Proactive Relational Aggression Research Articles

Facet-level impulsivity and proactive and reactive relational aggression

Background & objectivesRelational aggression and its functional subtypes (proactive and reactive) are associated with various adverse outcomes. Impulsivity has known associations with aggression, but less is known about its role in relational aggression, particularly at the facet level, and the implications such a relationship might have for prevention and intervention efforts. MethodAn Australian community sample was recruited from social media platforms (N = 637), consisting of 352 (55.3 %) females, 281 (44.1 %) males, and 4 (0.6 %) who self-described. Participant ages ranged from 18 to 82 years (M = 53.24, SD = 13.25). Participants completed a brief online self-report survey. ResultsWe fit four path models to explore the relationship between facet-level impulsivity and reactive and proactive relational aggression. For females, positive associations between positive urgency and proactive relational aggression (β = 0.20, p = .007), negative urgency and reactive relational aggression (β = 0.26, p < .001), and sensation seeking and reactive relational aggression were evident (β = 0.11, p = 0.041), as was a negative relationship between sensation seeking and proactive relational aggression (β = -0.12, p = .043). For males, a positive association between negative urgency and reactive relational aggression was identified (β = 0.24, p < .001). ConclusionProactive and reactive relational aggression may be more likely to occur during the experience of intense emotions (i.e., positive and negative urgency). Both subtypes appear to require forethought and planning, indicating there may be substantial conceptual and cognitive overlap between the two relational aggression functions.

Understanding Schadenfreude through Personality Factors and Relational Aggression

The purpose of this study was to explain the mediator role of relational aggression between schadenfreude and personality traits through the path model. Dark traits, agreeableness and hostility as personality factors are thought to be related to relational aggression according to General Aggression Model. Thus, the model was proposed by the author which included direct and indirect effects of personality factors on relational aggression and schadenfreude. 306 adults completed an online survey comprising dark triad, Proactive/Reactive Relational Aggression, agreeableness, and hostility scales and author-generated measure of expressed schadenfreude. Path analysis revealed that schadenfreude was predicted by only reactive but not with proactive relational aggression. Moreover, schadenfreude was predicted by the dark triad indirectly through reactive relational aggression. The dark triad was also predicted by agreeableness and hostility. Although reactive and proactive relational aggression were predicted by agreeableness and hostility, only reactive agression had a mediator role between personality traits (agreeableness, dark triad, hostility) and schadenfreude. Findings and implications for the future research were discussed. Limitations of the current study were also mentioned.

The development of forms and functions of aggression during early childhood: A temperament-based approach.

This study used a short-term longitudinal design with theoretically derived preregistered hypotheses and analyses to examine the role of temperament in the development of forms (i.e., physical and relational) and functions (i.e., proactive and reactive) of aggressive behavior in early childhood (N = 300, M age = 44.70 months, SD = 4.38, 44% girls). Temperament was measured via behavioral reports of emotional dysregulation, fearlessness/daring, and rule internalization/empathy and, in a subsample that completed a physiological assessment, via skin conductance and respiratory sinus arrhythmia. Emotion dysregulation generally served as a risk factor for all subtypes of aggression, with evidence of stronger associations with reactive as compared to proactive functions of relational aggression for girls. Daring predicted increases in physical aggression, especially among boys, and rule internalization predicted decreases in relational aggression, especially among girls. Rule internalization mediated longitudinal associations between daring and proactive relational aggression for girls. Some evidence also emerged supporting associations between adaptive functioning (i.e., high empathy, high respiratory sinus arrhythmia) and proactive functions of aggression. Findings highlight distinct temperamental risk factors for physical versus relational aggression and provide partial support for gender-linked theories of the development of aggression.

The Effect of Reactive, Proactive Relational Aggression on Bullying and Victimization in Elementary and Middle School Students: A Moderating Effect of Perceived Teacher Support

본 연구는 초&#8228;중학생의 또래괴롭힘에 영향을 미치는 학생수준 변인(반응적, 주도적 관계공격성, 성별, 학교급)과 학급수준 변인(인지된 교사지지, 학급규모)을 탐색하고, 관계공격성의 기능별 하위유형과 또래괴롭힘 간의 관계를 인지된 교사지지가 조절하는지 살펴보았다. 이를 위하여 초&#8228;중등학교 5개교, 38학급, 965명(여학생 64.2%)을 대상으로 다층경로모형을 분석하였다. 학생과 학급수준을 포함하는 다층경로분석 결과, 첫째, 주도적 관계공격성은 또래괴롭힘 피해에 정적인 영향을 나타냈다. 반면에 반응적 관계공격성은 또래괴롭힘 피해에 유의미한 영향을 보이지 않았다. 둘째, 주도적 관계공격성, 반응적 관계공격성 모두 또래괴롭힘 가해에 정적인 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 셋째, 학급의 인지된 교사지지가 학생의 반응적 관계공격성, 주도적 관계공격성과 또래괴롭힘 가해의 관계를 유의하게 조절하는 것으로 나타났다. 반응적 관계공격성과 또래괴롭힘 가해는 인지된 교사지지가 높은 학급에서 더 크게 나타나고 주도적 관계공격성과 또래괴롭힘 가해는 인지된 교사지지가 낮은 학급에서 더 크게 나타났다. 본 연구 결과를 바탕으로 시사점과 또래괴롭힘 피해, 가해를 예방하기 위한 개입 전략에 대해 논의하였다.

Negative parenting and functions of relational aggression: The moderating roles of gender and physiological reactivity.

Dimensions of negative parenting, including permissive, authoritarian, and psychologically controlling parenting behaviors, are associated with children's engagement in relational aggression. However, some youth may be more strongly influenced by negative parenting than others, and effects may depend on whether aggression is proactive or reactive in function. In a community sample of 236 preadolescent children followed over 1 year, we examined whether children's skin conductance level reactivity (an index of "fight or flight" response) and gender moderated links between parents' self-reported negative parenting behaviors and increases in children's teacher-reported proactive and reactive relational aggression. Findings indicated that negative parenting predicted increases in proactive and reactive relational aggression, and, consistent with differential susceptibility theory, effects often emerged among highly reactive youth. Associations between negative parenting and proactive relational aggression emerged for boys but not girls. Results tentatively suggest that associations between parenting and aggression vary by the function of aggression, children's physiological reactivity to stress, and gender, although results should be interpreted with caution due to high levels of missing data. Implications for theory and intervention are discussed.

An antisocial alchemy: Psychopathic traits as a moderator of the different forms and functions of aggression in delinquency and conduct disorder among youth

The aim of the present study is to examine the possible role of psychopathic traits as a moderator of the aggression-antisociality/delinquency link. Our sample was composed of 567 youth (M = 15.91 years, SD = 0.99 years, age range = 14–18 years) from Portugal. Results indicated that psychopathic features significantly moderate four different forms and functions of aggression – proactive overt, proactive relational, reactive overt, and reactive relational – when predicting delinquency. However, psychopathic traits only significantly moderate proactive relational aggression when predicting Conduct Disorder. Psychopathic traits and aggression constitute an antisocial alchemy for antisocial behavior but more research is needed about moderation effects therein particularly among clinical and justice system involved samples of youth to inform behavioral interventions.

Multidimensional measure of aggression in adolescents: Croatian validation of the Peer Conflict Scale

BackgroundIn order to adequately assess aggression in adolescence, the Peer Conflict Scale (PCS) was developed. It evaluates both forms and functions of aggression (i.e. proactive overt, proactive relational, reactive overt and reactive relational aggression). The goal of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of the Croatian version of the Peer Conflict Scale.Participants and procedureThe total sample consisted of 656 high school students from the City of Zagreb (age range 16-17, 55.33% boys). Independent exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to determine the factor structure, and the best fitting model of the PCS on a Croatian sample.ResultsBoth results of EFA and CFA support a proposed four-factor model of the instrument. Reliabilities of the instrument’s scales were acceptable. The measurement invariance across gender was established. In order to analyse the construct validity of the PCS, relations between aggression subtypes and the theoretically meaningful variable, i.e. anxiety, were assessed. Reactive rela-tional aggression had the highest correlation with anxiety, while proactive overt aggression did not correlate significantly with anxiety. Furthermore, gender differences in aggression subtypes were assessed, and were in accordance with past research.ConclusionsOur study verifies the reliability, factor structure and construct validity of PCS in a sample of Croatian adolescents. However, the results of this study suggest that the response format should be changed. Furthermore, some items did not match well with corresponding factors and the best fitting model was the one in which those items were excluded. Therefore, we suggest that two items should be replaced with new ones.

Relations between forms and functions of aggression and moral judgments of aggressive transgressions.

The present study sought to examine the influence of aggressive behavior, psychopathy, and gender on moral judgments of aggressive transgressions. A two-dimensional conceptualization of aggression was used, such that proactive relational aggression, reactive relational aggression, proactive physical aggression, and reactive physical aggression were treated as distinct subtypes of aggression and also as distinct subtypes of moral judgments of aggression. Participants were 421 emerging adults (215 women). Self-report measures of aggression, psychopathy, and moral judgments were collected. Peer-reports of aggression and psychopathy were obtained from a randomly assigned subsample of 73 participants (46 women) for validity purposes. Unique associations were found between subtypes of aggression and corresponding moral judgments of the same subtypes.

Emotion Regulation and Relational Aggression in Adolescents: Parental Attachment as Moderator

This study explores the relations between the functional subtypes of relational aggression (proactive and reactive) and difficulties with emotion regulation (cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression). Further, it examines the moderating role of parental attachment including parental availability and dependency in these associations. Based on previous research, it was expected that difficulties in emotion regulation strategies would be associated with reactive but not with proactive relational aggression, and these links would be moderated by self-reported attachment quality to both parents. Participants of the study were 518 Greek junior high school students (50% girls), aged between 12 tο 16 (M = 13.66, SD = 1.13) who completed a self-report questionnaire. The results showed that expressive suppression holds a positive association only with reactive but not with proactive relational aggression, while low maternal attachment security was linked to both proactive and reactive relational aggression. Moderation analyses also revealed that at low levels of perceived dependency on father the expressive suppression was negatively associated with student’s engagement in proactive relational aggression. The findings also evidenced that gender differentiates adolescents’ self-reported engagement in proactive RA and perceived dependency on father for males as well as cognitive reappraisal for females. The importance of exploring interpersonal factors along with individual traits in the interpretation of relational aggression is discussed.

A Comparative Look at Aggression and Self-esteem among Turkish versus International Super and Premier League Soccer Players Playing in Turkey

This study comparatively examines aggression and self-esteem among Turkish versus international (foreign) male super and premier league soccer players playing for the Turkish Football Federation. A sample population of one hundred twelve (112) out of all possible athletes of the above description has been featured in this study. Both Coopersmith’s Self-Esteem Inventory (1974) (adapted into Turkish by Turan & Tufan (1987)), as well as an aggression inventory developed by Ipek Ilter Kiper[1]—and which include reactive-expressive, reactive-inexpressive, and proactive-relational aggression — were used as data collection tools. T-tests, alongside single direction variance analysis were used for data analysis. Accordingly, meaningful correlations were found among super versus premier league soccer players when it came both to inexpressive and expressive aggression as well as self-esteem. However, no meaningful correlation had appeared to emerge upon comparing the point scores between international versus Turkish soccer players for all three sub-types of aggression, for aggression on whole, and for self-esteem. On the contrary, a sound correlation was found between expressive aggression and the marital status of all of the players in question. Two further meaningful correlations had been identified with respect to self-esteem and the age of all of the players, as well as with respect to expressive aggression and players’ education levels. In contrast, no meaningful correlation had emerged out of the total point scores for all three subtypes of aggression, for aggression on whole, and for self-esteem on whole versus players’ hand and foot dexterities. Nevertheless, one final correlation had been established between players’ sense of expressive aggression versus what position they played on.

Psychophysiology of proactive and reactive relational aggression

This study investigated the joint effects of parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system reactivity to social and non-social stressors on proactive (i.e., goal-directed, unemotional) and reactive (i.e., emotional, impulsive) functions of relational aggression. Two hundred and forty-seven (Mage=18.77years) participants completed a series of stressor tasks while their sympathetic arousal (i.e., skin conductance) and parasympathetic arousal (i.e., respiratory sinus arrhythmia) were assessed. Participants also provided self-reports of their aggressive behavior. In the standardized social stressor only, physiological reactivity was related to aggression, such that respiratory sinus arrhythmia augmentation predicted proactive relational aggression whereas heightened skin conductance reactivity predicted reactive relational aggression. Finally, in the context of low skin conductance reactivity, respiratory sinus arrhythmia augmentation was related to heightened proactive and reactive aggression, whereas respiratory sinus arrhythmia withdrawal was protective. Results suggest that the benefits hypothesized to accompany respiratory sinus arrhythmia withdrawal may only occur among individuals with low “fight or flight” stress responses. Findings extend research on the physiological indicators of aggression to relational aggression, and highlight the importance of assessing functions of aggression, as well as physiological reactivity to multiple stressors.

Testing a Higher Order Model of Internalizing and Externalizing Behavior: The Role of Aggression Subtypes.

This study assessed how the forms and functions of aggression fit into a higher order model of internalizing and externalizing behavior, for children in early childhood (N = 332, M age = 47.11months, SD = 7.32). The lower order internalizing factors were depressed affect, anxious-fearfulness, and asocial behavior (i.e., social withdrawal) and the lower order externalizing factors were deception and hyperactivity. The forms and functions of aggression were crossed to create four factors: reactive relational, reactive physical, proactive relational, and proactive physical aggression. Seven confirmatory factor models were tested. Results supported a two-factor externalizing model where reactive and proactive relational aggression and deception loaded on one externalizing factor and reactive and proactive physical aggression and hyperactivity loaded on another externalizing factor.

Gender moderates the association between psychopathic traits and aggressive behavior in adolescents

The aim of this study was to analyze the relationships between psychopathic traits and aggressive behavior in adolescents. We assessed four subtypes of aggression (proactive-overt, reactive-overt, proactive-relational and reactive-relational). Gender was included as a moderator of those relationships. The sample comprised 765 adolescents (464 girls) who completed measures of psychopathic traits (callous–unemotional, grandiose–manipulative and impulsivity) and aggression at Time 1 and one year later. Participants were between 14 and 18years old. Results showed that callous–unemotional (CU) traits predicted proactive-overt and proactive-relational aggression. Grandiose–Manipulative (GM) predicted proactive-overt and reactive-overt aggression, and Impulsivity-Irresponsibility (II) predicted reactive-overt aggression. The path from CU traits to proactive-overt aggression was higher in girls, and the path from GM to proactive-overt aggression was higher in boys. Results indicate that research on psychopathic traits needs to include both girls and boys to identify gender-specific manifestations of these traits.

Skin Conductance Level Reactivity Moderates the Association Between Parental Psychological Control and Relational Aggression in Emerging Adulthood.

When studying factors that may heighten risk for relational aggression in youth, it is important to consider characteristics of both the individual and their environment. This research examined the associations between parental psychological control and reactive and proactive relational aggression in emerging adults in college. Given that sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activation may underlie differences between reactive and proactive aggression and has been shown to moderate the effects of parenting on youth development, the moderating role of SNS reactivity [indexed by skin conductance level reactivity (SCLR)] was also examined. Emerging adults (N = 180; 77.2 % female) self-reported on perceptions of parental psychological control and reactive and proactive relational aggression. SCLR was assessed in response to an interpersonal laboratory challenge task. Parental psychological control was positively associated with reactive relational aggression only for emerging adults who exhibited high SCLR. Parental psychological control was positively associated with proactive relational aggression only among emerging adults who showed low SCLR. This study extends previous research on parenting and aggression and suggests that parental psychological control is differentially associated with reactive versus proactive relational aggression, depending on emerging adults' SCLR to interpersonal stress.

Cool and hot executive function as predictors of aggression in early childhood: Differentiating between the function and form of aggression.

Executive function (EF) has been implicated in childhood aggression. Understanding of the role of EF in aggression has been hindered, however, by the lack of research taking into account the function and form of aggression and the almost exclusive focus on cool EF. This study examined the role of cool and hot EF in teacher reported aggression, differentiating between reactive and proactive as well as physical and relational aggression. Children (N=106) completed laboratory tasks measuring cool (inhibition, planning, working memory) and hot EF (affective decision-making, delay of gratification). Cool, but not hot, EF significantly contributed to understanding of childhood aggression. Inhibition was a central predictor of childhood aggression. Planning and working memory, in contrast, were significant independent predictors of proactive relational aggression only. Added to this, prosocial behaviour moderated the relationship between working memory and reactive relational aggression. This study therefore suggests that cool EF, particularly inhibition, is associated with childhood aggression across the different functions and forms.

Types of Relational Aggression in Girls Are Differentiated by Callous-Unemotional Traits, Peers and Parental Overcontrol.

Adolescent girls often perpetrate aggression by gossiping and spreading rumours about others, by attempting to ruin relationships and by manipulating and excluding others. Further, males and females engage in reactive and proactive relational aggression differently. In this study, we examined the individual, peer and parental contextual factors that best explained the use of reactive and proactive relational aggression in girls. Female participants (n = 614; ages 11–18 years) completed questionnaires on aggression, callous-unemotional (CU) traits, delinquency, peer delinquency, gender composition of their peer group, resistance to peer influence and perceived parental overcontrol. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the effects of individual, peer- and parent-related variables on the likelihood of being classified as a low aggressor, reactive aggressor or proactive/reactive aggressor. Girls in the combined reactive/proactive aggression group were younger, had greater CU traits, a lower proportion of male peers and greater perception of parental control than both the reactive and low aggressive groups. Both highly aggressive groups were more delinquent and had greater peer delinquency than the low aggressive group. This study suggests those girls who show relational aggression for the purpose of gaining status and revenge feel restrained by their parents and may gravitate toward relationships that support their behaviour.

Relational victimization and proactive versus reactive relational aggression: The moderating effects of respiratory sinus arrhythmia and skin conductance.

This research examined the moderating effect of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) on the associations between relational victimization and reactive and proactive relational aggression. Both branches of the ANS, the parasympathetic nervous system (indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia reactivity; RSA-Reactivity) and the sympathetic nervous system (indexed by skin conductance level reactivity; SCL-Reactivity), were examined. Emerging adults (N = 168) self-reported on relational victimization and proactive and reactive relational aggression; RSA-Reactivity and SCL-Reactivity were assessed in response to a laboratory stressor. Relational victimization predicted heightened reactive relational aggression given RSA augmentation/high SCL-Reactivity (i.e., coactivation) and RSA withdrawal/low SCL-Reactivity (i.e., coinhibition). In addition, relational victimization predicted heightened reactive relational aggression given RSA augmentation/low SCL-Reactivity (i.e., reciprocal parasympathetic activation). This study extends previous research on relational victimization and provides novel evidence that (a) exposure to relational victimization is associated with reactive relational aggression, but not proactive relational aggression, and (b) parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system reactivity jointly moderate the link between relational victimization and reactive relational aggression.

Callous–unemotional traits and empathy in proactive and reactive relational aggression in young women

Research on psychopathy and aggression in women is limited, especially relational aggression (RA). Studies on youth suggest unique associations between RA and callous–unemotional (C–U) traits (e.g., Frick & White, 2008). However, the role of C–U traits in adult RA remains unexamined, particularly functional subtypes of RA (reactive, proactive). Empathy deficits are associated with C–U traits and heightened RA. Based on prior work, we hypothesized that in young women, callous and uncaring tendencies would be related to proactive RA and to a lesser extent reactive RA, and that these relationships would be mediated by cognitive empathy deficits. Hypotheses were partially supported. Callous and uncaring traits were associated with proactive RA, and less so to reactive RA, and the latter association was mediated by cognitive empathy. Unemotional traits were not uniquely associated with RA. Study limitations and implications are considered.

Borderline personality features as a predictor of forms and functions of aggression during middle childhood: examining the roles of gender and physiological reactivity.

The present longitudinal investigation examined borderline personality features as a predictor of aggression 1 year later. Moderation by physiological reactivity and gender was also explored. One hundred ninety-six children (M = 10.11 years, SD = 0.64) participated in a laboratory stress protocol in which their systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and skin conductance reactivity to recounting a relational stressor (e.g., threats to relationships or exclusion) were assessed. Teachers provided reports on subtypes of aggressive behavior (i.e., reactive relational, proactive relational, reactive physical, and proactive physical), and children completed a self-report measure of borderline personality features. Path analyses indicated that borderline personality features predicted increases in reactive relational aggression and proactive relational aggression among girls who evinced heightened physiological reactivity to interpersonal stress. In contrast, borderline personality features predicted decreases in proactive physical aggression in girls. Findings suggest that borderline personality features promote engagement in relationally aggressive behaviors among girls, particularly in the context of emotional dysregulation.

A gender-balanced approach to the study of peer victimization and aggression subtypes in early childhood.

A short-term longitudinal study during early childhood (N = 301; 155 girls; M = 44.76 months old, SD = 8.20) investigated the prospective associations between peer victimization and aggression subtypes. Specifically, observations of relational and physical victimization as well as teacher reports of the forms (i.e., relational and physical) and functions (i.e., proactive and reactive) of aggression were collected at two time points during an academic year. Within- and between-group gender differences were examined as part of the preliminary analyses. In order to address key study questions, both directions of effect between peer victimization and aggression subtypes were examined. We found that teacher-reported proactive relational aggression predicted decreases in observed relational victimization over time, whereas reactive relational aggression predicted increases in observed relational victimization over time. Ways in which these and other findings extend the literature are discussed.