Abstract
Little is known about factors that influence children’s attitudes toward aggression, despite evidence that these attitudes are influential in promoting violent behaviors. The purpose of the present research was to examine the relation of self, peer, and parent social factors to school-age children’s maladaptive attitudes toward aggression. Specifically, symptoms of depression, peer overt aggression behaviors, and perceptions of maternal and peer responses to anger were evaluated as important factors associated with the use of aggression. These factors were examined separately for boys and girls, as research has consistently documented gender differences in the form and use of aggression. Hierarchical regression models were computed separately for boys and girls in grades three through five (N = 167), with child-reported depression, peer-nominated overt aggression, and child-reported maternal and best friend responses to anger examined as predictors of maladaptive attitudes toward aggression. For girls, depressive symptoms positively predicted maladaptive attitudes toward aggression. For boys, the extent of peer-reported overt aggression (positively) and child-reported supportive maternal responses to the child’s anger (negatively) predicted maladaptive attitudes toward aggression. The value of examining social factors that relate to attitudes toward aggression is discussed as well as consideration of gender differences in these relations. In addition, discussion includes how these results highlight important targets for interventions that may be especially relevant for school-age girls and boys.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Archer, J. (2004). Sex differences in aggression in real-world settings: A meta-analytic review. Review of General Psychology, 8, 291–322.
Asarnow, J. R., & Callan, J. W. (1985). Boys with peer adjustment problems: Social cognitive processes. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 53, 80–87.
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Berkowitz, L. (1993). Aggression: Its causes, consequences, and control. New York, NY: Mcgraw-Hill Book Company.
Borbely, C. J., Graber, J. A., Nichols, T., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Botvin, G. J. (2005). Sixth graders’ conflict resolution in role plays with a peer, parent, and teacher. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 34, 279–291.
Bosson, J. K., Vandello, J. A., Burnaford, R. M., Weaver, J. R., & Wasti, S. A. (2009). Precarious manhood and displays of physical aggression. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35, 623–634.
Card, N. A., Stucky, B. D., Sawalani, G. M., & Little, T. D. (2008). Direct and indirect aggression during childhood and adolescence: A meta‐analytic review of gender differences, intercorrelations, and relations to maladjustment. Child Development, 79, 1185–1229.
Chaplin, T. M., & Aldao, A. (2013). Gender differences in emotion expression in children: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 139, 735–765.
Chisolm, D. J., Gardner, W., Julian, T., & Kelleher, K. J. (2008). Adolescent satisfaction with computer‐assisted behavioural risk screening in primary care. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 13, 163–168.
Coie, J. D., & Dodge, K. A. (1998). Aggression and antisocial behavior. In W. Damon, & N. Eisenberg (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology (pp. 779–862, 5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Crano, W. D., & Prislin, R. (2006). Attitudes and persuasion. Annual Review of Psychology, 57, 345–374.
Crick, N. R., & Dodge, K. A. (1994). A review and reformulation of social information-processing mechanisms in children’s social adjustment. Psychological Bulletin, 115, 74–101.
Crick, N. R., Casas, J. F., & Mosher, M. (1997). Relational and overt aggression in preschool. Developmental Psychology, 33, 579–588.
Crick, N. R., & Ladd, G. W. (1990). Children’s perceptions of the outcomes of social strategies: Do the ends justify being mean? Developmental Psychology, 26, 612–620.
Denham, S. A., & Grout, L. (1993). Socialization of emotion: Pathway to preschoolers’ emotional and social competence. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 17, 205–227.
Dhillon, M., & Babu, N. (2013). A qualitative study of Indian children’s perspectives on peer conflicts. Psychology & Developing Societies, 25, 367–392.
Dill, E. J., Vernberg, E. M., Fonagy, P., Twemlow, S. W., & Gamm, B. K. (2004). Negative affect in victimized children: The roles of social withdrawal, peer rejection, and attitudes toward bullying. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 32, 159–173.
Dodge, K. A., & Coie, J. D. (1987). Social-information-processing factors in reactive and proactive aggression in children’s peer groups. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53, 1146–1158.
Dodge, K. A., Coie, J. D., & Lynam, D. (2006). Aggression and antisocial behavior in youth. In W. Damon, & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology (pp. 437–472). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Eisenberg, N., Cumberland, A., & Spinrad, T. L. (1998). Parental socialization of emotion. Psychological Inquiry, 9, 241–273.
Evans, S. E., Davies, C., & DiLillo, D. (2008). Exposure to domestic violence: A meta-analysis of child and adolescent outcomes. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 13, 131–140.
Faulstich, M. E., Carey, M. P., Ruggiero, L., Enyart, P., & Gresham, F. (1986). Assessment of depression in childhood and adolescence: An evaluation of the center for epidemiological studies depression scale for children (CES-DC). The American Journal of Psychiatry, 143, 1024–1027.
Fendrich, M., Weissman, M. M., & Warner, V. (1990). Screening for depressive disorder in children and adolescents: Validating the center for epidemiologic studies depression scale for children. American Journal of Epidemiology, 131, 538–551.
Ferguson, C. J., San Miguel, C., & Hartley, R. D. (2009). A multivariate analysis of youth violence and aggression: The influence of family, peers, depression, and media violence. The Journal of Pediatrics, 155, 904–908.
Friedlmeier, W., Corapci, F., & Cole, P. M. (2011). Emotion socialization in cross‐cultural perspective. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 5, 410–427.
Fowler, P. J., Tompsett, C. J., Braciszewski, J. M., Jacques-Tiura, A. J., & Baltes, B. B. (2009). Community violence: A meta-analysis on the effect of exposure and mental health outcomes of children and adolescents. Development and Psychopathology, 21, 227–259.
Garside, R. B., & Klimes-Dougan, B. (2002). Socialization of discrete negative emotions: Gender differences and links with psychological distress. Sex Roles, 47, 115–128.
Giles, J. W., & Heyman, G. D. (2003). Preschoolers’ beliefs about the stability of antisocial behavior: Implications for navigating social challenges. Social Development, 12, 182–197.
Giles, J. W., & Heyman, G. D. (2005). Young children’s beliefs about the relationship between gender and aggressive behavior. Child Development, 76, 107–121.
Gouze, K. R. (1987). Attention and social problem solving as correlates of aggression in preschool males. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 15, 181–197.
Hinde, R. A. (1992). Developmental psychology in the context of other behavioral sciences. Developmental Psychology, 28, 1018–1029.
Howell, K. H., Graham-Bermann, S. A., Czyz, E., & Lilly, M. (2010). Assessing resilience in preschool children exposed to intimate partner violence. Violence and Victims, 25, 150–164.
Huesmann, L. R., & Guerra, N. G. (1997). Children’s normative beliefs about aggression and aggressive behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 408–419.
Keiley, M. K., Lofthouse, N., Bates, J. E., Dodge, K. A., & Pettit, G. S. (2003). Differential risks of covarying and pure components in mother and teacher reports of externalizing and internalizing behavior across ages 5 to 14. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 31, 267–283.
Klimes-Dougan, B., Brand, A., & Garside, R. B. (2001). Factor structure, reliability, and validity of an emotion socialization scale. In C. O’Neal (Chair), Multiple approaches to emotion socialization: Methodology and emotional development. Symposium conducted at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, San Francisco, CA.
Klimes‐Dougan, B., Pearson, T. E., Jappe, L., Mathieson, L., Simard, M. R., Hastings, P., & Zahn‐Waxler, C. (2014). Adolescent emotion socialization: A longitudinal study of friends’ responses to negative emotions. Social Development, 23, 395–412.
Kuryluk, A., Cohen, R., & Audley‐Piotrowski, S. (2011). The role of respect in the relation of aggression to popularity. Social Development, 20, 703–717.
LaFrance, M., Hecht, M. A., & Paluck, E. L. (2003). The contingent smile: A meta-analysis of sex differences in smiling. Psychological Bulletin, 129, 305–334.
Lam, J. A. (1989). School mediation program evaluation kit. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts.
Laursen, B., Finkelstein, B. D., & Betts, N. T. (2001). A developmental meta-analysis of peer conflict resolution. Developmental Review, 21, 423–449.
Magai, C., & O’Neal, C. R. (1997). Emotions as a child (child version). Brooklyn: Long Island University.
Masten, A. S., Morison, P., & Pellegrini, D. S. (1985). A Revised Class Play method of peer assessment. Developmental Psychology, 21, 523–533.
Maud, M. M., & De Mello, L. R. (1999). The development of the children’s attitudes towards aggression scale (CASS). Psychological Studies, 44, 103–111.
Merikangas, K. R., He, J. P., Brody, D., Fisher, P. W., Bourdon, K., & Koretz, D. S. (2010). Prevalence and treatment of mental disorders among US children in the 2001–2004 NHANES. Pediatrics, 125, 75–81.
Miller-Slough, R. L., & Dunsmore, J. C. (2016). Parent and friend emotion socialization in adolescence: Associations with psychological adjustment. Adolescent Research Review, 1, 1–19.
Morrow, M. T., Hubbard, J. A., Rubin, R. M., & McAuliffe, M. D. (2008). The relation between childhood aggression and depressive symptoms: The unique and joint mediating roles of peer rejection and peer victimization. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 54, 316–340.
Quiggle, N. L., Garber, J., Panak, W. F., & Dodge, K. A. (1992). Social information processing in aggressive and depressed children. Child Development, 63, 1305–1320.
Ramsden, S. R., & Hubbard, J. A. (2002). Family expressiveness and parental emotion coaching: Their role in children’s emotion regulation and aggression. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 30, 657–667.
Roberts, R. E., Lewinsohn, P. M., & Seeley, J. R. (1991). Screening for adolescent depression: A comparison of depression scales. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 30, 58–66.
Rubin, K. H., Bukowski, W. M., & Parker, J. G. (2006). Peer interactions, relationships, and groups. In N. Eisenberg, W. Damon, & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 3, Social, emotional, and personality development (pp. 571–645, 6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc.
von Salisch, M., & Vogelgesang, J. (2005). Anger regulation among friends: Assessment and development from childhood to adolescence. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 22, 837–855.
Schaeffer, C. M., Petras, H., Ialongo, N., Poduska, J., & Kellam, S. (2003). Modeling growth in boys’ aggressive behavior across elementary school: Links to later criminal involvement, conduct disorder, and antisocial personality disorder. Developmental Psychology, 39, 1020–1035.
Vernberg, E. M., Jacobs, A. K., & Hershberger, S. L. (1999). Peer victimization and attitudes about violence during early adolescence. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 28, 386–395.
Walker, Z. A. K., Oakley, L. L., & Townsend, J. L. (2000). Evaluating the impact of primary care consultations on teenage lifestyle: A pilot study. Methods of Information in Medicine, 39, 260–266.
Weissman, M. M., Orvaschel, H., & Padian, N. (1980). Children’s symptom and social functioning self-report scales comparison of mothers’ and children’s reports. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 168, 736–740.
Zahn-Waxler, C. (2000). The development of empathy, guilt, and internalization of distress: Implications for gender differences in internalizing and externalizing problems. In R. Davidson (Ed.), Wisconsin symposium on emotion: Vol. I. anxiety, depression, and emotion (pp. 222–265). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Zeman, J., & Shipman, K. (1997). Social-contextual influences on expectancies for managing anger and sadness: The transition from middle childhood to adolescence. Developmental Psychology, 33, 917–924.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Ethical Approval
All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
Informed Consent
Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Barnes, S.E., Howell, K.H., Thurston, I.B. et al. Children’s Attitudes toward Aggression: Associations with Depression, Aggression, and Perceived Maternal/Peer Responses to Anger. J Child Fam Stud 26, 748–758 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-016-0612-5
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-016-0612-5