Continuity and change in social and physical aggression from middle childhood through early adolescence

Abstract

For a sample followed from age 9–13 (N=281), this investigation examined developmental trajectories for social and physical aggression as measured by teacher ratings. Trajectories for both forms of aggression were estimated first separately, then jointly. Mean levels of both social and physical aggression decreased over time for the overall sample, but with high variability of individual trajectories. Subgroups followed high trajectories for both social and physical aggression. Joint estimation yielded six trajectories: low stable, low increasers, medium increasers, medium desisters, high desisters, and high increasers. Membership in the high increaser group was predicted by male gender, unmarried parents, African American ethnicity, and maternal authoritarian and permissive parenting. Permissive parenting also predicted membership in the medium increaser group. This is one of the first studies to examine social aggression longitudinally across this developmental period. Though the results challenge the claim that social aggression is at its peak in early adolescence, the findings emphasize the importance of considering different developmental trajectories in trying to understand origins and outcomes of aggression.

Early Puberty, Negative Peer Influence, and Problem Behaviors in Adolescent Girls

“…The transient association of early puberty with physical aggression may be explained by generally low and decreasing levels of physical aggression in adolescent girls. 27 Consistent with some previous research, 28 early puberty was not related to relational and nonphysical aggression.…”

Do human females use indirect aggression as an intrasexual competition strategy?

“…The use of indirect aggression also increases with age [22,[38][39][40] and is used at a similar rate [41] by females during adolescence [22] and young adulthood [33]. The fact that indirect aggression is primarily used by teenage girls and young women, who direct their aggression at same-sex peers, is in keeping with the hypothesis that indirect aggression is used in the context of competing for mates.…”

The Peer Aggressive and Reactive Behaviors Questionnaire (PARB-Q): evidence of validity in the Brazilian context

“…3,18 With regard to their reactions to aggressive behavior, boys and girls may use different strategies. 19 Recent studies have suggested that searching for support, avoiding the aggressor, and retaliation are strategies commonly used by children when they are victims of aggression from their peers.…”