 4 with and 10 without risk factors at diagnosis, 6 with microcarcinoma, underwent metastases during follow-up. In controls, metastases in 21/312 (6.7%) were ascertained. Considering 10/23 PC/GD patients and 21/312 controls without risk factors who developed metastases, univariate analysis showed that there was an increased risk of metastasis appearance for PC/GD cases (p < 0.001). Disease-free survival (DFS) was significantly (p < 0.0001, log-rank test) shorter in PC/GD patients than in controls. Significantly more elevated aggressiveness in 6/18 PC/GD patients with microcarcinoma than in controls was also ascertained with shorter DFS. Thus, in the present study, PC/GD had aggressive behavior during follow-up also when carcinoma characteristics were favorable and some cases were microcarcinomas. GD and non-GD patient comparison in the cases without risk factors at diagnosis showed an increased risk to develop metastases in GD during follow-up, suggesting that GD alone might be a tumor aggressiveness predictive factor in these cases.

Locus of Control and Adolescents’ Aggression

Having control of one’s life can decrease aggressive and violent behaviours. To achieve this, people must have control over their personal environment. Some people feel that they either have control over any situation in their lives while some other thinks that things happen due to their luck or chance. Locus of control is a construct that measures the degree to which individuals believe they are responsible for the consequences of their behaviour. Aggression is a forceful action or procedure specially when intended to dominate or master. This study attempted to see how locus of control is correlated with aggression. The study was conducted in Sonitpur district of Assam. The sample for the study was 32 numbers of respondents identified and selected purposively from a population of 185 students belonging to IXth (Ninth) standard of selected schools. A standardized questionnaire namely Direct & Indirect Aggression Scales developed by Bjorkqvist and Niemela [4] was used to gather data to find out the prevalence of aggression among adolescents. For assessment of Locus of Control, Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale developed by Nowicki and Srickland [5] was used. The findings of the study revealed that three types of aggression viz. physical verbal and social were present among the respondents which were categorized as high, average and low. Results also revealed that majority of the respondents (93.75%) had external locus of control whereas only 6.25 per cent of the respondents had intermediate locus of control and no respondents were recorded to have internal locus of control. The results revealed positive correlation between external locus of control and adolescents’ aggression which is significant at 5% probability level (r=.362, p=.042).

Association between childhood physical abuse and suicidal behaviors among Chinese adolescents: The mediation of aggression

BackgroundAlthough previous studies have examined many predictors of suicidal behaviors. However, little is known for childhood physical abuse (CPA) and aggression, which are prevalent among adolescents. This study aimed to explore association between CPA and suicidal behaviors, and the potential mediating role of aggression. MethodA total of 16,111 students graded 7 to 12 were recruited using a stratified cluster sampling across five representative provinces in China. Conflict Tactics Scale-Parents to Child (CTS-PC) and Buss and Warren's Aggression Questionnaire (BWAQ) were used to measure CPA and aggression, respectively. ResultsDuring the last year, 16.0 % of adolescents reported suicidal behaviors. Specifically, 7.9 % were suicide ideators, 4.6 % were planners, and 3.5 % were attempters. The prevalence of CPA in mild, moderate, and severe was 15.7 %, 26.9 %, and 4.4 %, respectively. Multinomial logistic regression indicated that moderate and severe CPA and overall aggression were associated with suicide ideators, planners, and attempters. In five sub-types of aggression, only hostility was significantly associated with all three suicidal behaviors. Structural equation modelling showed that aggression partially mediate the relationship between CPA and suicidal behaviors. The mediation proportion of overall aggression, physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, hostility, and indirect aggression were 27.2 %, 22.4 %, 5.2 %, 14.2 %, 23.5 %, and 12.1 %, respectively. LimitationsCross-sectional design, self-reported questionnaire, and no other forms of childhood maltreatment. ConclusionsCPA is a critical risk factor of suicidal behaviors among Chinese adolescents and aggression is a mediator between CPA and suicidal behaviors. Targeted suicide prevention should focus on those adolescents who report CPA and aggression, especially for hostility.

Body Image Dissatisfaction and Aggressive Behavior Among Chinese Children at Different Pubdertal Stages: A Path Analysis.

BackgroundBody image dissatisfaction and aggressive behavior have become important public health problem in children and adolescents, and body image dissatisfaction may increase the occurrence of aggressive behavior. The aim of this study was to explore the correlation between body image dissatisfaction and aggressive behavior among Chinese children in different developmental stages.MethodsThe stratified cluster sampling method was used to effectively survey 518 children aged 8–15 years. The Body Shape Questionnaire and the Buss-Warren Aggressive Questionnaire scale were used to measure body image dissatisfaction and aggressive behavior. Pubertal development stages were divided into three stages according to Tanner criteria.ResultsThere was a main correlation path of body image dissatisfaction - hostility - anger - indirect aggression - physical aggression in boys with stage I and stage II and in girls with stage I and stage III. In addition, there were direct paths of hostility - indirect aggression, hostility - verbal aggression, anger - physical aggression, and anger - verbal aggression in boys with stage I; hostility - indirect aggression, hostility - verbal aggression, and anger - physical aggression in boys with stage II and in girls with stage I; and anger - physical aggression, and anger - verbal aggression in girls with stage III.ConclusionBody image dissatisfaction might positively correlate with aggression through hostility among Chinese children and adolescents, and their association paths were different in different puberty stages.

Trauma and aggression: Evaluating the influence of primed hostility and survivor sex.

The relation between posttrauma symptoms and aggression is an area of growing interest in the larger clinical literature. The current project looked to examine the impact of primed hostility on aggressive responding in men and women with and without a history of prior trauma. Experimental aggression paradigm assessed in a 2 (Group) × 2 (Sex) × 2 (Prime) mixed factorial ANOVA. Trauma-naïve participants (N=52) and survivors reporting active symptoms (N=43) were exposed to hostile and neutral lexical primes in what was presented as a reaction time task played against an unseen 'opponent'. In actuality, 'wins' and 'losses' during the task were assigned by an automated system. The intensity of an aversive sound blast delivered by participants to the supposed opponent in trials the participant 'won' served as an index of behavioural aggression. Repeated-measures ANOVA identified a between-by-within interaction of exposure group and lexical prime (p=.010; =.070), with trauma-exposed participants (p=.002, Δ=.30), but not controls (p=.159, Δ=.11), demonstrating elevations in aggression subsequent to hostile priming. A sex by prime interaction (p=.001; =.117) similarly indicated elevated aggression following hostile priming in men (p=.007, Δ=.58) as compared to women (p=.062, Δ=.10). Results offer preliminary support for the association of situationally primed hostility and biological sex with aggressive responding in survivors reporting active symptoms.

The Impact of Perpetrator and Target Gender on Third Party Attributions for Workplace Mistreatment

Workplace mistreatment is often ambiguous for direct observers and other third parties. They may be prone to gendered attributions of blame against perpetrators and targets. In the present study, we investigate via video vignettes with four male and four female professional actors whether perpetrator and target gender affect third parties’ moral anger and attributions of blame for workplace mistreatment. 999 Austrian workforce members responded to standardized video clips displaying direct anger as well as indirect social aggression (social exclusion) against a target at work. Using a 2*2*2 mixed design, we manipulated perpetrator gender, target gender and mistreatment scenario (in total four perpetrator/target gender configurations and 16 different actor combinations per scenario). Mixed-effects modeling revealed no significant perpetrator gender effects in the direct anger scenario regarding moral anger, perpetrator and target blaming. In the case of social exclusion, female perpetrators evoked significantly more moral anger and blame than male perpetrators, in particular when the target was female. In female-only perpetrator/target configurations, the female targets were blamed significantly less for social exclusion than when the perpetrator was male. Results corroborate earlier findings on the stereotype and problematization of female/female harassment. Findings also show that the impact of perpetrator gender on attributions of blame by third parties cannot be studied independently of target gender and type of mistreatment. We discuss implications and limitations of findings and the methodological approach.

The aggressive tendencies in HIV-positive persons with concomitant mental disorders

Hostility and aggressiveness can be a marker of individual psychological vulnerability to stressors leading to reduced social adjustment and the risk of mental disorder manifestation. The aggressive tendencies prevalence is believed to be high among people living with HIV. With an increase in the incidence of HIV infection, the number of HIV-positive patients with concomitant mental disorders is increasing.Aim: to evaluate the intensity and the structure of aggressive tendencies in HIV-infected persons with concomitant mental disorders. Material and Methods. 78 HIV-positive persons and 24 HIV-negative psychiatric patients. The Bass-Darkie Aggressive Level Questionnaire (BDHI) and Short Psychiatric Assessment Scale (BPRS) were used. Nonparametric statistics, dispersion analysis was performed with p≤0.05, Cohen’s d calculated (effect size).Results. We examined 102 people, 51 (50.0%) men, 51 (50.0%) women, the average age — 35.5 ± 9.7 years. 58 (74.4%) HIV-infected respondents had mental disorders. HIV-positive persons with schizophrenia had higher values of most aggressive tendencies (p<0.05) in the group of HIV-infected subjects. In comparison with HIV-negative patients, HIV-positive persons with schizophrenia had higher mean values of «Physical aggression» (p<0.001, Cohen’s d=1.0), «Verbal aggression» (p <0.001, Cohen’s d = 1, 0), and «Aggressiveness» (p=0.004, Cohen’s d=0.86). 4B clinical stage of HIV infection was associated with higher scores of «Physical aggression», «Indirect aggression», «Verbal aggression», «Negativism», «Aggressiveness» (p<0,05).Conclusion. The study findings contribute to the understanding of the features of aggressive tendencies in HIV-positive persons and call for further research to improving the quality and personalization of medical care for patients with concomitant mental disorders.

Intrasexual Competitiveness Mediates the Link Between Unrestricted Sociosexuality and Indirect Aggression

Intrasexual Competitiveness Mediates the Link Between Unrestricted Sociosexuality and Indirect Aggression

Feminine Ideology, Body Appreciation, and Indirect Aggression in Girls

This study was an investigation of the possible relations and interactions between traditional feminine ideology, and social and relational aggression within a sample of female children and adolescents. Participants included 45 female students (8-19 years of age) who completed measures assessing beliefs about and behaviors feminine ideology, body image (including body objectification), relational and social aggression, and interpersonal maturity. Analyzes revealed that participants who rated themselves as having a weaker internalization of the objectification of one’s body (a subtype of traditional feminine ideology) rated themselves as less likely to use socially-aggressive tactics than those with higher levels of body objectification. No other significant findings were noted. Implications for these findings and directions for future research are discussed.

Evaluating the efficiency of pedagogical conditions for prevention of destructive conflicts among adolescents at a general-education organisation

Introduction. The contemporary reforms in the global community have resulted in increased level of conflict in a triad: between pedagogues and learners, between learners and their parents, between learners themselves in a small (training) group. The need to adapt to the new conditions of interaction often demonstrates adolescents’ weak readiness to build a constructive model of behaviour with others, their inadequate perception of educational impact. The above conditions define the importance of research into the problem of preventing conflicts among young people in the educational environment of modern school. The purpose of the article is to present general assessment of the current state of diagnosing and preventing destructive conflicts by pedagogues, with regard for the possibility of raising efficiency of significant pedagogical efforts in the school environment. Materials and methods. The study involved 512 adolescents – schoolchildren of 10th-11th years of study, 56 teachers, 512 parents of the adolescents. In the course of diagnostics the following questionnaires were used: Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory, V. Gerbachevsky’s test; the methods by V. Boyko, M. Rokeach, O. Potemkina; Ch. Spielberger test; mathematical statistics methods: Pearson's statistical criterion χ2 (chi-squared test). Results. The research showed that, following the realisation of pedagogical conditions in the experimental group (hereinafter EG), the number of adolescents with high level of aggression initiating the individual’s conflictogenicity decreased, with simultaneous increase in the number of adolescents with low level of aggression. The statistically reliable decrease in EG was found for the scales “physical aggression”, “indirect aggression”, “verbal aggression”, “veiled violence”, “overt violence”, “justified negativism”, “negative personal experience”, that actualise destructive conflict. The calculation of Pearson's chi-squared statistical test χ2 showed reliability of differences in the scales under investigation with 95% credibility: χ2emp. > χ2crit 0.05. The situational and personal anxiety levels in EG adolescents stabilised, with predominant increase in the number of individuals demonstrating low level of above anxieties. The adolescents in the control group (hereafter CG) showed no significant changes for the explored scales, which makes it possible to assert the continuing threat of destructive conflicts. Conclusion. The identified and tested pedagogical conditions proved their efficiency in prevention of destructive conflicts among adolescents at a general-education organisation. The obtained results are of certain value and contribute to the development of pedagogical prevention of destructive conflicts among adolescents at a general-education organisation.

Empirically based dimensions of externalizing symptoms in children and adolescents: a multitrait-multisource approach

The present study sought to refine knowledge about the structure underlying externalizing dimensions. From a “top-down” ICD/DSM-based perspective, externalizing symptoms can be categorized into attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and conduct disorder (CD). From a “bottom-up” developmental theory-based perspective, disruptive behaviors can be meaningfully described as aggressive (AGG) and rule-breaking (RB) behaviors. We analyzed five large data sets comprising externalizing symptom ratings obtained with a screening instrument using different sources (parents, teachers, self-ratings) from different samples. Using confirmatory factor analyses, we evaluated several factor models (unidimensional; correlated factors; bifactor (S-1) models) derived from an ICD/DSM- and theory-based perspective. Our optimally fitting models were assessed for measurement invariance across all sources, sample settings, and sex. Following several model-based criteria (model fit indices; factor loadings; omega statistics; model parsimony), we discarded our models stepwise and concluded that both the ICD/DSM-based model with three correlated factors (ADHD, ODD, CD) and the developmental theory-based model with three correlated factors (ADHD, AGG, RB) displayed a statistically sound factor structure and allowed for straightforward interpretability. Furthermore, these two models demonstrated metric invariance across all five samples and across sample settings (community, clinical), as well as scalar invariance across sources and sex. While the dimensions AGG and RB may depict a more empirically coherent view than the categorical perspective of ODD and CD, at this point we cannot clearly determine whether one perspective really outperforms the other. Implications for model selection according to our model-based criteria and clinical research are discussed.

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Aggression, Empathy, and Psychopathology in Adult Males Accused of Rape.

Background:Investigating the underlying psychosocial factors is a cornerstone of planning need-based intervention for adult males accused of rape. Unresolved debates on its etiology, mediation, or interaction among causal psychosocial variables fuel curiosity to scrutinize it further. Hence, we studied potential influence of and relation between adverse childhood experiences, aggression, empathy, and psychopathology in adult males accused of rape in India and investigated the risk factors for the same.Methods:With a correlational research design, 40 literate and consenting adult males medically confirmed for rape were recruited using convenient sampling. The assessment was done on Adverse Childhood Experiences, Aggression Questionnaire, Symptom Checklist-90, and Interpersonal Reactivity Index. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s product–moment correlation, and stepwise linear regression analysis were calculated.Results:Approximately 75% of the participants experienced at least one category of Adverse Childhood Experiences. Scores above cut-off points were obtained on anger, hostility, fantasy, and personal distress. Significant correlations were obtained between adverse childhood experiences and psychopathology; between hostility and psychopathology, perspective taking, and personal distress; and in case of indirect aggression, with perspective taking and empathetic concerns. Regression analysis revealed that an increase in Symptom Checklist-90 global scores increases hostility and that lower personal distress predicts higher scores on hostility on Aggression Questionnaire.Conclusions:Adverse childhood experiences, aggression, and psychopathology play a critical role and, therefore, should be included as core components of the prevention of rape or relapse prevention programs at the community level.

Sex differences in association between Internet addiction and aggression among adolescents aged 12 to 18 in mainland of China

BackgroundPrevious studies have reported that Internet addiction (IA) is an important predictor of aggression. However, little is known whether aggression is a risk factor of IA. This study aims to explore whether IA can predict total and sub-types of aggression, whether aggression also can predict IA, and the potential sex difference. MethodA total of 15,977 adolescents aged 12 to 18 were recruited though a stratified cluster sampling across five representative provinces in mainland of China. Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and Buss and Warren's Aggression Questionnaire (BWAQ) were used to measure IA and aggression, respectively. ResultsThe prevalence of IA and total aggression was 16.8 % and 25.0 %, respectively. Binary logistic regression analysis indicated that IAT score was significantly associated with total and five sub-types of aggression (P < 0.001). However, scores of physical aggression, hostility, and indirect aggression were positively associated with IA (P < 0.001), while verbal aggression and anger were not significant (P > 0.05). Moreover, the interaction of sex and IA was significant for aggression. Specifically, females with IA had higher risks of anger and indirect aggression but had lower risks of physical and verbal aggression compared to males with IA. LimitationsCross-sectional design, self-reported information, and only Chinese rural adolescents. ConclusionsIA is a strong risk factor of total and five sub-types of aggression, while not all sub-types of aggression are predictors of IA. Prevention programs for adolescents' IA and aggression should consider different aggression sub-types and sex.