Aggressive Youth Research Articles

An evolutionary model for aggression in youth: Rethinking aggression in terms of the Catalyst Model

Like many areas of psychology, aggression research has been impacted by psychology's replication crisis. Until recently, aggression was understood largely from the perspective of social cognitive models, wherein aggression was conceptualized as learned scripts. However, more recent rigorous research has suggested that cognitive scripts may play only a small role in aggression. By contrast, genetic and evolutionary inputs are powerful and combine with both developmental and situational life stress to increase the risk for serious aggression. This article examines aggression from the Catalyst Model and how diathesis-stress approaches to understanding aggression can help reduce error in predicting clinically significant aggression. This article also addresses related issues of measurement error and smallest effect size of interest (SESOI) as they relate to aggression research.

Профилактика агрессии и деструктивного поведения молодёжи: анализ мирового опыта

This review presents a thesis analysis of the monograph «Prevention of aggression and destructive behavior of youth: analysis of international experience». The quality of the content is assessed, the main types of asociality are concluded (bullying, single acts of aggression in educational organizations, etc.). Also, an assessment is made of the compliance of research with advanced branches of science, and the coverage of this work in practice is implemented.
 The conclusions about the contribution of the authors to the study of the psychology of aggression and destructive behavior, as well as to the definition of practical areas of activity and approaches to the prevention of negative social impacts, are substantiated.

Understanding aggression in autism across childhood: Comparisons with a non-autistic sample.

As many as half of all autistic youth face challenges with aggression. And while research in this area is growing, the prevalence and characterization of aggressive behaviors across autistic development remains poorly understood. This lack of knowledge on the autistic experience is further clouded as aggression is rarely compared against non-autistic youth samples. To address this gap in the literature, the present study compared autistic children (N = 450) to non-autistic children (N = 432) on multiple caregiver-report measures of aggressive behavior and associated constructs (i.e., anger, disruptive behavior) across key developmental periods (<6, 6-12, 13-17 years) via a cross-sectional design. Outcomes indicated higher levels of verbal aggression and behavioral intensity for autistic youth across development. Further, autistic children under age 6 had more significant levels of physical aggression than non-autistic peers; however, these levels became equal to non-autistic peers as the youths aged. Implications for differences in the presence of aggressive behavior as well as possible treatment options for aggression are discussed.

The development of youth antisocial behavior across time and context: A systematic review and integration of person-centered and variable-centered research.

Trajectories of youth antisocial behavior (ASB) are characterized by continuity and change. Although numerous longitudinal studies have examined ASB, findings from person-centered and variable-centered research have not yet been integrated. The present paper integrates findings across statistical methods for a more comprehensive understanding of the development of ASB. Neighborhood disadvantage is considered as a core moderator. The study protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database of systematic reviews (registration number CRD42021255820). The PsycINFO and PubMed databases were examined (September 2022) to identify longitudinal studies of youth aggression and/or rule-breaking. Results from person-centered and variable-centered studies were integrated via narrative synthesis, and a systematic quality assessment was conducted. Of 8227 studies identified, 136 met inclusion criteria. Our review indicated that rule-breaking trajectories were largely distinguished by differences in rate of change (i.e., slope), whereas aggression trajectories differed more by baseline level (i.e., intercept), particularly in childhood. For adolescents in disadvantaged neighborhoods, however, aggression trajectories differed by both intercept and slope. The respective importance of the intercept and slope differed across dimensions of ASB, developmental stage, and neighborhood residence. Neighborhood disadvantage was associated with trajectories of aggression, consistent with developmental theories emphasizing the role of person-environment interactions.

Association Between Aggression and Differential Functional Activity of Neural Regions Implicated in Retaliation

The goal of the current study was to determine the extent to which atypical neural responsiveness during retaliation is associated with observed aggression in youth in residential care. This functional magnetic resonance imaging study involved 83 adolescents (56 male and 27 female; mean age, 16.18 years) in residential care performing a retaliation task. Of the 83 adolescents, 42 displayed aggressive behavior within the first 3 months of residential care, whereas 41 did not. During the retaliation task, participants were offered either fair or unfair divisions of $20 pots (allocation phase) and could either accept the offer or reject it, and, by spending $1, $2, or $3, punish the partner (retaliation phase). The study's main findings were that aggressive adolescent showed the following: reduced down-regulation of activity within regions involved in representing the expected value of choice options (left ventromedial prefrontal cortex and left posterior cingulate cortex) as a function of offer unfairness and retaliation level; and reduced recruitment of regions implicated in response control (right inferior frontal gyrus and bilateral anterior insular cortex) and associated fronto-parietal regions as a function of retaliation level. The aggressive adolescents were also significantly more likely to have been aggressive prior to residential care and showed a strong trend for increased retaliation on the task. We suggest that individuals with a greater propensity for aggression show reduced representation of the negative consequences of retaliation and associated reduced recruitment of regions potentially involved in over-ruling these negative consequences to engage in retaliation. We worked to ensure sex and gender balance in the recruitment of human participants. We worked to ensure that the study questionnaires were prepared in an inclusive way. We worked to ensure race, ethnic, and/or other types of diversity in the recruitment of human participants. We worked to ensure sex balance in the selection of non-human subjects. We actively worked to promote sex and gender balance in our author group. The author list of this paper includes contributors from the location and/or community where the research was conducted who participated in the data collection, design, analysis, and/or interpretation of the work. While citing references scientifically relevant for this work, we also actively worked to promote inclusion of historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science in our reference list. While citing references scientifically relevant for this work, we also actively worked to promote sex and gender balance in our reference list. We actively worked to promote inclusion of historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science in our author group.

The Differential Impact of Parenting on Adolescent Externalizing Behaviors in the Context of Maternal Stress.

The effectiveness of parenting on child outcomes may be dependent on other contextual factors. To date, few studies have focused on the potential moderating effect of maternal stress on the relationship between parenting and youth externalizing behaviors. This study extends prior work by assessing how the relationship between parenting and youth outcomes varies by the presence of maternal stress, while focusing on the developmental period of adolescence and two dimensions of parenting, parental knowledge and maternal warmth. Data were collected from 278 Mother-adolescent dyads (Madolescent age = 14.05; 53.2% females; 61.9% minority) on maternal stress, maternal warmth and parental knowledge, and youth aggression and delinquency. Multi-level regression models found significant two-way interactions between parental knowledge and maternal stress on aggression and between maternal warmth and maternal stress on both outcomes. Parental knowledge was associated with lower aggression in the context of high maternal stress, but warmth only attenuated the risk of youth outcomes among low maternal stress. This study highlights the importance of considering how contextual factors impact the relationship between parenting and youth externalizing behaviors.

A sociology of bullying: Placing youth aggression in social context

AbstractIn this paper we review the sociological literature on peer aggression among adolescents and demonstrate how it can form the basis of a new subfield in sociology on the subject of bullying. Although sociologists have mostly avoided the term bullying in classic works on adolescent aggression, these studies suggest that institutional social control, status hierarchies and social inequalities provide important social context for youth aggression. While historically they have not been in dialog with each other, when taken together sociological research on youth status relations and social networks, systemic bias, school culture and social ecology can lay the foundation of a sociology of bullying. We suggest that if sociologists see this work as shedding light on issues of bullying, they can begin to play a larger role in the shaping of the national conversation on bullying and influence anti‐bullying programs in schools to take better account of the social dimensions of bullying.

Predictors of Aggression, Disruptive Behavior, and Anger Dysregulation in Youths with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience difficulties related to aggression, disruptive behavior, and regulation of emotions that precipitate these behaviors (i.e., anger). The extent to which aggression, disruptive behaviors, and anger dysregulation are correlated with distinct or overlapping factors has not yet been explored. The present study examined whether aspects of participant demographics, individual youth functioning, caregiver stress, and family warmth contributed to youth aggression, disruptive behavior, and anger dysregulation. Participants were caregivers of 511 youths with ASD. Analyses revealed that significant proportions of variance in aggression, disruptive behaviors, and anger dysregulation were accounted for by shared variables pertaining to demographics, the individual youth, and caregiver stress. Implications of treatment and future research are discussed.

Finding a Needed Diagnostic Home for Children with Impulsive Aggression.

Aggressive behavior is one of the most common reasons for referrals of youth to mental health treatment. While there are multiple publications describing different types of aggression in children, it remains challenging for clinicians to diagnose and treat aggressive youth, especially those with impulsively aggressive behaviors. The reason for this dilemma is that currently several psychiatric diagnoses include only some of the common symptoms of aggression in their criteria. However, no single diagnosis or diagnostic specifier adequately captures youth with impulsive aggression (IA). Here we review select current diagnostic categories, including behavior and mood disorders, and suggest that they do not provide an adequate description of youth with IA. We also specifically focus on the construct of IA as a distinct entity from other diagnoses and propose a set of initial, provisional diagnostic criteria based on the available evidence that describes youth with IA to use for future evaluation.

Different whole-brain functional connectivity correlates of reactive-proactive aggression and callous-unemotional traits in children and adolescents with disruptive behaviors

BackgroundDisruptive behavior in children and adolescents can manifest as reactive aggression and proactive aggression and is modulated by callous-unemotional traits and other comorbidities. Neural correlates of these aggression dimensions or subtypes and comorbid symptoms remain largely unknown. This multi-center study investigated the relationship between resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) and aggression subtypes considering comorbidities. MethodsThe large sample of children and adolescents aged 8–18 years (n = 207; mean age = 13.30±2.60 years, 150 males) included 118 cases with disruptive behavior (80 with Oppositional Defiant Disorder and/or Conduct Disorder) and 89 controls. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety symptom scores were analyzed as covariates when assessing group differences and dimensional aggression effects on hypothesis-free global and local voxel-to-voxel whole-brain rsFC based on functional magnetic resonance imaging at 3 Tesla. ResultsCompared to controls, the cases demonstrated altered rsFC in frontal areas, when anxiety but not ADHD symptoms were controlled for. For cases, reactive and proactive aggression scores were related to global and local rsFC in the central gyrus and precuneus, regions linked to aggression-related impairments. Callous-unemotional trait severity was correlated with ICC in the inferior and middle temporal regions implicated in empathy, emotion, and reward processing. Most observed aggression subtype-specific patterns could only be identified when ADHD and anxiety were controlled for. ConclusionsThis study clarifies that hypothesis-free brain connectivity measures can disentangle distinct though overlapping dimensions of aggression in youths. Moreover, our results highlight the importance of considering comorbid symptoms to detect aggression-related rsFC alterations in youths.

Are perceived containment and coping styles differentially associated with reactive and proactive aggression?

Studies informing ways to target aggression in youth, particularly through the identification of internal patterns predictive of concurrent and future levels of aggression, could be particularly beneficial. To this end, the current study surveyed 216 elementary-aged children on topics of perceived containment (i.e., perceived ability of authority figures to control, limit, and set consequences for one's behaviors), coping responses, and reactive (RA) and proactive aggression (PA). Using multilevel modeling, the individual and interactive effects of coping responses and perceived containment on aggression within time and across two school years were examined. Within time, lower levels of perceived containment were associated with greater RA and PA. Passive coping was also positively associated with RA. The relation between perceived containment and RA within time was dependent on humor, whereas the relation between perceived containment and PA depended on problem-solving. Across time, while T1 passive coping predicted the trajectory of both functions of aggression, a greater number of T1 coping responses predicted the slope of RA with problem-solving and friend support-seeking as well as T1 perceived containment also predicting the trajectory of RA. No coping responses moderated the relation between T1 perceived containment and the trajectory of RA. In contrast, humor moderated the influence of T1 perceived containment and the trajectory of PA. Findings give insight into the ways internal processes of perceived containment and coping are associated with patterns of aggression in elementary-aged youth. This work is valuable in identifying several potential areas for prevention and intervention research.

Disaster Exposure and Temperament as Predictors of Adolescent Substance Use

ABSTRACT Objective Children who have been exposed to a natural disaster in their lifetime comprise a significant population with specific risks and vulnerabilities, particularly for at-risk youth. The goal of the current study was to examine the role that severity of disaster exposure plays in determining the timing of alcohol and marijuana use initiation and the frequency of use four years later in a sample of at-risk, aggressive youth exposed to a devastating tornado. Of further interest was the examination of the moderating effect of temperamental fear and inhibitory control. Method Three hundred and forty-six youth (M age = 11.33; 65% boys; 77.5% African-Americans, 18.3% Caucasian, 1.7% Hispanic) initially recruited for a prevention program for at-risk youth were followed for 4 years after a tornado. Cox PH regressions were conducted to predict timing of alcohol and marijuana use initiation. Zero-inflated negative binomial regressions were used to predict frequency of alcohol and marijuana use 4 years after the tornado. Results Disaster exposure severity was predictive of frequency of marijuana use four years after the tornado, but exposure alone was not predictive of initiation. Exposure severity predicted increases in risk for alcohol use initiation only for youth high in fear. Additionally, greater levels of inhibitory control protected youth from earlier alcohol use initiation. Conclusions Findings highlight a need to research the initiation and frequency of use for substances individually, while also assessing the needs of youth exposed to natural disasters with both their degree of disaster exposure and specific temperamental characteristics in mind.

Association between lower-level of environmental lead exposure and reactive and proactive aggression in youth: Sex differences

Lead exposure during childhood has been associated with a variety of negative outcomes, including antisocial/aggressive behavior. However, different subtypes of antisocial behavior have been found to have different neurobiological correlates, and it is unclear whether lead exposure is related to specific subtypes of aggressive behavior. The objective of the study was to examine relationships between childhood blood lead levels (BLL) and proactive and reactive aggression. Further, given prior findings of sex differences in the effects of lead exposure, we examine whether there are sex differences in these relationships. In a sample of 818 youth (47.2% girls) ages 10–13 in China, we assessed BLL and administered the Reactive Proactive Aggression Questionnaire. Results show that BLLs were associated with reactive, but not proactive aggression. There was a significant interaction between BLL and sex in predicting aggression; boys with higher BLL scored higher in both proactive and reactive aggression than boys with lower BLL, but these differences were not present for girls. These findings suggest that lead exposure may have broad effects on antisocial behavior, but that boys may be more susceptible than girls. These findings may provide insights to identifying protective factors that could be potential targets for intervention.

14.3 Psychopharmacology Management: Mood Instability and Impulsive Aggression in Youth With ASD

Children and adolescents with ASD are frequently referred for treatment of maladaptive behaviors, including aggression, self-injury, mood dysregulation, and irritability. Concern about the potential for harm to themselves and others in addition to the failure of behavioral interventions creates a need for evidence-based pharmacotherapy. Participants will review: 1) evidence-based pharmacological interventions that reduce the frequency and intensity of acute agitation, self-injurious behaviors, irritability, and impulsive aggression in youth with ASD; 2) safety strategies for outpatient visits; and 3) treatment options for patients with ASD and co-occurring conditions such as ADHD and bipolar disorder, which may be challenging due to side effects.

The Sanctuary Model: A Trauma-Responsive Environmental Model for Secure Residential Facilities Within the Juvenile Justice System

Exposure to trauma is considered a critical factor in explaining the onset and maintenance of youth aggression. Integrating trauma-responsive practices into the operations of youth-serving systems improves incarcerated youths’ adaptive functioning and ability to succeed when back in society and serves as an opportunity to reduce the likelihood of future aggression. The Sanctuary Model is an approach to organizational culture change based on the structural development of processes that facilitate trauma-responsiveness within a therapeutic community environment. The Colorado Division of Youth Services adopted the Sanctuary Model as part of the primary foundational organizational model of care in 2014. This conceptual article first describes the Sanctuary Model and discusses its implementation using Bowen and Murshid’s (2016) social justice and trauma-informed social policy framework. The article provides an analysis that leads to seven recommendations that will assist organizational leaders in justifying the model at every stage of implementation, including the ongoing sustainability of the practices.

Association between Bone Lead Concentration and Aggression in Youth from a Sub-Cohort of the Birth to Twenty Cohort.

Background: An association between blood-lead levels and aggression has been demonstrated in children and adolescent youth in South Africa. However, there are limited studies that have assessed aggression as an outcome for cumulative lead exposure using bone lead concentration. This study aims to assess the association between bone lead concentration and aggressive behaviour among a sample of youth in South Africa. Methods: Bone lead in 100 participants (53 males and 47 females) recruited and followed in the Birth to Twenty (BT20) Cohort were measured using 109 Cd-based, K-shell X-ray fluorescence (KXRF). The Buss–Perry Aggression questionnaire was used to measure aggressive behaviour. Linear regression models were fitted to determine the association between aggression score for physical, verbal, anger and hostility and bone lead, adjusting for known confounders. Results: A one-microgram-per-gram increase in bone lead was found to increase the score for all four scales of aggression, but significantly only for anger (β = 0.2 [95% CI 0.04–0.370]). Psychosocial factors such as a history of family violence and exposure to neighbourhood crime were significant predictors for aggression. Conclusions: The study provides a preliminary overview of the relationship between cumulative lead exposure and behavioural problems such as aggression. A larger sample, across exposed communities, may prove more definitive in further investigating the association between these two important public health factors and to maximize generalizability.

Reciprocal Relationships between Disrespect Sensitivity, Racial Discrimination, and Aggression in African American Youth

African American youth are more likely to experience racial discrimination, which contributes to greater sensitivity to disrespect and aggressive behavior. However, little is known about possible reciprocal relationships among discrimination, disrespect sensitivity, and aggression. This study investigated these reciprocal relationships and whether they vary by sex in predominantly African American youth. A total of 75 urban adolescents (52% female; 97% African American) reported on perceived disrespect sensitivity, racial discrimination, and aggression at two time points (average ages 16.1, SD = 1.11 and 17.8, SD = 1.14). Results from an autoregressive cross-lagged model indicated that racial discrimination at age 16 predicted greater disrespect sensitivity at age 18, whereas greater disrespect sensitivity predicted lower levels of racial discrimination over time. Analyses of sex differences showed that sensitivity to disrespect predicted lower levels of racial discrimination more strongly in females compared to males. These findings may inform interventions for African American adolescents who experience racial discrimination.

Longitudinal effects of Youth Empowerment Solutions: Preventing youth aggression and increasing prosocial behavior.

Youth violence remains a significant public health problem despite efforts to address it. We describe the evaluation results of Youth Empowerment Solutions (YES), an after-school active learning program implemented by trained local teachers and designed to engage middle school youth in multi-systematic promotive behaviors at the individual-, interpersonal-, and community-level to make lasting positive changes within the context of institutional disadvantages, such as racism. First, we used a modified randomized controlled trial design to examine the direct and indirect influence of YES on prosocial and delinquent behaviors 12 months after the conclusion of the program, through youth empowerment. Next, we evaluated these models by race, to determine if the intervention equitably promotes prosocial outcomes and decreases aggressive behaviors. Among 329 middle school students, YES participation enhanced prosocial behaviors through empowerment, and directly reduced aggressive behaviors a year after the conclusion of the program. This trend was particularly pronounced for African American youth. These effects were found after controlling for age, sex, and behavioral outcomes at baseline, and across different schools and teachers, suggesting that YES can also be sustainable and readily implemented by communities. The implications of the results for youth violence prevention, empowerment theory and intervention development and practice for ethnic minority youth who face structural disenfranchisement are discussed.

Association of the MAOA-uVNTR polymorphism with psychopathic traits may change from childhood to adolescence.

Psychopathic traits can lead to violence, making it a serious public health concern. Genetic factors contribute to the aetiology of psychopathy. We examined whether monoamine oxidase A (MAOA-uVNTR) was associated with psychopathic traits measured quantitatively from controls through clinically aggressive youth (n = 336). Subjects were sub-categorized into at or above, andbelow age 13years. Results reveal that males below age 13 were more likely to display psychopathic traits with the MAOA long variant, whereasmales above age 13yearsweremore likely to display withthe short variant. This suggests that developmental factors may be crucial for understanding the role of the MAOA polymorphism in psychopathic traits in males.

The Role of Family in Youth’s Moral Behavioral Development in Bangladesh: A Socio-economic Analysis at Dhaka City

This study examines the youth’s moral behavior role of family inspiration in Bangladesh. Most young people grow up with various problems, but some parents may want or need additional help to support their children, particularly in coping with issues that can become exacerbated during these teenage years. Parent-adolescent turmoil was supposed to be a normal occurrence triggered, in part, by raging hormones, dramatic physiological changes, re-emerging sexual impulses, and rapidly changing social expectations for the young. These research major findings are the majority of youths have lack self-confidence; modern technology affects the aggressive moral behavior of youths. Behavioral pattern and corrupt leaders and social system influence of youth’s illegal and anti-social activities. Low socioeconomic status increases the high rate of attempted suicides, smoking, and drinking. It can also lead to a high level of emotional behavior including anxiety, depression, mental disorder, aggression, and antagonism of youth’s moral behavior. Keywords: Moral behavior, Socio-economic status, Adolescents, parent’s child relationships, peer group. DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/117-03 Publication date: January 31 st 2022