Effects of Preschool Children's Gender, Temperament, Emotional Regulation and Maternal Parenting Stress on Children's Overt Aggression and Relational Aggression

Abstract

The purposes of this study were (1) to explore the gender differences in children's overt aggression and relational aggression and (2) to investigate the effects of preschool children's gender, temperament, emotional regulation, and maternal parenting stress on overt aggression and relational aggression. The participants were 173 preschool children and their mothers from three day care center and two kindergarten in Seoul and Gyeong-gi province. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, correlations, and multiple regressions. The results were as follows: (1) There was statistically significant gender difference in preschool children's overt aggression, but there was statistically no significant gender difference in preschool children's relational aggression. Boys displayed more overt aggression than girls. (2) Preschool children's emotional regulation and activity explained children's overt aggression and relational aggression. When preschool children expressed more emotional regulation, they showed less overt aggression and relational aggression. Preschool children, who perceived having more activity from mothers, diaplayed more overt aggression and relational aggression. Gender was found to affect preschool children's overt aggression.

The Relationship Between Emotional Regulation Skills and the Adaptability to the Classes of Children

“…In addition, children's ability to properly manage their emotions contributes to help children respond appropriately to the environment and to establish functional social relationships (Denham et al, 2003; Rydell, Berlin, & Bohlin, 2003); in pursuit of personal goals, on the other hand, failure to acquire successful coping strategies with stimulating contexts can contribute to adaptation difficulties characterized as emotional and inadequate behavioral or excessive control and which exacerbate clinical and related externalization or internalization problems (for examination, see Calkins & Hill, 2007; Mullin & Hinshaw, 2007). The studies discussed in this context show that experiencing negative emotions with high levels and also being unsuccessful in emotional regulation is associated with problem behaviors such as externalization (such as aggression, risk-taking, and hyperactivity) and internalization and show that the development of emotional regulation skills plays a crucial role in reducing the problem behavior of these children (Arı & Yaban, 2016; Blandon, Calkins, Grimm, Keane, & O'Brien, 2010; Calkins & Fox, 2002; Calkins, Smith, Gill & Johnson, 1998; Chang, Schwartz, Dodge, & McBride-Chang, 2002; Cicchetti, Ackerman, & Izard, 1995; Hanish et al, 2004; Helmsen et al, 2012; Helmsen, Koglin, & Peterman, 2012; Hill, Degnan, Calkins, & Keane, 2006; Jun Ah, Yoonjoo, & Jihyun, 2014; Miller et al, 2006; Ramsden & Hubbard, 2002; Romanchych, 2014; Rothbart & Bates, 2006; Rubin et al, 1995; Rubin, Coplan, Fox, & Calkins, 1995; Ural, Güven, Sezer, Efe-Azkeskin, & Yılmaz, 2015). These research results show that children with low emotional regulation skills experience behavioral problems in the classroom, and this influences their classroom adaptation.…”

Emotional regulation and aggression in children: The regulatory role of Turkish mothers' emotion socialization reactions

“…It is known that children who cannot deal constructively with their anger show more externalizing symptoms (Zeman et al, 2002) and that children who have difficulty dealing with their negative emotions use ineffective strategies to resolve their emotional and behavioral problems (Jones et al, 2002; Rogers et al, 2016). However, many studies have shown that the development of emotional regulation skills in preschool children plays an important role in reducing their aggression (Blandon et al, 2010; Chang et al, 2003; Hanish et al, 2004; Helmsen et al, 2012; Jun Ah et al, 2014; Miller et al, 2006; Ramsden & Hubbard, 2002; Roberton et al, 2012; Röll et al, 2012; Romanchych, 2014).…”

“…Emotionally vulnerable young children are easily irritated and can sometimes perceive well‐intended actions as aggression and respond to such actions with aggressive behavior of their own (Goleman, 2018). Much research (Arı & Yaban, 2016; Blandon et al, 2010; Chang et al, 2003; Hanish et al, 2004; Helmsen et al, 2012; Jun Ah et al, 2014; Miller et al, 2006; Ramsden & Hubbard, 2002; Romanchych, 2014; Ural et al, 2015) has found that the development of emotional regulation skills in preschool children plays an important role in reducing aggressive behavior. Moreover, it has been found that the development of emotional regulating skills is important because it enables preschool children to manage their emotions appropriately, and it plays a crucial role in reducing and preventing aggression (August et al, 2017; Landy & Menna, 2001).…”

“…Many studies have shown that children's emotional regulation skills influence aggressive behavior (Blandon et al, 2010; Chang et al, 2003; Hanish et al, 2004; Helmsen, et al, 2012; Jun Ah et al, 2014; Miller et al, 2006; Ramsden & Hubbard, 2002; Roberton et al, 2012; Röll et al, 2012; Romanchych, 2014) and that parents' emotional socialization responses are effective on children's aggressive behavior (Chaplin et al, 2005; Denham et al, 2010; Duncombe et al, 2012; Hastings & De, 2008; Havighurst et al, 2010; McElwain et al, 2007; Nelson & Boyer, 2018; Newland & Crnic, 2011; Perry et al, 2012; Rogers et al, 2016; Shewark & Blandon, 2015; Tao et al, 2010; Zahn‐Waxler, 2010). However, no research could be found that investigated how the emotional regulation skills of children influence the emotional socialization responses of mothers and that investigated the mediating role of the emotional socialization responses of mothers between emotional regulation and aggressive behavior.…”

The Study of the Aggression Levels of Preschool Children in Terms of Emotion Expression and Emotion Regulation

“…Okul öncesi dönem çocuklarının duygu düzenleme becerilerinin gelişiminin, bu çocukların fiziksel saldırganlık düzeylerini azaltmada çok önemli bir rol oynadığını ortaya koyan pek çok çalışma (Arı ve Yaban, 2016;Blandon, Calkins, Grimm, Keane ve O'Brien, 2010;Calkins, Smith, Gill ve Johnson, 1998;Chang vd., 2002;Cicchetti, Ackerman ve Izard, 1995;Hanish vd., 2004;Helmsen, Koglin ve Peterman, 2012;Romanchych, 2014;Rubin, Coplan, Fox ve Calkins, 1995;Ural vd., 2015) bulunmaktadır. Bununla birlikte duygu düzenleme becerilerinin gelişiminin çocukların ilişkisel saldırganlıkları ile ilişkisi sınırlı sayıda çalışmada (Arı ve Yaban, 2016;Ostrov vd., 2013;Jun Ah, Yoonjoo ve Jihyun, 2014;Mihic, Novak, Basic ve Nix, 2016) ele alınmıştır. Oysa yapılan çeşitli araştırmalarda (Ostrov, Ries, Stauffacher, Godleski ve Mullins, 2008;Murray Close ve Ostrov, 2009) çocuklarda gözlenen ilişkisel saldırganlık ile fiziksel saldırganlık arasında yüksek düzeyde ve pozitif yönde ilişkili bulunmuştur.…”