Aggressive Children (aggressive + child)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Childhood predictors of adult criminality: are all risk factors reflected in childhood aggressiveness?

CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 3 2002
L. Rowell Huesmann
Background Early aggressive behaviour is one of the best predictors of adult criminality. Aim To assess the degree to which family background variables, parental beliefs and behaviour and child intelligence predict child aggression and adult criminality. Method Data were used from the Colombia County Longitudinal Study, a longitudinal study of 856 children in third grade in New York, in 1959,60. Adult measures of criminal behaviour, child measures taken at age eight, child peer-nominated aggression, child's peer-nominated popularity, child's IQ and parental measures at eight years were used. Results Aggressive children were less intelligent, less popular, rejected more by their parents, had parents who believed in punishment, were less identified with their parents' self-image and were less likely to express guilt. As adults, more aggressive children with parents who were less well educated, experienced more marital disharmony and who seldom attended church were most at risk for arrest. However, after the effect of early aggression was controlled, most effects disappeared and only parents having a strong belief in punishment added significantly to risk of arrest by age 30; the only fact that then reduced the risk of arrest was having parents who attended church often. Both parental authoritarianism and child IQ reduced the risk of conviction for arrested children. Discussion Level of aggression at age eight is the best predictor of criminal events over the next 22 years. A clear implication is that the risk for criminality is affected by much that happens to a boy before he is eight years old. Preventive interventions need to target risk factors that appear to influence the development of early aggression. Copyright © 2002 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source]


Social cognition and moral cognition in bullying: what's wrong?

AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, Issue 6 2006
Gianluca Gini
Abstract Two different models have been proposed that describe the bully alternatively as a child lacking in social skills [Crick and Dodge, 1994], or as a cold manipulative individual, who leads gangs to achieve personal goals [Sutton et al., 1999a]. The present study examined the performance of 204 8,11-year-olds in a set of stories that assessed understanding of cognitions and emotions, in relation to their Participant Role in bullying. Moreover, children's understanding of moral emotions and proneness to moral disengagement was assessed. Victims showed some difficulties in the social cognition task, whereas bullies did not. Aggressive children, instead, were found to be more ready to show moral disengagement mechanisms, whereas defenders showed higher levels of moral sensibility. Results are discussed in relation to the two models, and the need for further research into empathy and moral cognition of children involved in bullying episodes is highlighted. Aggr. Behav. 32:528,539, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Unjustified aggression in preschool

AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, Issue 6 2002
C. Monks
Abstract This study investigates the nature of unjustified aggression in Spanish preschool children aged 4 to 6 years. Children were assigned to roles in aggression (Aggressor, Victim, Defender, Supporter, and Bystander) on the basis of peer, teacher, and self-nominations. The roles taken in aggression were examined in relation to individuals' physical strength, social status, and social development. The coping strategies used by victims were also examined. Aggressive children were found to be socially rejected. Defenders were found to be the most popular children in the class, which may place them better to defend others without fear of reprisal or they may gain their status from the act of defending others. The findings also indicate that young victims do not exhibit the characteristics of older victims (e.g., social rejection and physical weakness), which confirms findings with 4- to 6-year-olds in England [Monks et al. 2002a, 2002b]. It is suggested that these findings relate to the instability of victimisation at this age. Aggr. Behav. 28:458,476, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Aggressive behaviour and social problem-solving strategies: a review of the findings of a seven-year follow-up from childhood to late adolescence

CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 4 2001
Liisa Keltikangas-Järvinen PhD Professor
Objectives In a seven-year follow-up study, the author and colleagues examined the development of social skills from childhood to late adolescence, with a particular focus on aggressive behaviour. This paper presents a review of the most important findings of the project. Results and conclusions Social strategies explained aggressive behaviour, and changes of strategies predicted changes of behaviour. Aggressive behaviour was, however, very stable, and spontaneous change from an aggressive child to a sociable adolescent was not observed. This emphasizes an importance of early prevention of aggression. Disagreement between the children's and their parents' problem-solving strategies was apparent, suggesting that interventions to reduce a child's aggression should be augmented by educating the parents about their children's behaviour. The role of peers was important because the child's concept of his or her strategies was dependent on his or her social acceptance, and this should be taken into account in interventions. Finally, as approval or disapproval of aggression is related to behaviour, moral cognitions should be included in the interventions. Copyright © 2001 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source]


Childhood predictors of adult criminality: are all risk factors reflected in childhood aggressiveness?

CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 3 2002
L. Rowell Huesmann
Background Early aggressive behaviour is one of the best predictors of adult criminality. Aim To assess the degree to which family background variables, parental beliefs and behaviour and child intelligence predict child aggression and adult criminality. Method Data were used from the Colombia County Longitudinal Study, a longitudinal study of 856 children in third grade in New York, in 1959,60. Adult measures of criminal behaviour, child measures taken at age eight, child peer-nominated aggression, child's peer-nominated popularity, child's IQ and parental measures at eight years were used. Results Aggressive children were less intelligent, less popular, rejected more by their parents, had parents who believed in punishment, were less identified with their parents' self-image and were less likely to express guilt. As adults, more aggressive children with parents who were less well educated, experienced more marital disharmony and who seldom attended church were most at risk for arrest. However, after the effect of early aggression was controlled, most effects disappeared and only parents having a strong belief in punishment added significantly to risk of arrest by age 30; the only fact that then reduced the risk of arrest was having parents who attended church often. Both parental authoritarianism and child IQ reduced the risk of conviction for arrested children. Discussion Level of aggression at age eight is the best predictor of criminal events over the next 22 years. A clear implication is that the risk for criminality is affected by much that happens to a boy before he is eight years old. Preventive interventions need to target risk factors that appear to influence the development of early aggression. Copyright © 2002 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source]


School-based integrated and segregated interventions to reduce aggression

AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, Issue 4 2009
Zipora Shechtman
Abstract The goal of the study was to assess two types of school-based interventions,a class intervention (integrated) and a small group counseling (segregated) intervention for highly aggressive children,and to determine which is more efficacious in reducing individual and classroom aggression, lessening internalizing and externalizing behavior, and increasing positive classroom relationships. The study, conducted in Israel, included 904 children from 13 schools. In each school, one age level was selected and divided randomly into three experimental conditions: psychoeducational class intervention, small group counseling, and control. In all classrooms, the highly aggressive children were identified a priori (n=166). Analyses were conducted separately for the aggressive children and their nonaggressive classmates, in a nested procedure (mixed models). Results showed similar positive outcomes on all variables in both treatment groups, and higher compared with the control group. The discussion focuses on the strengths of each type of intervention. Aggr. Behav. 35:342,356, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Aggressive and prosocial children's emotion attributions and moral reasoning

AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, Issue 1 2009
Tina Malti
Abstract Aggressive and prosocial children's emotion attributions and moral reasoning were investigated. Participants were 235 kindergarten children (M=6.2 years) and 136 elementary-school children (M=7.6 years) who were selected as aggressive or prosocial based on (kindergarten) teacher ratings. The children were asked to evaluate hypothetical rule violations, attribute emotions they would feel in the role of the victimizer, and justify their responses. Compared with younger prosocial children, younger aggressive children attributed fewer negative emotions and were more likely to provide sanction-oriented justifications when evaluating rule violations negatively. Furthermore, age-, gender- and context-effects in moral development occurred. The context-effects included both effects of transgression type (i.e., prosocial morality vs. fairness) on emotion attributions and moral reasoning and the effects of the context of moral evaluation and emotion attribution on moral reasoning. Findings are discussed in terms of the role of emotion attributions and moral reasoning as antecedents of children's aggressive and prosocial behavior. Aggr. Behav. 35:90,102, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Presentation of aggressive children and adolescents to paediatric emergency departments

JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH, Issue 9 2003
P Birleson
No abstract is available for this article. [source]


Girls, Aggression, and Emotion Regulation

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 2 2005
Anne M. Conway PhD
Many studies have demonstrated that boys are more aggressive than girls (see J. D. Coie & K. Dodge, 1997, for a review) and that emotion regulation difficulties are associated with problematic behaviors (N. Eisenberg & R. A. Fabes, 1999; M. Gilliom, D. S. Shaw, J. E. Beck, M. A. Schonberg, & J. L. Lukon, 2002). However, recent findings indicate that gender differences in aggressive behaviors disappear when assessments are broadened to include relational aggression,behaviors designed to harm the relationship goals of others by spreading rumors, gossiping, and eliciting peer rejection of others. Moreover, although difficulties regulating emotions have been reported for physically aggressive children, little research has examined these processes in relationally aggressive children. This article argues that investigation into the associations between emotion regulation and relational aggression is a critical direction for future research on the etiology and prevention of mental health problems in girls. [source]


Effects of Aggression on Achievement: Does Conflict With the Teacher Make It Worse?

CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 6 2008
Deborah Stipek
This longitudinal study examined different explanations for negative associations between aggression and academic achievement using data collected from 403 children from low-income families followed from kindergarten or first grade (ages 6 and 7 years) through fifth grade (ages 10,11 years). Most results of growth curve analyses examining change over time and path analyses examining associations among the variables within grades were consistent with the hypothesis that the effect of aggression on achievement was partially mediated by the conflictual relationships relatively more aggressive children tended to develop with their teachers and concomitant reductions in engagement in academic tasks. The evidence suggested, however, that the relationship between aggression and achievement is complex and reciprocal. Gender differences were also observed. [source]