Relational Aggression Research Articles

Relational aggression and youth empowerment within a high school instrumental music program

Peer group effects of relational victimization and empowerment among high school instrumental music students were examined using a cross-sectional design. We evaluated the homophily hypothesis that states peer group membership influences individual-level relational aggression and feelings of empowerment. Peer groups were identified using social network analysis, suggesting that participation in marching band significantly impacts feelings of empowerment reducing self-reported relational victimization, even after controlling for gender, caring behaviors, and positive attitudes toward bullying. The impact of peer group membership suggests that future studies consider peer relations across whole school populations and subtypes of aggression.

Physical and Relational Aggressive Behavior in Preschool: School Teacher Rating, Teachers’ Perception and İntervention Strategies

In this study was aimed to determine the preschool teachers’ perception and intervention strategies of physical, relational aggressive behavior and investigate the whether preschool students’ this aggressive behavior differ based on preschool teachers’ intervention strategies. Sample group consisted of 42 pre-school teachers and 755 preschool students aged 4-5. Sequential explanatory design of explanatory design model, one of the mixed method designs, was used in the study. In the quantitative part of study relational screening model and the qualitive part of study semi-structured interview was used to assess teachers’ perception and intervention. Personal Information Form, Pre-School Social Behavior Scale-Teacher Form, and Teacher Interview Forms were used to collect data. Analysis of data was used descriptive statistics, One Way Anova analysis. Results indicated that children’s physical and relational aggressive behavior scores significantly differed preschool teachers’ intervention strategies of aggressive behavior. According to the results, moderate level meaningful relationships between teachers’ preschool teachers’ intervention strategies of physical, relational aggressive behavior and students’ physical and relational aggressive behavior. Teachers stated that they tried different ways to intervention strategies these problems. However, it was determined that pre-school teachers used the strategy of prohibition and punishment in physical aggression more than relational aggression.

From past to present: children’s exposure of intimate partner violence and subsequent experience of IPV in adulthood among women

The objective of this research is to analyse the prevalence of physical intimate partner violence (IPV) in ten developing countries in four regions as identified by the Demographics and Health Survey (DHS): Sub-Saharan Africa with Mali and Nigeria; North Africa/West Asia with Egypt and Jordan; South and Southeast Asia with Cambodia, Pakistan and the Philippines; and Latin America and the Caribbean with Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Peru. These countries are all tested with one primary research question: whether witnessing physical IPV in family-of-origin is associated with women’s experience of physical IPV in adulthood. Past research has shown reason to believe witnessing parental violence is a significant risk factor in IPV in many nations, but the influence of IPV in these developing countries has not been examined. The results indicate that having witnessed physical IPV in one’s family-of-origin significantly increases the likelihood of experiencing later physical abuse, for respondents in all countries. By controlling for other factors, this finding provides robust support for the intergenerational transmission of violence theory, which explains the link between interparental aggression and physical IPV in subsequent relationships as a result of learned models of behaviour observed in childhood. Implications of this research for developing countries are also discussed.

청소년의 거부민감성이 관계적 공격성에 미치는 영향 : 분노반추의 매개효과

본 연구에서는 청소년의 거부민감성이 관계적 공격성에 미치는 영향에서 분노반추의 매개효과를 검증하고자 하였다. 이를 위해 경기 지역의 청소년 340명을 대상으로 자료를 수집하여, 상관분석, 매개분석, 병렬다중매개분석을 실시하였다. 본 연구에서 확인한 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 주요 변인들의 상관분석 결과, 청소년의 거부민감성과 관계적 공격성은 정적상관을 보였고, 거부민감성과 분노반추, 분노반추와 관계적 공격성 또한 정적상관으로 나타났다. 둘째, 분노반추는 청소년의 거부민감성과 관계적 공격성의 관계를 부분 매개하였다. 셋째, 거부민감성이 관계적 공격성에 미치는 영향에서 분노반추 하위변인들의 매개효과를 검증한 결과, ‘보복사고’만이 부분매개효과를 가졌고, ‘분노후사고’, ‘원인이해’의 매개효과는 통계적으로 유의하지 않은 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구결과를 바탕으로 시사점과 향후 연구에 대한 제안점을 논의하였다.

Relational Victimization and the Development of Psychopathology in Middle to Late Childhood

Peer victimization is the frequency in which a child is a recipient of aggressive acts from their peers over time; further, two main subtypes of peer victimization have been organized as physical or non-physical. A majority of past studies focused on physical forms of peer victimization, however more recent studies are examining the non-physical forms of peer victimization also referred to as indirect, social, and relational victimization. For cohesiveness, throughout this article relational victimization will be utilized to describe when a child has been a recipient of peer relational aggression. Relational victimization can be direct or indirect, overt or covert and is defined as peer treatment in which the manipulation of interpersonal relationships primarily serves as the agent of harm. This article will focus on identifying the various characteristics of relational aggression and the prevalence of relational victimization in middle to late childhood, when children are 6 to 12 years old. Relational victimization will be examined through a socially derived theoretical framework in order to highlight the correlation between relational victimization and developing psychopathology.

A Person-Centered Analysis of Change in Children’s Peer Optimism and Its Relation to Peer Social Competence

Children’s peer optimism has been shown to be associated with a variety of positive social outcomes, but little is known about changes in peer optimism over time and if these changes relate to peer social competence. Based on a sample of 114 children (children in grades 3 and 4 reassessed in grades 4 and 5) (girls = 62; boys = 52), Growth Mixture Modeling identified two profiles of children based on reported peer optimism: a group with a relatively low level of optimism that remained low (n = 45; Low/Stable); and a group with high optimism that increased over time (n = 69; High/Increasing). Comparing the social competence of children in the two profiles, children in the High/Increasing group reported greater self-social competence; were more liked and more popular by peers; and engaged in less relational aggression and withdrawal. Children in the Low/Stable group increased in overt aggression, and girls reported greater loneliness. In sum, this person-centered research empirically identified two groups of children who differed in their peer optimism from one school year to the next (low and stayed low vs high and got higher). Furthermore, group membership predicted changes in peer social functioning.

The Role of Impulsivity and Stress Mind-Set in Understanding the Mindfulness-Intimate Partner Aggression Relationship.

Perpetration of relational aggression, which is estimated to occur in 60% to 90% of relationships, has been demonstrated to have lasting negative effects both systemically and for its victims. Relational aggression has also been demonstrated to be impacted, in part by impulsivity, stress mind-set, and mindfulness. The present study examined a path analysis model of the relation between mindfulness and relational aggression, utilizing impulsivity as the mediating variable. Furthermore, the present study incorporated an examination of the potential moderating effects of stress mind-set on the relation between impulsivity and relational aggression. Three hundred eighty-three participants were recruited from across the United States, using Facebook ads. Participants completed online questionnaires assessing key study variables. We hypothesized that the negative urgency aspect of impulsivity would mediate the relation between the five facets of mindfulness and relational aggression, and further that this relationship would be moderated by stress mind-set, such that a stress mind-set which conceptualizes stress as negative would make the relation between impulsivity and relational aggression stronger. We hypothesized that the negative urgency aspect of impulsivity would mediate the relation between mindfulness and relational aggression. Furthermore, we hypothesized that the relation between impulsivity and aggression would be moderated by stress mind-set. Results indicated that the negative urgency component of impulsivity mediated the relation between all five facets of mindfulness and perpetration of relational aggression. Furthermore, stress mind-set moderated the relation between negative urgency and relational aggression, such that a lower stress mind-set was related to a stronger association between negative urgency and aggression. Implications for clinical intervention and future research efforts are discussed.

The structure of aggression in conflict-prone couples: Validation of a measure of the Forms and Functions of Intimate Partner Aggression (FFIPA).

Intimate partner aggression (IPA) is a complex construct composed of the means and the motivations by which a person harms his or her intimate partner. Existing measures only assess forms of IPA perpetration while neglecting to measure the motivations for aggressing. The present study sought to fill this lacuna by adapting and validating an existing measure of the forms and functions of adolescent peer aggression to assess IPA perpetration in adults. This new measure-the Forms and Functions of Intimate Partner Aggression (FFIPA)-comprises 4 latent dimensions of IPA (i.e., overt, relational, proactive, and reactive). Participants were 341 heavy-drinking heterosexual couples (N = 682) with a recent history of psychological and/or physical IPA recruited from 2 metropolitan cities in the United States. The FFIPA demonstrated good model fit and internal validity. Unique patterns of convergent and criterion-related validity supported the 4 dimensions of the FFIPA. Results also indicated women perpetrated significantly more overt and relational aggression than men. Findings support the FFIPA as a valid measure of the forms and functions of IPA perpetration. More important, as the only instrument that parses the forms and functions of IPA perpetration, the FFIPA delineates the unique motivations of an aggressive partner separately from the form of his or her aggressive behavior(s). Further replication is needed to generalize this measure to nonconflictual and other types of intimate relationships. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

The Relationship between Parental Psychological Control and Relational Aggression of Adolescents: Moderated Mediation Effects of Moral Disengagement and Peer Pressure

The Relationship between Parental Psychological Control and Relational Aggression of Adolescents: Moderated Mediation Effects of Moral Disengagement and Peer Pressure

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

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

Assessing the Correlation between Parental Incarceration and Relational Aggression: Factor Structure of the Diverse Adolescent Relational Aggression Scale (DARAS)

ABSTRACT This study details the development of the Diverse Adolescent Relational Aggression Scale (DARAS), to examine the association between parental incarceration and relational aggression in a high school population. The sample was comprised of predominantly African American high school students (N = 191) between 14–18 years of age from a North Texas school district. Data were collected through survey completion: a demographics survey, the DARAS, the Index of Family Relations, and a relational aggression subscale. Exploratory factor analysis, regression analysis, and reliability tests were conducted. The results indicate average validity and reliability for the DARAS with this diverse sample. Although no association was found between relational aggression and parental incarceration, there was an association found between parental arrest and parental aggression. Overall, the findings provided support for the DARAS when studying this population. The use of this measure by student service personnel to assess relational aggression was discussed, along with implications for practice and continued research.

Neighborhood Income Inequality and Adolescent Relationship Aggression: Results of a Nationally Representative, Longitudinal Study.

Adolescent relationship aggression (ARA) is a prevalent public health issue with myriad adverse health outcomes. Experts suggest that a research focus on individual- and family-level risk factors for ARA has been too limited, proposing that research on the "outer layers" of the social-ecological model, including community-level risk factors, may hold promise for the development of interventions targeting ARA. This study assessed the longitudinal association between one community-level risk factor-income inequality-and ARA victimization and perpetration. The study also examined variations of this association by race/ethnicity, income, and/or sex. This study is based on 723 participants (351 male and 372 female participants) from the Survey on Teen Relationships and Intimate Violence (STRiV). We assessed data across two waves (2013 and 2016). Logistic regression models were used to assess the association between neighborhood income inequality and both ARA victimization and perpetration. We included interaction terms to assess whether these associations varied by race/ethnicity and/or income, and we stratified analyses by sex. We did not detect associations between income inequality and ARA victimization or perpetration in the overall sample. However, for female participants from families with more income, living in a neighborhood with more income inequality was associated with increased risk of ARA victimization (odds ratio [OR] = 1.163; p < .05). More affluent, compared with less affluent, adolescent girls in mixed-income neighborhoods may be at increased risk of ARA victimization.

Aggression in the Context of Partner Threat: The Role of Trauma Exposure

Trauma-related biased perception of threat, typically defined in terms of physical danger or harm, is associated with intimate partner aggression perpetration. Yet, it is unclear if such threat (a) functionally motivates aggression and (b) includes diverse forms of threat. Theory and limited research suggest that threats of rejection/abandonment and social dominance may be two distinct functional precipitants of aggression among trauma-exposed individuals. Sixty-four heterosexual couples (N = 128 individuals) selected for elevated symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in either partner were observed during conflict discussions. Small correlations between men's and women's engagement in threats of rejection/abandonment and social dominance suggest that they reflect distinct types of threat. Partners' rejection/abandonment threats and social dominance threats were more strongly associated with engagement in aggression among men with a relatively high frequency of trauma exposure, compared to men with a low frequency of trauma exposure and all women. Women with a high, relative to low, frequency of trauma exposure behaved more aggressively in the context of their partners' social dominance threats; women's aggression was not associated with the severity of their partners' rejection/abandonment threats. Results align with research suggesting that highly traumatized men's misperceptions of threat may motivate their aggression, and indicate that aggression may also be used in the context of accurately detected threat. Integration of methods to alter contextual and individual factors influencing aggression perpetration may improve intervention outcomes. Compared to individually-based interventions, conjoint couple interventions may be better poised to address maladaptive contextual processes that contribute to relationship aggression perpetration.

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.

Submission Letter to FASB Board Concerning Income Taxes (Topic 740) Proposed Accounting Standards Update (Revised) March 25, 2019

On March 25, 2019, the FASB released Proposed Accounting Standards Update (Revised) concerning Income Taxes (Topic 740). There is a critical need to expand required disclosures for multinational groups (MNCs) under generally accepted accounting principles. Many MNCs carry material tax risks from their adoption over the past several decades of increasingly aggressive and sometimes questionable profit-shifting structures that seriously divorce legal form and reality. This letter submission to the FASB Board discusses: • Background on profit-shifting structures, • Need for CbCR – How CbCR would benefit stakeholders without creating undue compliance issues for MNCs, • Need for guidance on location in connection with new paragraph 740-10-50-10A (disaggregation of income or loss from continuing operations between domestic and foreign), and • Disclosures Concerning Unrecognized Tax Benefits. This letter’s primary message is that multinational corporations currently operate under a range of U.S. and foreign tax exposures, and CbCR information is critical for investors and other users of financial reports to assess: • The potential for material tax assessments, • Possible reputational and other commercial risks that could arise from aggressive tax structures, and • Management’s relative conservatism or aggressiveness with respect to tax matters. The letter encourages FASB to be a leader in developing appropriate accounting standards to increase corporate tax transparency in financial reports. If FASB does not take a leadership role, others including governments, international bodies, and private sector entities will design the global standards mandating increased corporate tax disclosures.

Understanding the association between Big Five and relational aggression: The mediating role of social goals and friendship jealousy

This study examined whether social cognitive processes (social goals of dominance, popularity, intimacy), and affect (friendship jealousy) mediate the links between personality traits (Five Factor Model; FFM) and relational aggression (RAgg), in and non-clinical sample of 235 Greek adolescents. Results revealed that RAgg was positively linked to energy/extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness, while it was negatively associated with neuroticism/emotional instability. Further, positive associations emerged between RAgg and social dominance, popularity and friendship jealousy. Mediation models showed that friendship jealousy mediated the effects of openness to experience and neuroticism/emotional instability on RAgg. Further, high intimacy mediated the negative association between energy/extraversion and RAgg, while social dominance mediated the negative link between agreeableness and RAgg. The results replicate prior research, while practical and theoretical implications are discussed.

Being liked or not being liked: A study on social-media exclusion in a preadolescent population

IntroductionSocial-media can contribute to building up adolescents' relationships, but they might also bring negative exclusionary experiences. Being excluded is a subtle yet hurtful form of relational aggression, which affects people's psychological wellbeing, especially during developmental stages. In this study, we (1) analyzed the effects of social-media exclusion adapting the Ostracism Online paradigm to a cohort of Italian preadolescents (Mage = 11.47, 53% girls) and (2) tested the efficacy of two potential recovery strategies (i.e., social bonds vs. social surrogate). MethodInclusionary status was manipulated through the number of “likes” participants received on a fictitious online social network. In the exclusion condition, participants received fewer likes than everyone else. In the inclusion condition, participants received a similar number of likes of other users. Then, all participants were asked to think of a significant positive relationship with a family member (social bonds), a celebrity (social surrogate), their present moment thoughts (control). ResultsPreadolescents who received fewer likes than others reported higher levels of need threat (i.e., belong, self-esteem, meaningful existence, but not control) and negative emotions. Moreover, the social-bonds strategy generally brought a faster psychological recovery from social-media exclusion than the control condition. The efficacy of social-surrogates strategy was greater for boys than for girls, probably due to different choices in their favorite celebrities. ConclusionThese findings show how offline life offers compensatory opportunities for adolescents’ online life. When the lack of “Likes” signal exclusion on social-media, thinking of an existing social relationship help adolescents to cope with this negative experience.

Prevalence, comorbidity, and breed differences in canine anxiety in 13,700 Finnish pet dogs

Behaviour problems and anxieties in dogs decrease their quality of life and may lead to relinquishment or euthanasia. Considering the large number of pet dogs and the commonness of these problematic behaviours, a better understanding of the epidemiology and related molecular and environmental factors is needed. We have here studied the prevalence, comorbidity, and breed specificity of seven canine anxiety-like traits: noise sensitivity, fearfulness, fear of surfaces and heights, inattention/impulsivity, compulsion, separation related behaviour and aggression with an online behaviour questionnaire answered by dog owners. Our results show that noise sensitivity is the most common anxiety-related trait with a prevalence of 32% in 13,700 Finnish pet dogs. Due to the high prevalence of noise sensitivity and fear, they were the most common comorbidities. However, when comparing the relative risk, the largest risk ratios were seen between hyperactivity/inattention, separation related behaviour and compulsion, and between fear and aggression. Furthermore, dog breeds showed large differences in prevalence of all anxiety-related traits, suggesting a strong genetic contribution. As a result, selective breeding focusing on behaviour may reduce the prevalence of canine anxieties. Anxious animals may suffer from chronic stress and thus, modified breeding policies could improve the welfare of our companion dogs.

‘A friend who stabs you’: Abjection, violence and the female clique in film

Abstract This article establishes a unique subgenre of film (the ‘female clique film’) in which the clique (and its disruption) is central to the film’s plot. It discusses four female clique films – Heathers (1989), The Craft (1996), Jawbreaker (1999) and Mean Girls (2004) – in order to consider their depiction of physical rather than relational aggression: extraordinary and even sociopathic violence occurs both within and outside these female relationships as part of the ritualized identity of the clique. It uses the logic of abjection to analyse the figure of the outsider as well as the female body, showing how social abjection and abject bodies are linked by the clique when they commit both relational and physical aggression against other girls. The article argues that the female clique film must be understood in terms of Alison Yarrow’s ‘bitchification’ – the failures of feminism in the later decades of the twentieth century.

Family predictors of sibling versus peer victimization.

Though peer victimization has received more attention than sibling victimization, they both have negative associations with mental health and may share common family origins. We explore whether there are common family characteristics (family climate, interparental conflict, parenting) in the prediction of sibling and peer victimization. We employ a nationally representative sample of U.S. children ages 5-17 (N = 2,659; 51% male, mean age = 10.60 years, 58% White). A telephone interview was conducted with a parent of children ages 5-9 and with children ages 10-17. Multinomial logistic regression showed that sibling and peer victimization are both associated with exposure to family adversity, family violence, and child maltreatment. Sibling victimization is also associated with inconsistent or harsh parenting. The odds ratios of the family characteristics of interest did not differ for sibling versus peer victimization, suggesting overlap in the family etiology of sibling and peer victimization. However, in this study, sibling victimization does appear to have unique associations to demographic characteristics; sibling victimization is most common in White and educated families. Knowledge of shared familial elements of sibling and peer victimization could benefit family violence and antibullying programs to promote positive interactions and lessen and stop aggression in both sibling and peer relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).