Associations of students' self-reports of their teachers' verbal aggression, intrinsic motivation, and perceptions of reasons for discipline in Greek physical education classes.

PubMed

Bekiari, Alexandra; Kokaridas, Dimitrios; Sakellariou, Kimon

2006-04-01

In this study were examined associations among physical education teachers' verbal aggressiveness as perceived by students and students' intrinsic motivation and reasons for discipline. The sample consisted of 265 Greek adolescent students who completed four questionnaires, the Verbal Aggressiveness Scale, the Lesson Satisfaction Scale, the Reasons for Discipline Scale, and the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory during physical education classes. Analysis indicated significant positive correlations among students' perceptions of teachers' verbal aggressiveness with pressure/ tension, external reasons, introjected reasons, no reasons, and self-responsibility. Significant negative correlations were noted for students' perceptions of teachers' verbal aggression with lesson satisfaction, enjoyment/interest, competence, effort/importance, intrinsic reasons, and caring. Differences between the two sexes were observed in their perceptions of teachers' verbal aggressiveness, intrinsic motivation, and reasons for discipline. Findings and implications for teachers' type of communication were also discussed and suggestions for research made.

The relationships among perceived peer acceptance of sexual aggression, punishment certainty, and sexually aggressive behavior.

PubMed

Strang, Emily; Peterson, Zoë D

2013-12-01

Researching the correlates of men's sexually aggressive behavior (i.e., verbal coercion and rape) is critical to both understanding and preventing sexual aggression. This study examined 120 men who completed an anonymous online questionnaire. The study aimed to determine the relative importance of two potential correlates of men's self-reported use of sexual aggression: (a) perceptions that male peers use and support sexual aggression and (b) perceptions of punishment likelihood associated with sexual aggression. Results revealed that perceptions of male friends' acceptance of sexual aggression were strongly associated with individual men's reports of using verbal coercion and rape. Perceptions of punishment likelihood were negatively correlated with verbal coercion but not with rape through intoxication and force. Implications for sexual aggression prevention are discussed.

Workplace aggression, psychological distress, and job satisfaction among Palestinian nurses: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Jaradat, Yousef; Nielsen, Morten Birkeland; Kristensen, Petter; Nijem, Khaldoun; Bjertness, Espen; Stigum, Hein; Bast-Pettersen, Rita

2016-11-01

Nurses can be exposed to aggressive behavior from patients, patient's relatives, colleagues and visitors. To determine the prevalence of workplace aggression among Palestinian nurses in the Hebron district and to examine cross-sectional associations between exposure to workplace aggression and the occurrence of psychological distress and job satisfaction. Of 372 nurses eligible for the study, 343 were included (response rate of 92.2%). The sample comprised 62% females and 38% males. The participants responded to questions about their socio-demographic status, workplace aggression (WHO questionnaires), psychological distress (General Health Questionnaire, GHQ-30), and job satisfaction (Generic Job Satisfaction Scale). Ninety-three (27.1%) of the respondents reported exposure to workplace aggression of any kind. Seventeen (5%) reported exposure to physical aggression, 83 (24.2%) reported exposure to verbal aggression, and 25 (7.3%) reported exposure to bullying. The patients and the patients' relatives were the main sources of physical and verbal aggression, whereas colleagues were the main source of bullying. Males reported a higher prevalence of bullying than females. Younger nurses reported a higher prevalence of exposure to physical aggression, verbal aggression and bullying. Verbal aggression was associated with more psychological distress. Bullying was associated with lower job satisfaction. More than a quarter of the nurses reported that they had been subject to some sort of aggression at the workplace. Verbal aggression was associated with higher psychological distress. Workplace bullying was associated with lower job satisfaction. Increased awareness and preventive measures to address this problem among health care workers are warranted. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Identification of Teasing among Students as an Indispensable Step towards Reducing Verbal Aggression in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Psunder, Mateja

2010-01-01

Surveys have confirmed the ubiquity of aggression in schools, and verbal aggression is not an exception. The identification of teasing as a frequent form of verbal aggression is an indispensable step towards diminishing it. The purpose of this study was to investigate teasing among primary school students in Slovenia. The research showed that…

Husbands' and Wives' Marital Adjustment, Verbal Aggression, and Physical Aggression as Longitudinal Predictors of Physical Aggression in Early Marriage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schumacher, Julie A.; Leonard, Kenneth E.

2005-01-01

Marital adjustment, verbal aggression, and physical aggression have long been associated in the marital literature, but the nature of their associations remains unclear. In this study, the authors examined these 3 constructs as risk factors for physical aggression during the first 2 years of marriage in 634 couples recruited as they applied for…

Patient initiated aggression - prevalence and impact for general practice staff.

PubMed

Herath, Pushpani; Forrest, Laura; McRae, Ian; Parker, Rhian

2011-06-01

Patient initiated aggression toward general practice staff can cause distress among staff, however, it is unknown how frequently practice staff experience patient aggression in the workplace. The aim of this study is to determine the national prevalence of patient aggression toward general practice staff. A clustered cross sectional survey involving general practice staff working in Australia. A questionnaire was posted to 1109 general practices nationally and 217 questionnaires were completed and returned (19.6% response rate). It was found that verbal aggression is commonly experienced by practice staff, particularly receptionists, whereas physical aggression is infrequent. Staff working in larger practices experience more verbal aggression and property damage or theft and it was reported that verbal aggression has a greater impact on staff wellbeing than physical aggression. This study provides some national evidence of the prevalence of patient aggression toward general practice staff. This may inform the development of policy and procedures.

Magnitude, types and sex differentials of aggressive behaviour among school children in a rural area of West Bengal.

PubMed

Dutt, Debashis; Pandey, Girish Kumar; Pal, Dipak; Hazra, Suprakas; Dey, Tushar Kanti

2013-04-01

Aggression affects academic learning and emotional development, can damage school climate and if not controlled early and may precipitate extreme violence in the future. (1) To determine the magnitude and types of aggressive behavior in school children. (2) To identify the influence of age and sex on aggressive behavior. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Anandanagar High School, Singur village, West Bengal. Participants were 161 boys and 177 girls of classes VII to IX. The students were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire indicating the types of aggressive behavior by them in the previous month and to assess themselves with reference to statements indicating verbal/physical aggression. Overall, 66.5% of the children were physically aggressive in the previous month: Boys 75.8%, girls 58.2% (P = 0.001); 56.8% were verbally aggressive: Boys 55.2%, girls 61% (P = 0.97). Verbal indirect passive aggression was more common among girls (55.3%) than among boys (22.3%) (P = 0.000 [1.17E(-09)]). Boys were more liable to physical aggression, viz. 60.2% of the boys would hit on provocation compared with only 9% of the girls (P = 0.000 [6.6E(-23)]). Regarding attributes indicating verbal aggression, girls were more argumentative (63.8%) than boys (55.2%) (P = 0.134) and disagreeing (41.8%) compared with boys (33.5%) (P = 0.145). With increasing age/class, physical direct active aggression decreased while physical indirect passive and verbal indirect passive aggression increased. No classes had been taken on anger control/management by school the authorities. Aggressive behavior was common both among boys and girls. Life skills education/counseling/classroom management strategies are recommended.

Sexual coercion, verbal aggression, and condom use consistency among college students.

PubMed

Fair, Cynthia D; Vanyur, Jennifer

2011-01-01

The relationship between condom use and 2 less visible categories of intimate partner violence (IPV), sexual coercion and verbal aggression, was examined among college students. In March 2007 a random cross-sectional sample of undergraduates from the southeast region of the United States was taken to collect information about sexual coercion and verbal aggression, in addition to condom use consistency. Alcohol use was also assessed. Of the 142 participants, 31.7% reported being victims of sexual coercion, and 78% reported having verbally aggressive partners. Participants who reported experiencing sexual coercion in their relationship were significantly less likely to consistently use condoms. Additionally, alcohol use before or during episodes of verbal aggression was negatively associated with condom use. Alcohol use was also significantly associated with heightened incidents of coercion and aggression. Results indicate that among college students, the presence of sexual coercion adversely affects condom use, as does alcohol use.

The prevalence of verbal aggression against nurses.

PubMed

McLaughlin, Sue; Gorley, Lyn; Moseley, Laurence

There have been many anecdotal and press reports of verbal aggression against nurses. The authors undertook a structured review of the published literature on the topic. They found that no consistent definitions or time periods had been used, a consistent estimate of prevalence was impossible to establish, studies had been retrospective, and the commonest form of measurement had been self-report. There had been no culmination of replicable knowledge. The claim of most studies is that verbal aggression is commonplace in nursing. The best available evidence suggests that verbal aggression is often viewed as 'part of the job'. Consequences can range from emotional effects such as anger and humiliation, through to intent to leave the profession and for some it may have a negative psychological impact. Further research is needed to investigate the multi-faceted nature of verbal aggression. This must be guided by clear definitions and incorporate standardized measures of the effects of verbal aggression so that nurses can compare findings and fully understand all of the complexities and consequences.

The Effects of Maternal Verbal Aggression on the Adult Child's Future Romantic Relationships.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weber, Keith; Patterson, Brian R.

1997-01-01

Considers maternal verbal aggression and its effects on the adult-children's romantic relationships later in life. Introduces solidarity, emotional support, and relationship quality as rational outcomes and uses them to evaluate the effects of maternal verbal aggression on relationships. Indicates undergraduate students who report receiving high…

Enhancing the Assessment of Verbal Aggression through Observational Methodology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Dulmen, Manfred H. M.; Mata, Andrea D.; Klipfel, Katherine M.

2012-01-01

The assessment of verbal aggression in adolescent and young adult dating relationships has largely relied on self-report methodology. We investigated whether information on verbal aggression derived from an observational assessment would enhance the prediction of romantic relationship satisfaction and dissolution in a sample of young adult dating…

The relationship between students' self-reported aggressive communication and motives to communicate with their instructors.

PubMed

Edwards, Chad; Myers, Scott A

2010-02-01

Using a convenience sample, 172 college students' (M age = 20.2 yr., SD = 2.5) motives for communicating with their instructors and their own verbal aggressiveness and argumentativeness were studied using the Argumentativeness Scale, the Verbal Aggressiveness Scale, and the Student Motives to Communicate Scale. Significant negative relationships were obtained between students' self-reports of argumentativeness and the sycophantic motive and between students' self-reports of verbal aggressiveness and the functional motive, but generally, students' motives to communicate with their instructors generally were not associated with their self-reported aggressive communication behaviors.

Shame versus trauma-related guilt as mediators of the relationship between PTSD symptoms and aggression among returning veterans.

PubMed

Crocker, Laura D; Haller, Moira; Norman, Sonya B; Angkaw, Abigail C

2016-07-01

It is well established that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with various forms of aggression, though the mechanisms by which PTSD is related to aggression are not fully understood. Some research suggests that the tendency to experience shame, but not guilt, contributes to aggression in individuals with a history of interpersonal trauma. This study tested the hypothesis that trait shame but not trauma-related guilt would mediate the relationship between PTSD symptoms and verbal and physical aggression in veterans with combat/military-related trauma seeking PTSD treatment. In a sample of 127 returning veterans (95% male, mean age = 32.93), negative binomial path analyses tested multiple mediational models in which shame versus trauma-related guilt (separate models entered the effects of global guilt, guilt cognitions, and guilt distress) were examined as mediators of PTSD symptoms on verbal and physical aggression separately. Results indicated that shame partially mediated the association of PTSD symptoms with verbal aggression but not physical aggression when accounting for trauma-related guilt. Although PTSD symptoms were associated with higher scores on all aspects of trauma-related guilt, guilt did not significantly mediate relations between PTSD symptoms and verbal or physical aggression when accounting for shame. These results indicate that it is worthwhile to examine whether addressing shame in PTSD treatment may also reduce verbal aggression in returning veterans. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Televised Violence and Related Variables as Predictors of Self-Reported Verbal Aggression.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whaley, A. Bennett

1982-01-01

Results of this study indicate that no relationship was found between the respondents' verbal aggression and their viewing of either physical or verbal violence on television; no association was found between their aggressive predisposition and television viewing habits; and no association was found between their gender and preference for violent…

The Effects of Forensics Training on Verbal Aggression and Argumentativeness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colbert, Kent R.; Dorff, Todd

A study focused on the effects of forensic participation on two specific traits--argumentativeness and verbal aggression. Two hundred eighty-one high school forensic students participating at a large western forensic tournament in the beginning of the 1990 academic year completed D. A. Infante's Argumentative and Verbal Aggression Scales. Results…

Associations between Parental Psychological Control and Relational Aggression in Children and Adolescents: A Multilevel and Sequential Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuppens, Sofie; Laurent, Laura; Heyvaert, Mieke; Onghena, Patrick

2013-01-01

Youth aggression has been associated with negative parenting practices, but previous research about this association has mainly focused on physical and verbal aggression. Because more subtle forms of aggression are considered at least as harmful as their physical and verbal counterparts, there is a growing scientific interest in parenting…

A Daily Process Examination of the Temporal Association Between Alcohol Use and Verbal and Physical Aggression in Community Couples

PubMed Central

Testa, Maria; Derrick, Jaye L.

2014-01-01

Alcohol use has been associated with intimate partner aggression perpetration and victimization; however, much of the evidence is based on survey research. Few studies have addressed the proximal effects of drinking episodes on the subsequent occurrence of partner aggression. The current study used daily diary methodology to consider the daily and temporal association between drinking episodes and episodes of partner verbal and physical aggression among a community sample of married and cohabiting couples (N = 118). Male and female partners each provided 56 days of independent daily reports of drinking and partner conflict episodes, including verbal and physical aggression, using interactive voice response technology. Dyadic data analyses, guided by the actor-partner interdependence model, were conducted using hierarchical generalized linear modeling with multivariate outcomes. Daily analyses revealed that alcohol consumption was associated with perpetration of verbal and physical aggression the same day, but not with victimization. Temporal analyses revealed that the likelihood of perpetrating verbal and physical aggression, and the likelihood of being verbally and physically victimized, increased significantly when alcohol was consumed in the previous four hours. Findings did not differ according to gender of perpetrator or victim, and the interaction between perpetrator and victim's alcohol use was not significant in any analysis. The study provides clear evidence that, within a sample of community couples without substance-use disorders or other psychopathology, alcohol consumption by men and women contributes to the occurrence of partner aggression episodes. PMID:24341618

Teacher Reports of Verbal Aggression in School Settings among Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Gregory Gordon

2012-01-01

Results from state and national surveys suggest that behaviors such as cursing at others, verbal threats, and intimidation are among the most prevalent forms of aggression on school campuses. A behavior that attacks a person's self-concept to cause psychological harm, Verbal Aggression (VA) leads to many undesirable outcomes for both the victim…

Adolescents’ Aggression to Parents: Longitudinal Links with Parents’ Physical Aggression

PubMed Central

Margolin, Gayla; Baucom, Brian R.

2014-01-01

Purpose To investigate whether parents’ previous physical aggression (PPA) exhibited during early adolescence is associated with adolescents’ subsequent parent-directed aggression even beyond parents’ concurrent physical aggression (CPA); to investigate whether adolescents’ emotion dysregulation and attitudes condoning child-to-parent aggression moderate associations. Methods Adolescents (N = 93) and their parents participated in a prospective, longitudinal study. Adolescents and parents reported at waves 1–3 on four types of parents’ PPA (mother-to-adolescent, father-to-adolescent, mother-to-father, father-to-mother). Wave 3 assessments also included adolescents’ emotion dysregulation, attitudes condoning aggression, and externalizing behaviors. At waves 4 and 5, adolescents and parents reported on adolescents’ parent-directed physical aggression, property damage, and verbal aggression, and on parents’ CPA Results Parents’ PPA emerged as a significant indicator of adolescents’ parent-directed physical aggression (odds ratio [OR]: 1.25, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.0–1.55; p = .047), property damage (OR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.1–1.5, p = .002), and verbal aggression (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.15–1.6, p < .001) even controlling for adolescents’ sex, externalizing behaviors, and family income. When controlling for parents’ CPA, previous mother-to-adolescent aggression still predicted adolescents’ parent-directed physical aggression (OR: 5.56, 95% CI: 1.82–17.0, p = .003), and father-to-mother aggression predicted adolescents’ parent-directed verbal aggression (OR: 1.86, 95% CI: 1.0–3.3, p = .036). Emotion dysregulation and attitudes condoning aggression did not produce direct or moderated effects. Conclusions Adolescents’ parent-directed aggression deserves greater attention in discourse about lasting, adverse effects of even minor forms of parents’ physical aggression. Future research should investigate parent-directed aggression as an early signal of aggression into adulthood. PMID:25037891

The effects of alcohol, emotion regulation, and emotional arousal on the dating aggression intentions of men and women.

PubMed

Stappenbeck, Cynthia A; Fromme, Kim

2014-03-01

Verbal and physical dating aggression is prevalent among college-aged men and women, especially a pattern of mutual aggression in which both partners engage in aggression. Alcohol intoxication and anger arousal have been implicated in the occurrence of aggression, and the ability to regulate one's emotions may interact with both alcohol intoxication and emotional arousal to predict dating aggression. The current study is the first known experimental investigation to examine the effects of alcohol intoxication, alcohol expectancies, emotion regulation, and emotional arousal on dating aggression. Participants were randomized to receive alcohol (n = 48), placebo (n = 48), or no alcohol (n = 48). Intoxicated men and women expressed more verbal and physical aggression intentions than those in the no-alcohol condition, and individuals in the placebo condition did not significantly differ from those in the alcohol and no-alcohol conditions. These results suggest that the pharmacological effects of alcohol were important to the occurrence of dating aggression, whereas the effects of expectancy are less clear. Among those less able to engage in cognitive reappraisal, individuals who consumed or believed they consumed alcohol expressed more verbal and physical aggression intentions than those who received no alcohol. Those with higher arousal who were better able to suppress their emotions expressed fewer verbal and physical aggression intentions than those with lower arousal. In addition to reducing alcohol consumption, interventions for dating aggression might incorporate emotion regulation skills, with a focus on understanding the circumstances in which cognitive reappraisal and emotion suppression are relatively more effective. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

Aggression after traumatic brain injury: analysing socially desirable responses and the nature of aggressive traits.

PubMed

Dyer, Kevin F W; Bell, Rob; McCann, John; Rauch, Robert

2006-10-01

To compare patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) with controls on sub-types of aggression and explore the role of social desirability. Quasi-experimental, matched-participants design. Sixty-nine participants were included in the study. The sample comprised a TBI group (n = 24), a spinal cord injury (SCI) group (n = 21) and an uninjured (UI) group of matched healthy volunteers (n = 24). Participants were given self-report measures of aggression, social desirability and impulsivity. Sixty-one independent 'other-raters' were nominated, who rated participant pre-morbid and post-morbid aggression. Using standardized norms, 25-39% of participants with TBI were classified as high average-very high on anger and 35-38% as high average-very high on verbal aggression. Other-raters rated participants with TBI as significantly higher on verbal aggression than SCI and UI participants. There were no differences between the groups on physical aggression. The TBI group also had higher levels of impulsivity than SCI and UI groups. Social desirability was a highly significant predictor of self-reported aggression for the entire sample. Impulsive verbal aggression and anger are the principal aggressive traits after brain injury. Physical aggression may present in extreme cases after TBI, but appears less prominent overall in this population. Social desirability, previously overlooked in research examining TBI aggression, emerged as an influential variable that should be considered in future TBI research.

The Role of Technologies, Behaviors, Gender, and Gender Stereotype Traits in Adolescents' Cyber Aggression.

PubMed

Wright, Michelle F

2017-03-01

The present study focused on the impact of gender and gender stereotype traits (i.e., masculinity, femininity) on cyber aggression perpetration utilizing different technologies (i.e., social-networking sites, gaming consoles, mobile phones) and behaviors (i.e., cyber relational aggression, cyber verbal aggression, hacking). Participants included 233 eighth graders (108 female; M age = 13.26, SD = 0.36) from two middle schools in the Midwestern United States. Adolescents completed questionnaires on their endorsement of masculinity and femininity traits as well as how often they engaged in cyber aggression perpetration (i.e., cyber relational aggression, cyber verbal aggression, hacking) through mobile phones, social-networking sites, and gaming consoles. Findings indicated that boys and girls with more feminine traits engaged in more cyber relational aggression through social-networking sites and mobile phones, while boys and girls who endorsed more masculine traits perpetrated this behavior and cyber verbal aggression more often through online gaming. In addition, these boys and girls engaged in more hacking through all technologies when compared with girls and boys who reported more feminine traits. Results of this study indicate the importance of delineating gender stereotype traits, behaviors, and technologies when examining cyber aggression perpetration.

Physical and psychological aggression in dating relationships of Spanish adolescents: motives and consequences.

PubMed

Fernández-Fuertes, Andres A; Fuertes, Antonio

2010-03-01

The purpose of the study was to examine three aspects of romantic relationships of Spanish adolescents: the prevalence of verbal-emotional and physical aggressive behaviors, correlates of dating violence perpetration (both verbal-emotional and physical aggression), and consequences of violence for victims' well-being. A convenience sample of 567 participants (15-19 years old) who voluntarily completed anonymous, self-report questionnaires was used. All were students from 5 public high schools in Salamanca, Spain. Females reported having perpetrated significantly more aggressive acts in their intimate relationships than males did, although the magnitude of differences between both groups was small; in contrast, no sex differences were noted in the frequency of aggressions suffered by adolescents. A strong relationship was observed between the perpetration and victimization of both verbal-emotional and physical aggression across genders. A strong link was observed between jealousy and aggression perpetration (both verbal-emotional and physical). Finally, verbal-emotional aggression represented the most common form of aggressive behavior used at these ages, and relationship deterioration was the most frequent consequence of arguments. These results demonstrate that the use of abusive behaviors in adolescent dating relationships is prevalent in Spain. Sex differences were evident in the perpetration of aggression, as well as some of the motivations for, and the effects of, dating violence. The present study underlines the need for early intervention programs aimed at decreasing any tolerance for the use of violence in dating relationships of Spanish adolescents. Such programs should include both victimization-based and perpetration-based activities, since the evidence on the relatively mutual nature of dating violence in adolescence points in this direction. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of the Children's Scale of Hostility and Aggression: Reactive/Proactive (C-SHARP).

PubMed

Farmer, Cristan A; Aman, Michael G

2009-01-01

Whereas some scales exist for assessing aggression in typically developing children, they do not give a detailed analysis, and none is available for populations with developmental disabilities (DD). Parents of 365 children with DD completed the Children's Scale of Hostility and Aggression: Reactive/Proactive (C-SHARP), which surveys the severity of aggressive and hostile behaviors (Problem Scale) in addition to their proactive or reactive qualities (the Provocation Scale). Factor analysis yielded a 5-factor solution: I. Verbal Aggression (12 items), II. Bullying (12 items), III. Covert Aggression (11 items), IV. Hostility (9 items), and V. Physical Aggression (8 items). Coefficient alpha ranged from moderate (0.74, Physical Aggression) to high (0.92, Verbal Aggression). General validity was supported by expected differences between age and gender groups. Preliminary normative data were presented. The C-SHARP appears to be a promising tool for assessing aggression and hostility in children with DD.

Monitoring and predicting the risk of violence in residential facilities. No difference between patients with history or with no history of violence.

PubMed

de Girolamo, Giovanni; Buizza, Chiara; Sisti, Davide; Ferrari, Clarissa; Bulgari, Viola; Iozzino, Laura; Boero, Maria Elena; Cristiano, Giuseppe; De Francesco, Alessandra; Giobbio, Gian Marco; Maggi, Paolo; Rossi, Giuseppe; Segalini, Beatrice; Candini, Valentina

2016-09-01

Most people with mental disorders are not violent. However, the lack of specific studies in this area and recent radical changes in Italy, including the closure of six Forensic Mental Hospitals, has prompted a more detailed investigation of patients with aggressive behaviour. To compare socio-demographic, clinical and treatment-related characteristics of long-term inpatients with a lifetime history of serious violence with controls; to identify predictors of verbal and physical aggressive behaviour during 1-year follow-up. In a prospective cohort study, patients living in Residential Facilities (RFs) with a lifetime history of serious violence were assessed with a large set of standardized instruments and compared to patients with no violent history. Patients were evaluated bi-monthly with MOAS in order to monitor any aggressive behaviour. The sample included 139 inpatients, 82 violent and 57 control subjects; most patients were male. The bi-monthly monitoring during the 1-year follow-up did not show any statistically significant differences in aggressive behaviour rates between the two groups. The subscale explaining most of the MOAS total score was aggression against objects, although verbal aggression was the most common pattern. Furthermore, verbal aggression was significantly associated with aggression against objects and physical aggression. Patients with a history of violence in RFs, where treatment and clinical supervision are available, do not show higher rates of aggressiveness compared to patients with no lifetime history of violence. Since verbal aggression is associated with more severe forms of aggression, prompt intervention is warranted to reduce the risk of escalation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of physical and verbal aggression, depression, and anxiety on drinking behavior of married partners: a prospective and retrospective longitudinal examination.

PubMed

Keiley, Margaret K; Keller, Peggy S; El-Sheikh, Mona

2009-01-01

In an ethnically diverse sample of 195 married couples, we conducted a latent factor growth analysis to investigate the longitudinal link (4 time points over 4 1/2 years) between marital aggression (physical and verbal aggression self- and partner-reports) and individual internalizing symptoms (depression and anxiety) as they relate to trajectories of alcohol use among husbands and wives. Alcohol use was operationalized as a latent factor with self- and partner reports of problem drinking as measured by the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test and the Alcohol Dependence Scale. Verbal aggression by husbands or wives, by itself, has no effect on their alcohol use over time. In conjunction with depression, however, verbally aggressive husbands do have elevated drinking levels. The effects of husbands' and wives' physical aggression on their own and their partners' drinking behavior were also significant. This study is one of the first to examine the change over time in alcohol use for marital partners as related to marital aggression and internalizing symptoms. Our results shed light on areas of marital functioning (aggression, internalizing, alcohol use) that have not been investigated in conjunction with each other in a longitudinal design. Copyright 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Re-examination of assertiveness and aggressiveness as potential moderators of verbal intentions.

PubMed

Swanson, S R

1999-06-01

This research reports the results of a replication of Swanson and McIntyre's 1998 study of assertiveness and aggressiveness as potential moderators of verbal intentions. A convenience sample of 119 women and 71 men participated. Nonassertive subjects were least likely, while Resort-to-Aggressive subjects were the most likely, to talk with acquaintances and others. Nonassertive and Assertive subjects were significantly more likely than Aggressive ones to make recommendations. Finally, men and women scored equally assertive, but men were more likely to score aggressive. The findings generally support the earlier work.

Ability emotional intelligence and its relation to aggression across time and age groups.

PubMed

García-Sancho, Esperanza; Salguero, José M; Fernández-Berrocal, Pablo

2017-02-01

Emotional Intelligence (EI) has been associated with several indicators of psychosocial adjustment, including aggressive behavior, but the relevant research has been mostly cross-sectional, focused on adults, and limited to trait EI measures (García-Sancho, Salguero & Fernández-Berrocal, 2014; Mayer, Roberts & Barsade, ). The present work explored the relationship between Ability Emotional Intelligence (AEI) and aggression in both adults and adolescents using cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. We conducted two studies. Study 1 aimed to provide preliminary evidence about the relationship between AEI and aggression in adults. As literature has shown personality traits act as a strong predictor of aggression, study 1 also examined the potential incremental validity of AEI beyond personality traits in 474 undergraduate students (M = 22.76, SD = 5.13). The results indicated AEI explains a significant amount of unique variance for physical aggression, but not for verbal aggression after controlling personality traits. Study 2 aimed a longitudinal analysis of the relationship between EI and aggression in 151 adolescents (M = 14.74, SD = 0.84). AEI predicted physical aggression over time, but it did not predict verbal aggression. Results from both studies suggest a negative and significant relationship between AEI and physical aggression, however contrary our expectations, it did not for verbal aggression. These results highlight the important explanatory role of emotional abilities in physical aggressive conducts and the implications of these findings are discussed. © 2016 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The relationship between cultural individualism-collectivism and student aggression across 62 countries.

PubMed

Bergmüller, Silvia

2013-01-01

This study examined the relationship between countries' dominant cultural values (i.e., individualism and collectivism) and (a) school principals' perceptions of aggressive student behavior and (b) students' self-reports of being aggressively victimized in school. Data on student aggression and victimization were collected across 62 countries in nationally representative samples of fourth and eighth graders (N = 428,566) and their principals (N = 15,043) by the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2007. Students were asked about three forms of aggressive victimization: physical, verbal, and relational; principals about two forms of aggressive student behavior: physical and verbal. Country-level regression analyses revealed that the level of cultural individualism, according to the individualism index (IDV) by Hofstede, Hofstede, and Minkov (2010), was not significantly related to either form of student-reported victimization. However, school principals reported aggressive student behavior more often the more individualist, and hence less collectivist, their country's culture. This relation was evident in the principals' reports on 4th and 8th grade students' aggressive behavior for both physical and verbal aggression. Multilevel analyses revealed that cultural individualism was still a powerful predictor of principal-reported aggressive student behavior after controlling for school and country characteristics. The discussion outlines reasons why principals' reports of aggressive student behavior are probably more valid indicators of student aggression than student self-reports of victimization, thereby supporting the hypothesis of culture-dependency of aggression. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Do cognitive deficits predict negative emotionality and aggression in schizophrenia?

PubMed

Ahmed, Anthony O; Richardson, Jenae; Buckner, Alex; Romanoff, Sabrina; Feder, Michelle; Oragunye, Njideka; Ilnicki, Andriana; Bhat, Ishrat; Hoptman, Matthew J; Lindenmayer, Jean-Pierre

2018-01-01

Schizophrenia is associated with an elevated risk of aggression. Cognitive deficits have been associated with inpatient aggression and future violence. The relationship between cognitive deficits and violent behavior has however been inconsistent across studies. In addition, studies have failed to inform how cognitive deficits may contribute to aggression in schizophrenia. The current study examined the association of cognitive deficits with schizophrenia-related aggression and violent offending. It also explored the putative mediating role of negative emotionality on the impact of cognitive deficits on aggression. People with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder (N = 78) were recruited from a state hospital. Participants were classified based on their history of violent offending. Participants completed measures of cognition, symptoms, and aggression. Deficits in working memory, reasoning/problem-solving, and verbal learning were the most prioritized for the prediction of violent offender status. Violent offenders demonstrated greater impairments in most cognitive domains especially working memory and verbal learning. Offenders also demonstrated greater negative emotionality, excitement/agitation, and incidents of verbal and physical aggression. Negative emotionality and excitement/agitation fully transmitted the effect of cognitive deficits on impulsive aggression in meditational models. Cognitive deficits increase the risk of impulsive aggression in schizophrenia via inefficient regulation of negative affective states. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Catch It Low to Prevent It High: Countering Low-Level Verbal Abuse.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldstein, Arnold P.

2000-01-01

Focuses on the low-level aggression of verbal abuse demonstrated by children and adolescents. Describes the teasing, cursing, gossip, and ostracism associated with verbal abuse. Provides strategies for working with youth who are verbally aggressive including, how to reduce verbal maltreatment, how to engage in constructive communication, and ways…

[Aggressive behaviour based on the example of secondary school youth from selected schools in Biala Podlaska district].

PubMed

Lawnik, Anna; Marcinowicz, Ludmiła; Szepeluk, Adam

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the degree of aggressive behaviour of secondary school youth. A survey was conducted among 508 secondary school students in Biała Podlaska district. Among the examined subjects were 231 (45.5%) women and 277 (54.5%) men. The surveyed group was divided into two groups: aged 18 and 19-21 yrs. The research tool was a Buss and Perry Aggression questionnaire (Amity version) and the author's own questionnaire, which was developed for research purposes. It was found that the average level of aggression in all analysed categories (verbal aggression, physical, anger, hostility and aggression in general), was higher in the older group of interviewees (aged between 19 and 21). It was noticed that men are more aggressive than women. Higher level of aggression was noticed among respondents who live in block of flats in the city rather than the residents of singlefamily homes in the countryside. Significant differences were found in the level of overall aggression, physical and verbal aggression depending on the type of school the tested subjects attended to. It was noticed that higher level of aggression affects vocational school students. Having both parents did not influence the occurrence of aggressive behaviour. 1. Significant difference in the level of aggression among males and females requires accurate planning of preventive programmes aimed at specific groups of recipients, including sex. 2. Programmes which prevent negative outcomes of verbal and physical aggression should also influence the age of adolescents.

The Role of Emotion-Driven Impulse Control Difficulties in the Relation Between Social Anxiety and Aggression.

PubMed

Dixon, Laura J; Tull, Matthew T; Lee, Aaron A; Kimbrel, Nathan A; Gratz, Kim L

2017-06-01

To enhance our understanding of the factors that may account for increased aggression in socially anxious individuals, this study examined associations among emotion-driven impulse control difficulties, social anxiety, and dimensions of aggression (i.e., hostility, anger, physical aggression, verbal aggression). Individuals (N = 107; 73.8% male; M age = 40.8 years) receiving residential substance abuse treatment participated in this cross-sectional study. Social anxiety symptoms were significantly positively correlated with emotion-driven impulse control difficulties, anger, and hostility, but not verbal or physical aggression. Separate models for each aggression facet were examined to test the direct and indirect paths. Bootstrapped mediation analyses indicated a significant indirect path from social anxiety symptoms to each facet of aggression through emotion-driven impulse control difficulties (ps < .05). Results highlight the potential utility of targeting emotion-driven impulse control difficulties to decrease aggression among socially anxious individuals. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cognitive and emotional demands of black humour processing: the role of intelligence, aggressiveness and mood.

PubMed

Willinger, Ulrike; Hergovich, Andreas; Schmoeger, Michaela; Deckert, Matthias; Stoettner, Susanne; Bunda, Iris; Witting, Andrea; Seidler, Melanie; Moser, Reinhilde; Kacena, Stefanie; Jaeckle, David; Loader, Benjamin; Mueller, Christian; Auff, Eduard

2017-05-01

Humour processing is a complex information-processing task that is dependent on cognitive and emotional aspects which presumably influence frame-shifting and conceptual blending, mental operations that underlie humour processing. The aim of the current study was to find distinctive groups of subjects with respect to black humour processing, intellectual capacities, mood disturbance and aggressiveness. A total of 156 adults rated black humour cartoons and conducted measurements of verbal and nonverbal intelligence, mood disturbance and aggressiveness. Cluster analysis yields three groups comprising following properties: (1) moderate black humour preference and moderate comprehension; average nonverbal and verbal intelligence; low mood disturbance and moderate aggressiveness; (2) low black humour preference and moderate comprehension; average nonverbal and verbal intelligence, high mood disturbance and high aggressiveness; and (3) high black humour preference and high comprehension; high nonverbal and verbal intelligence; no mood disturbance and low aggressiveness. Age and gender do not differ significantly, differences in education level can be found. Black humour preference and comprehension are positively associated with higher verbal and nonverbal intelligence as well as higher levels of education. Emotional instability and higher aggressiveness apparently lead to decreased levels of pleasure when dealing with black humour. These results support the hypothesis that humour processing involves cognitive as well as affective components and suggest that these variables influence the execution of frame-shifting and conceptual blending in the course of humour processing.

Aggression, conflict resolution, popularity, and attitude to school in Russian adolescents.

PubMed

Butovskaya, Marina L; Timentschik, Vera M; Burkova, Valentina N

2007-01-01

The objective of the present study was to examine the effects of aggression and conflict-managing skills on popularity and attitude to school in Russian adolescents. Three types of aggression (physical, verbal, and indirect), constructive conflict resolution, third-party intervention, withdrawal, and victimization were examined using the Peer-Estimated Conflict Behavior (PECOBE) inventory [Bjorkquist and Osterman, 1998]. Also, all respondents rated peer and self-popularity with same-sex classmates and personal attitude to school. The sample consisted of 212 Russian adolescents (101 boys, 111 girls) aged between 11 and 15 years. The findings attest to significant sex differences in aggression and conflict resolution patterns. Boys scored higher on physical and verbal aggression, and girls on indirect aggression. Girls were socially more skillful than boys in the use of peaceful means of conflict resolution (they scored higher on constructive conflict resolution and third-party intervention). The attributional discrepancy index (ADI) scores were negative for all three types of aggression in both sexes. Verbal aggression is apparently more condemned in boys than in girls. ADI scores were positive for constructive conflict resolution and third-party intervention in both genders, being higher in boys. In girls, verbal aggression was positively correlated with popularity. In both sexes, popularity showed a positive correlation with constructive conflict resolution and third-party intervention, and a negative correlation with withdrawal and victimization. Boys who liked school were popular with same-sex peers and scored higher on constructive conflict resolution. Girls who liked school were less aggressive according to peer rating. They also rated higher on conflict resolution and third-party intervention. Physical aggression was related to age. The results are discussed in a cross-cultural perspective. Copyright 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Physical and Psychological Aggression in Dating Relationships of Spanish Adolescents: Motives and Consequences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernandez-Fuertes, Andres A.; Fuertes, Antonio

2010-01-01

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to examine three aspects of romantic relationships of Spanish adolescents: the prevalence of verbal-emotional and physical aggressive behaviors, correlates of dating violence perpetration (both verbal-emotional and physical aggression), and consequences of violence for victims' well-being. Method: A…

Developmental Continuity and Change in Physical, Verbal, and Relational Aggression and Peer Victimization from Childhood to Adolescence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ettekal, Idean; Ladd, Gary W.

2017-01-01

To investigate the developmental course of aggression and peer victimization in childhood and adolescence, distinct subgroups of children were identified based on similarities and differences in their physical, verbal and relational aggression, and victimization. Developmental continuity and change were assessed by examining transitions within and…

The Influence of Competitive and Cooperative Group Game Play on State Hostility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eastin, Matthew S.

2007-01-01

Most research on violent video game play suggests a positive relationship with aggression-related outcomes. Expanding this research, the current study examines the impact group size, game motivation, in-game behavior, and verbal aggression have on postgame play hostility. Consistent with previous research, group size and verbal aggression both…

Maternal verbally aggressive behavior in early infancy is associated with blood pressure at age 5-6.

PubMed

Smarius, L J C A; Strieder, T G A; Doreleijers, T A H; Vrijkotte, T G M; de Rooij, S R

2018-06-01

Early life stress has been shown to contribute to alterations in biobehavioral regulation. Whereas many different forms of childhood adversities have been studied in relation to cardiovascular outcomes, very little is known about potential associations between caregivers' verbally aggressive behavior and heart rate and blood pressure in the child. This prospective study examined whether maternal verbally aggressive behavior in early infancy is associated with heart rate or blood pressure at age 5-6. In the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development study, a large prospective, population-based birth cohort, maternal verbally aggressive behavior was assessed by questionnaire in the 13th week after birth. The child's blood pressure and heart rate were measured during rest at age 5-6 (n=2553 included). Maternal verbally aggressive behavior in infancy was associated with a higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) both in supine and sitting position after adjustment for sex, height and age (SBP supine B=1.01 mmHg; 95% CI [0.06; 1.95] and SPB sitting B=1.29 mmHg; 95% CI [0.12; 2.46]). Adjustment for potential confounding variables, such as other mother-infant dyad aspects, family hypertension and child's BMI, only slightly attenuated the associations (SBP supine B=0.99 mmHg; 95% CI [0.06; 1.93] and SPB sitting B=1.11 mmHg; 95% CI [-0.06; 2.27]). Maternal verbally aggressive behavior was not associated with diastolic blood pressure or heart rate at age 5-6. Maternal verbally aggressive behavior might be an important early life stressor with negative impact on blood pressure later in life, which should be further investigated. Possible underlying mechanisms are discussed.

The relationship between parents' verbal aggression and young adult children's intimate partner violence victimization and perpetration.

PubMed

Palazzolo, Kellie E; Roberto, Anthony J; Babin, Elizabeth A

2010-06-01

This study examines the relationships between perceived and self-reported parent verbal aggression and their young adult children's intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization and perpetration. Two hundred undergraduate students completed an in-person self-administered survey measuring IPV victimization and perpetration, as well as perceived parent verbal aggression. Three-hundred and eighty-six mail surveys were also sent to their parents; 79% of parents returned the surveys. Results indicate that perceived mother and father verbal aggression was related to higher levels of victimization and perpetration across several forms of IPV for both daughters and sons. The data appear to support theory that suggests parents of the same sex as their children are stronger models for aggressive behavior (Bandura, 1986). In addition, there were some differences in perceived and self-reported data for ratings of parent verbal aggression. Results of this investigation indicate that perceived parent communication has a significant impact on young adult children's victimization and perpetration of violence in intimate partner relationships. The findings also suggest that interventions aimed at developing and enhancing parent communication skills can help prevent or reduce the risk of young adult children becoming involved in violent relationships, as well as reducing risk factors for other adverse health problems.

A mindfulness-based intervention for self-management of verbal and physical aggression by adolescents with Prader-Willi syndrome.

PubMed

Singh, Nirbhay N; Lancioni, Giulio E; Myers, Rachel E; Karazsia, Bryan T; Courtney, Theresa M; Nugent, Kristen

2017-07-01

There is a dearth of clinical and research literature on the treatment of maladaptive behaviors in adolescents with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention, Meditation on the Soles of the Feet (SoF), to facilitate self-management of verbal and physical aggression. We utilized a multiple-baseline design across participants to test the intervention with three adolescents diagnosed with PWS. Relative to baseline, verbal aggression decreased to minimal levels following mindfulness-based practice and physical aggression was nearly eliminated. Intervention effects were maintained at 12-month follow-up. Quantitative analytics confirmed statistically significant outcomes. The SoF mindfulness intervention was effective in reducing verbal and physical aggression in three adolescents with PWS. Future research should test the SoF intervention with this clinical population in a larger clinical trial, and the SoF intervention may be applicable to other pediatric populations.

Teachers' Perceptions of Bullying among Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, Karen J. S.; Willis, W. Grant

2016-01-01

A series of 48 vignettes of bullying was constructed by crossing (a) four kinds of social contact (physical aggression, verbal aggression, relational aggression, and non-aggression) with (b) male and female bullies, (c) male and female and victims, and (d) reaction of the victim (aggressive, passive, and no reaction). Teachers rated vignettes for…

Relational Aggression and Physical Aggression among Adolescent Cook Islands Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Page, Angela; Smith, Lisa F.

2016-01-01

Both physical and relational aggression are characterised by the intent to harm another. Physical aggression includes direct behaviours such as hitting or kicking; relational aggression involves behaviours designed to damage relationships, such as excluding others, spreading rumours, and delivering threats and verbal abuse. This study extended…

Aggression on inpatient units: Clinical characteristics and consequences.

PubMed

Renwick, Laoise; Stewart, Duncan; Richardson, Michelle; Lavelle, Mary; James, Karen; Hardy, Claire; Price, Owen; Bowers, Len

2016-08-01

Aggression and violence are widespread in UK Mental Health Trusts, and are accompanied by negative psychological and physiological consequences for both staff and other patients. Patients who are younger, male, and have a history of substance use and psychosis diagnoses are more likely to display aggression; however, patient factors are not solely responsible for violence, and there are complex circumstances that lead to aggression. Indeed, patient-staff interactions lead to a sizeable portion of aggression and violence on inpatient units, thus they cannot be viewed without considering other forms of conflict and containment that occur before, during, and after the aggressive incident. For this reason, we examined sequences of aggressive incidents in conjunction with other conflict and containment methods used to explore whether there were particular profiles to aggressive incidents. In the present study, 522 adult psychiatric inpatients from 84 acute wards were recruited, and there were 1422 incidents of aggression (verbal, physical against objects, and physical). Cluster analysis revealed that aggressive incident sequences could be classified into four separate groups: solo aggression, aggression-rule breaking, aggression-medication, and aggression-containment. Contrary to our expectations, we did not find physical aggression dominant in the aggression-containment cluster, and while verbal aggression occurred primarily in solo aggression, physical aggression also occurred here. This indicates that the management of aggression is variable, and although some patient factors are linked with different clusters, these do not entirely explain the variation. © 2016 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Is bad intent negligible? Linking victim justice sensitivity, hostile attribution bias, and aggression.

PubMed

Bondü, Rebecca

2018-05-03

The hostile attribution bias (HAB) is a well-established risk factor for aggression. It is considered part of the suspicious mindset that may cause highly victim-justice sensitive individuals to behave uncooperatively. Thus, links of victim justice sensitivity (JS) with negative behavior, such as aggression, may be better explained by HAB. The present study tested this hypothesis in N = 279 German adolescents who rated their JS, HAB, and physical, relational, verbal, reactive, and proactive aggression. Victim JS predicted physical, relational, verbal, reactive, and proactive aggression when HAB was controlled. HAB only predicted physical and proactive aggression. There were no moderator effects. Injustice seems an important reason for aggression irrespective of whether or not it is intentionally caused, particularly among those high in victim JS. Thus, victim JS should be considered as a potential important risk factor for aggression and receive more attention by research on aggression and preventive efforts. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Adolescents' Decisions About Verbal and Physical Aggression: An Application of the Theory of Reasoned Action.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberto, Anthony J.; Meyer, Gary; Boster, Franklin J.; Roberto, Heather L.

2003-01-01

Examines the ability of the theory of reasoned action to explain and predict adolescents' verbal (i.e., insulting) and physical (i.e., fighting) aggression, as well as behaviors that encourage aggression such as watching a fight or telling others about a fight that is going to happen. Reveals that attitudes and subjective norms predicted…

Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can also hurt me: The relationship between customer verbal aggression and employee incivility.

PubMed

Walker, David D; van Jaarsveld, Danielle D; Skarlicki, Daniel P

2017-02-01

Customer service employees tend to react negatively to customer incivility by demonstrating incivility in return, thereby likely reducing customer service quality. Research, however, has yet to uncover precisely what customers do that results in employee incivility. Through transcript and computerized text analysis in a multilevel, multisource, mixed-method field study of customer service events (N = 434 events), we found that employee incivility can occur as a function of customer (a) aggressive words, (b) second-person pronoun use (e.g., you, your), (c) interruptions, and (d) positive emotion words. First, the positive association between customer aggressive words and employee incivility was more pronounced when the verbal aggression included second-person pronouns, which we label targeted aggression. Second, we observed a 2-way interaction between targeted aggression and customer interruptions such that employees demonstrated more incivility when targeted customer verbal aggression was accompanied by more (vs. fewer) interruptions. Third, this 2-way interaction predicting employee incivility was attenuated when customers used positive emotion words. Our results support a resource-based explanation, suggesting that customer verbal aggression consumes employee resources potentially leading to self-regulation failure, whereas positive emotion words from customers can help replenish employee resources that support self-regulation. The present study highlights the advantages of examining what occurs within customer-employee interactions to gain insight into employee reactions to customer incivility. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

The Relation Between Trait Mindfulness and Aggression in Men Seeking Residential Substance Use Treatment

PubMed Central

Shorey, Ryan C.; Anderson, Scott; Stuart, Gregory L.

2015-01-01

There has been an abundance of research in recent years on mindfulness, including mindfulness within individuals seeking substance use treatment. However, to date, there has been no research on whether trait mindfulness is associated with increased aggression among individuals seeking substance use treatment. Past research has demonstrated that individuals in substance use treatment evidence higher levels of aggression than non-substance abusers, and preliminary research has shown that trait mindfulness is inversely associated with aggression in non-substance-use treatment-seeking populations. The current study examined whether trait mindfulness was associated with aggression among men seeking residential substance use treatment (N = 116). Results demonstrated that lower trait mindfulness was associated with increased aggression (physical, verbal, and aggressive attitude). Moreover, this relation held for both verbal aggression and aggressive attitude after controlling for alcohol use, drug use, and age, all known predictors of aggression. Findings provide the first evidence that mindfulness is negatively associated with aggression among men in substance use treatment, which could have important implications for intervention. That is, mindfulness-based interventions may prove helpful for the treatment of both substance use and aggression. PMID:25192702

Can Verbally Aggressive Messages in the Instructor-Student Relationship Be Constructive?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Matthew M.; Dunleavy, Katie Neary; Kennedy-Lightsey, Carrie

2010-01-01

How instructors communicate with their students impacts their students' instructional attitudes, motivations, and behaviors. Verbal aggression in the classroom often leads to negative instructional and relational outcomes (Infante, 1995; Myers, 2001; Myers & Knox, 2000; Myers & Rocca, 2001). This study investigated whether verbally aggressive…

Hostile Attributional Bias, Negative Emotional Responding, and Aggression in Adults: Moderating Effects of Gender and Impulsivity

PubMed Central

Chen, Pan; Coccaro, Emil F.; Jacobson, Kristen C.

2012-01-01

The current study examined the main effects of hostile attributional bias (HAB) and negative emotional responding on a variety of aggressive behaviors in adults, including general aggression, physical aggression, relational aggression, and verbal aggression. Effects of both externalizing (anger) and internalizing (embarrassment/upset) negative emotions were considered. In addition, the moderating roles of gender and impulsivity on the effects of HAB and negative emotional responding were explored. Multilevel models were fitted to data from 2,749 adult twins aged 20–55 from the PennTwins cohort. HAB was positively associated with all four forms of aggression. There was also a significant interaction between impulsivity and HAB for general aggression. Specifically, the relationship between HAB and general aggression was only significant for individuals with average or above-average levels of impulsivity. Negative emotional responding was also found to predict all measures of aggression, although in different ways. Anger was positively associated with all forms of aggression, whereas embarrassment/upset predicted decreased levels of general, physical, and verbal aggression but increased levels of relational aggression. The associations between negative emotional responding and aggression were generally stronger for males than females. The current study provides evidence for the utility of HAB and negative emotional responding as predictors of adult aggression and further suggests that gender and impulsivity may moderate their links with aggression. PMID:24833604

Hostile attributional bias, negative emotional responding, and aggression in adults: moderating effects of gender and impulsivity.

PubMed

Chen, Pan; Coccaro, Emil F; Jacobson, Kristen C

2012-01-01

The current study examined the main effects of hostile attributional bias (HAB) and negative emotional responding on a variety of aggressive behaviors in adults, including general aggression, physical aggression, relational aggression, and verbal aggression. Effects of both externalizing (anger) and internalizing (embarrassment/upset) negative emotions were considered. In addition, the moderating roles of gender and impulsivity on the effects of HAB and negative emotional responding were explored. Multilevel models were fitted to data from 2,749 adult twins aged 20-55 from the PennTwins cohort. HAB was positively associated with all four forms of aggression. There was also a significant interaction between impulsivity and HAB for general aggression. Specifically, the relationship between HAB and general aggression was only significant for individuals with average or above-average levels of impulsivity. Negative emotional responding was also found to predict all measures of aggression, although in different ways. Anger was positively associated with all forms of aggression, whereas embarrassment/upset predicted decreased levels of general, physical, and verbal aggression but increased levels of relational aggression. The associations between negative emotional responding and aggression were generally stronger for males than females. The current study provides evidence for the utility of HAB and negative emotional responding as predictors of adult aggression and further suggests that gender and impulsivity may moderate their links with aggression. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Role of Impulsivity Dimensions in the Relation Between Probable Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Aggressive Behavior Among Substance Users.

PubMed

Weiss, Nicole H; Connolly, Kevin M; Gratz, Kim L; Tull, Matthew T

2017-01-01

Individuals with co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder report heightened levels of numerous risky and health-compromising behaviors, including aggressive behaviors. Given evidence that aggressive behavior is associated with negative substance use disorder treatment outcomes, research is needed to identify the factors that may account for the association between PTSD and aggressive behavior among patients with substance use disorder. Thus, the goal of this study was to examine the role of impulsivity dimensions (i.e., negative urgency, lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, and sensation seeking) in the relations between probable PTSD status and both verbal and physical aggression. Participants were 92 patients in residential substance use disorder treatment (75% male; 59% African American; M age = 40.25) who completed self-report questionnaires. Patients with co-occurring PTSD-substance use disorder (vs. substance use disorder alone) reported significantly greater verbal and physical aggression as well as higher levels of negative urgency and lack of premeditation. Lack of premeditation and lack of perseverance were significantly positively associated with verbal aggression, whereas negative urgency, lack of premeditation, and lack of perseverance were significantly positively associated with physical aggression. The indirect relation of probable PTSD status to physical aggression through negative urgency was significant. Results highlight the potential utility of incorporating skills focused on controlling impulsive behaviors in the context of negative emotional arousal in interventions for physical aggression among patients with co-occurring PTSD-substance use disorder.

Verbal and physical aggression directed at nursing home staff by residents.

PubMed

Lachs, Mark S; Rosen, Tony; Teresi, Jeanne A; Eimicke, Joseph P; Ramirez, Mildred; Silver, Stephanie; Pillemer, Karl

2013-05-01

Little research has been conducted on aggression directed at staff by nursing home residents. To estimate the prevalence of resident-to-staff aggression (RSA) over a 2-week period. Prevalent cohort study. Large urban nursing homes. Population-based sample of 1,552 residents (80 % of eligible residents) and 282 certified nursing assistants. Measures of resident characteristics and staff reports of physical, verbal, or sexual behaviors directed at staff by residents. The staff response rate was 89 %. Staff reported that 15.6 % of residents directed aggressive behaviors toward them (2.8 % physical, 7.5 % verbal, 0.5 % sexual, and 4.8 % both verbal and physical). The most commonly reported type was verbal (12.4 %), particularly screaming at the certified nursing assistant (9.0 % of residents). Overall, physical aggression toward staff was reported for 7.6 % of residents, the most common being hitting (3.9 % of residents). Aggressive behaviors occurred most commonly in resident rooms (77.2 %) and in the morning (84.3 %), typically during the provision of morning care. In a logistic regression model, three clinical factors were significantly associated with resident-to-staff aggression: greater disordered behavior (OR = 6.48, 95 % CI: 4.55, 9.21), affective disturbance (OR = 2.29, 95 % CI: 1.68, 3.13), and need for activities of daily living morning assistance (OR = 2.16, 95 % CI: 1.53, 3.05). Hispanic (as contrasted with White) residents were less likely to be identified as aggressors toward staff (OR = 0.57, 95 % CI: 0.36, 0.91). Resident-to-staff aggression in nursing homes is common, particularly during morning care. A variety of demographic and clinical factors was associated with resident-to-staff aggression; this could serve as the basis for evidence-based interventions. Because RSA may negatively affect the quality of care, resident and staff safety, and staff job satisfaction and turnover, further research is needed to understand its causes and consequences and to develop interventions to mitigate its potential impact.

Russian perspectives on elder abuse: an exploratory study.

PubMed

Rinsky, Karina; Malley-Morrison, Kathleen

2006-01-01

The purpose of this exploratory study was to analyze Russian perceptions of elder abuse as reflected in their examples of abusive behavior from an adult child to an aging parent. Also of interest was the possibility of gender differences in the Russian perspectives on elder abuse. The convenience sample consisted of 21 Russian participants (10 males, 10 females, and one without gender identified), who provided examples of extreme, moderate, and mild abuse from an adult child towards an aging parent. Most examples of extreme abuse were forms of physical violence. Typical examples of moderate abuse were instances of psychological aggression-particularly verbal aggression-and neglect. The most common examples of mild abuse were verbal aggression and neglect. One-way analyses of variance revealed statistically significant gender differences in the number of references to psychological aggression in general and to verbal aggression in particular in the examples of moderate abuse, with females giving more examples than males.

Physical Aggression and Mindfulness among College Students: Evidence from China and the United States.

PubMed

Gao, Yu; Shi, Lu; Smith, Kelly C; Kingree, Jeffery B; Thompson, Martie

2016-05-10

The link between trait mindfulness and several dimensions of aggression (verbal, anger and hostility) has been documented, while the link between physical aggression and trait mindfulness remains less clear. We used two datasets: one United States sample from 300 freshmen males from Clemson University, South Carolina and a Chinese sample of 1516 freshmen students from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. Multiple regressions were conducted to examine the association between mindfulness (measured by Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS)) and each of the four subscales of aggression. Among the Clemson sample (N = 286), the mindfulness scale had a significant negative association with each of the four subscales of aggression: Hostility: β = -0.62, p < 0.001; Verbal: β = -0.37, p < 0.001; Physical: β = -0.29, p < 0.001; Anger: β = -0.44, p < 0.001. Among the Shanghai male subsample, the mindfulness scale had a significant negative association with each of the four subscales of aggression: Hostility: β = -0.57, p < 0.001; Verbal: β = -0.37, p < 0.001; Physical: β = -0.35, p < 0.001; Anger: β = -0.58, p < 0.001. Among the Shanghai female subsample (N = 512), the mindfulness scale had a significant negative association with each of the four subscales of aggression: Hostility: β = -0.62, p < 0.001; Verbal: β = -0.41, p < 0.001; Physical: β = -0.52, p < 0.001; and Anger: β = -0.64, p < 0.001. Our study documents the negative association between mindfulness and physical aggression in two non-clinical samples. Future studies could explore whether mindfulness training lowers physical aggression among younger adults.

Discrepant Alcohol Use, Intimate Partner Violence, and Relationship Adjustment among Lesbian Women and their Relationship Partners

PubMed Central

Kelley, Michelle L.; Lewis, Robin J.; Mason, Tyler B.

2015-01-01

This study examined the association between relationship adjustment and discrepant alcohol use among lesbian women and their same-sex intimate partners after controlling for verbal and physical aggression. Lesbian women (N = 819) who were members of online marketing research panels completed an online survey in which they reported both their own and same-sex intimate partner’s alcohol use, their relationship adjustment, and their own and their partner’s physical aggression and psychological aggression (i.e., verbal aggression and dominance/isolation). Partners’ alcohol use was moderately correlated. Discrepancy in alcohol use was associated with poorer relationship adjustment after controlling for psychological aggression and physical aggression. Results are discussed in terms of the similarity and differences with previous literature primarily focused on heterosexual couples. PMID:26478657

Discrepant Alcohol Use, Intimate Partner Violence, and Relationship Adjustment among Lesbian Women and their Relationship Partners.

PubMed

Kelley, Michelle L; Lewis, Robin J; Mason, Tyler B

2015-11-01

This study examined the association between relationship adjustment and discrepant alcohol use among lesbian women and their same-sex intimate partners after controlling for verbal and physical aggression. Lesbian women ( N = 819) who were members of online marketing research panels completed an online survey in which they reported both their own and same-sex intimate partner's alcohol use, their relationship adjustment, and their own and their partner's physical aggression and psychological aggression (i.e., verbal aggression and dominance/isolation). Partners' alcohol use was moderately correlated. Discrepancy in alcohol use was associated with poorer relationship adjustment after controlling for psychological aggression and physical aggression. Results are discussed in terms of the similarity and differences with previous literature primarily focused on heterosexual couples.

Modelling verbal aggression, physical aggression and inappropriate sexual behaviour after acquired brain injury

PubMed Central

James, Andrew I. W.; Böhnke, Jan R.; Young, Andrew W.; Lewis, Gary J.

2015-01-01

Understanding the underpinnings of behavioural disturbances following brain injury is of considerable importance, but little at present is known about the relationships between different types of behavioural disturbances. Here, we take a novel approach to this issue by using confirmatory factor analysis to elucidate the architecture of verbal aggression, physical aggression and inappropriate sexual behaviour using systematic records made across an eight-week observation period for a large sample (n = 301) of individuals with a range of brain injuries. This approach offers a powerful test of the architecture of these behavioural disturbances by testing the fit between observed behaviours and different theoretical models. We chose models that reflected alternative theoretical perspectives based on generalized disinhibition (Model 1), a difference between aggression and inappropriate sexual behaviour (Model 2), or on the idea that verbal aggression, physical aggression and inappropriate sexual behaviour reflect broadly distinct but correlated clinical phenomena (Model 3). Model 3 provided the best fit to the data indicating that these behaviours can be viewed as distinct, but with substantial overlap. These data are important both for developing models concerning the architecture of behaviour as well as for clinical management in individuals with brain injury. PMID:26136449

Physical and verbal aggressive behavior and COMT genotype: Sensitivity to the environment.

PubMed

Tuvblad, Catherine; Narusyte, Jurgita; Comasco, Erika; Andershed, Henrik; Andershed, Anna-Karin; Colins, Olivier F; Fanti, Kostas A; Nilsson, Kent W

2016-07-01

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genotype has been implicated as a vulnerability factor for several psychiatric diseases as well as aggressive behavior, either directly, or in interaction with an adverse environment. The present study aimed at investigating the susceptibility properties of COMT genotype to adverse and favorable environment in relation to physical and verbal aggressive behavior. The COMT Val158Met polymorphism was genotyped in a Swedish population-based cohort including 1,783 individuals, ages 20-24 years (47% males). A significant three-way interaction was found, after correction for multiple testing, between COMT genotype, exposure to violence, and parent-child relationship in association with physical but not verbal aggressive behavior. Homozygous for the Val allele reported lower levels of physical aggressive behavior when they were exposed to violence and at the same time experienced a positive parent-child relationship compared to Met carriers. Thus, susceptibility properties of COMT genotype were observed in relation to physical aggressive behavior supporting the hypothesis that COMT genotypes are modifying the sensitivity to environment that confers either risk or protection for aggressive behavior. As these are novel findings, they warrant further investigation and replication in independent samples. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Assertiveness and aggressiveness as potential moderators of verbal behaviors following unsatisfactory service.

PubMed

Swanson, Scott R

2007-04-01

This research is an extension of earlier studies that examined Assertiveness and Aggressiveness as potential moderators of verbal intentions. A sample of 127 women and 137 men participated in the survey which used random residential telephone numbers. Respondents ranged in age from 18 to 71 years (M=33.2, SD= 12.4), with men making up 51.9% of the total sample. Those respondents classified as having an Aggressive interaction style were least likely to have discussed their unsatisfactory service encounters. The nature of the verbal communications was negative for all four interaction styles investigated. Similar to previous findings, men and women were equally Assertive, but men were more likely to be Aggressive when engaging in marketplace interactions.

Perpetration of Alcohol-Related Aggression by Male and Female College Students: An Examination of Overt and Relational Aggression.

PubMed

Robertson, Kirsten; Forbes, Sarah; Thyne, Maree

2017-03-01

Existing literature exemplifies the relationship between alcohol and overt aggression, especially for adult males. Less clear is the relationship between alcohol and aggression among male and female college students, in particular, the nature of this aggression and the co-occurrence of drinking and aggression on the same day (temporal proximity). This study examines the chronic and temporal nature of males' and females' alcohol-related aggression among college students. Two hundred fourteen students completed a web-based 7-day event-level survey measuring alcohol consumption and perpetration of physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and relational aggression over 4 weeks, resulting in 4,256 observations (days). The global analysis revealed students who are heavy drinkers are more likely to perpetrate all four forms of aggression, whereas the event-level analysis revealed that specific forms of aggression are associated with drinking at the time, while other forms were not linked to drinking occasions. Cross-tabulation revealed males and females were more likely to use verbal and physical aggression when drinking. For females, drinking was also associated with relational aggression and anger. Despite often being overlooked in research on aggression during emerging adulthood, relational aggression was prevalent. Discrepancies between the global and temporal analysis revealed factors other than alcohol might explain the relationship between chronic alcohol consumption and specific forms of aggression. This is one of the first event-level studies to show the temporal relationship between alcohol and relational aggression. The distinctions in the current study, exemplifying the diversity of alcohol-related aggression, are critical for understanding aggressive behavior, potential gender differences, and for developing interventions. The temporal relationship between alcohol and aggression suggests health interventions should target drinking and aggression simultaneously.

An Independent Investigation into the Psychometric Properties of the Adult Scale of Hostility and Aggression (A-SHARP)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rojahn, Johannes; Rick-Betancourt, Brittney; Barnard-Brak, Lucy; Moore, Linda

2017-01-01

Background: The Adult Scale of Hostility and Aggression (A-SHARP) rating scale assesses the frequency/severity (problem scale) and the reactive-proactive motivation (provocation scale) of aggressive behaviors in adults with intellectual disabilities (ID). Items are assigned to five subscales (Verbal Aggression, Physical Aggression, Hostile Affect,…

Effects of Parental Verbal Aggression on Children's Self-Esteem and School Marks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solomon, C. Ruth; Serres, Francoise

1999-01-01

A study of 144 children (age 10) investigated whether parental verbal violence had negative effects on self-esteem and academic achievement. Results found parental verbal aggression alone, as separate and distinct from physical punishment, contributed to low self-esteem and school achievement. The need for parent education on child rearing is…

The personality basis of aggression: The mediating role of anger and the moderating role of emotional intelligence.

PubMed

García-Sancho, Esperanza; Dhont, Kristof; Salguero, José M; Fernández-Berrocal, Pablo

2017-08-01

High neuroticism and low agreeableness have been found to predict higher levels of aggression through an increase of negative emotions such as anger. However, previous research has only investigated these indirect associations for physical aggression, whereas evidence for such indirect effects on other types of aggression (i.e., verbal or indirect aggression) is currently lacking. Moreover, no previous work has investigated the moderating role of Ability Emotional Intelligence (AEI), which may buffer against the effects of anger on aggression. The present study (N = 665) directly addresses these gaps in the literature. The results demonstrate that high neuroticism and low agreeableness were indirectly related to higher levels of physical, verbal, and indirect aggression via increased chronic accessibility to anger. Importantly however, the associations with physical aggression were significantly weaker for those higher (vs. lower) on AEI, confirming the buffering role of AEI. We discuss the implications of our findings for theoretical frameworks aiming to understand and reduce aggression and violent behavior. © 2017 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Developmental continuity and change in physical, verbal, and relational aggression and peer victimization from childhood to adolescence.

PubMed

Ettekal, Idean; Ladd, Gary W

2017-09-01

To investigate the developmental course of aggression and peer victimization in childhood and adolescence, distinct subgroups of children were identified based on similarities and differences in their physical, verbal and relational aggression, and victimization. Developmental continuity and change were assessed by examining transitions within and between subgroups from Grades 1 to 11. This longitudinal study consisted of 482 children (50% females) and was based on peer report data on multiple forms of aggression and peer victimization. Using person-centered methods including latent profile and latent transition analyses, most of the identified subgroups were distinguishable by their frequencies (i.e., levels) of aggression and victimization, rather than forms (physical, verbal, and relational), with the exception of 1 group that appeared to be more form-specific. Across subgroups, multiple developmental patterns emerged characterized as early and late-onset, social interactional continuity, desistance, and heterotypic pathways. Collectively, these pathways support the perspective that the development of aggression and peer victimization in childhood and adolescence is characterized by heterogeneity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Different Names, Same Issue.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bjorkqvist, Kaj

2001-01-01

Discusses the origin of the categories of relational, social, and indirect aggression in Finnish studies on the nature of female aggression, arguing that all three names represent the same issue. Considers early research into the developmental origins of indirect aggression, and the role of physical, verbal, and indirect aggression as three…

Alcohol Mixed with Energy Drink Use as an Event-Level Predictor of Physical and Verbal Aggression in Bar Conflicts.

PubMed

Miller, Kathleen E; Quigley, Brian M; Eliseo-Arras, Rebecca K; Ball, Natalie J

2016-01-01

Young adult use of alcohol mixed with caffeinated energy drinks (AmEDs) has been globally linked with increased odds of interpersonal aggression, compared with the use of alcohol alone. However, no prior research has linked these behaviors at the event level in bar drinking situations. The present study assessed whether AmED use is associated with the perpetration of verbal and physical aggression in bar conflicts at the event level. In Fall 2014, a community sample of 175 young adult AmED users (55% female) completed a web survey describing a recent conflict experienced while drinking in a bar. Use of both AmED and non-AmED alcoholic drinks in the incident were assessed, allowing calculation of our main predictor variable, the proportion of AmEDs consumed (AmED/total drinks consumed). To measure perpetration of aggression, participants reported on the occurrence of 6 verbal and 6 physical acts during the bar conflict incident. Linear regression analyses showed that the proportion of AmEDs consumed predicted scores for perpetration of both verbal aggression (β = 0.16, p < 0.05) and physical aggression (β = 0.19, p < 0.01) after controlling for gender, age, sensation-seeking and aggressive personality traits, aggressive alcohol expectancies, aggressogenic physical and social bar environments, and total number of drinks. Results of this study suggest that in alcohol-related bar conflicts, higher levels of young adult AmED use are associated with higher levels of aggression perpetration than alcohol use alone and that the elevated risk is not attributable to individual differences between AmED users and nonusers or to contextual differences in bar drinking settings. While future research is needed to identify motivations, dosages, and sequencing issues associated with AmED use, these beverages should be considered a potential risk factor in the escalation of aggressive bar conflicts. Copyright © 2016 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Pain and Aggression in Nursing Home Residents With Dementia: Minimum Data Set 3.0 Analysis.

PubMed

Ahn, Hyochol; Garvan, Cynthia; Lyon, Debra

2015-01-01

Few studies have examined the potential relationship between pain and aggressive behavioral symptoms in nursing home (NH) residents with dementia as a function of resident communicative status (ability to self-report pain). The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between pain and aggression for residents who self-reported pain and for those whose pain was measured by staff evaluation of pain-related behaviors. This is a secondary analysis of the comprehensive data collected from January to March 2012 in the national Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 of NH residents, aged 65 years or older, with dementia (N = 71,227). Pain was measured using the MDS Pain Assessment Interview for residents who could communicate or by staff evaluation using the MDS Pain Behavior Scale for residents who could not communicate. The relationship between pain and aggressive behavioral symptoms was estimated from logistic regression models after controlling for covariates (functional/cognitive impairments, pain medications, comorbidities, and sociodemographic variables). In residents who could not communicate, pain was associated with both verbal and physical aggression (verbal aggression: adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.23, 95% CI [1.17, 1.29]; physical aggression: AOR = 1.20, 95% CI [1.14, 1.26]). In residents who could communicate, pain was associated with verbal aggression only (AOR = 1.12, 95% CI [1.04, 1.18]). The relationship between pain and aggressive behavioral symptoms varies according to the communicative status of NH residents and disproportionately affects those who cannot articulate their pain. Strategies for enhancing pain management in these residents are needed to adequately treat pain and reduce aggression.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Aggression, and Illicit Stimulant Use: Is This Self-Medication?

PubMed

Odell, Annie P; Reynolds, Grace L; Fisher, Dennis G; Huckabay, Loucine M; Pedersen, William C; Xandre, Pamela; Miočević, Milica

2017-05-01

This study compares adults with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on measures of direct and displaced aggression and illicit drug use. Three hundred ninety-six adults were administered the Wender Utah Rating Scale, the Risk Behavior Assessment, the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ), and the Displaced Aggression Questionnaire (DAQ). Those with ADHD were higher on all scales of the AQ and DAQ, were younger at first use of amphetamines, and were more likely to have ever used crack and amphetamines. A Structural Equation Model found a significant interaction in that for those with medium and high levels of verbal aggression, ADHD predicts crack and amphetamine. Follow-up logistic regression models suggest that blacks self-medicate with crack and whites and Hispanics self-medicate with amphetamine when they have ADHD and verbal aggression.

Aggression in adolescent dating relationships: prevalence, justification, and health consequences.

PubMed

Muñoz-Rivas, Marina J; Graña, Jose Luis; O'Leary, K Daniel; González, M Pilar

2007-04-01

To assess the prevalence of verbally and physically aggressive behaviors in dating relationships in a sample of Spanish adolescents. Cross-sectional self-report data were obtained with The Modified Conflict Tactics Scale (MCTS) from a representative sample of 2416 adolescents and young adults of both genders, between ages of 16 and 20 years. The results showed that a significantly higher percentage of women engaged in verbal aggression (95.3% vs. 92.8%), whereas the males engaged in more severe physical aggression (4.6% vs. 2.0%) and produced worse consequences for their female partners' health (especially slight cuts/slight bruises, broken nose, black eye, broken bone and requiring medical treatment/hospitalization). Justification for aggression also revealed differential results. Whereas women said they attacked their partners while under the influence of emotional states of intense anger (22.4% vs. 13.9%), the males said they did so in response to aggression received (13.0% vs. 6.6%). The analysis of the group differences as a function of age showed that verbal aggression was very high and was not different across the age groups. In contrast, physical aggression decreased significantly across the age groups, but health consequences became more severe with age (e.g., broken nose, black eye, broken bone, went from 1% at 16 years to 4.5% at 20 years of age). These differential tendencies of aggression typology for men and women help clinicians to develop preventive interventions for every age, with the aim of diminishing their continuity in future relationships.

Preadolescents' Daily Peer Victimization and Perceived Social Competence: Moderating Effects of Classroom Aggression.

PubMed

Morrow, Michael T; Hubbard, Julie A; Sharp, Marissa K

2018-01-29

Few studies have assessed children's daily peer experiences, and even fewer have considered their daily self-perceptions. This daily diary study examined relations between preadolescents' daily reports of peer victimization and perceived social competence, along with moderating effects of classroom aggression. A racially diverse sample of 182 children in 5th grade (105 boys; M age = 10.64 years; 35% White, 31% Black, 17% Hispanic, 17% other or not reported) completed daily measures of peer victimization and perceived social competence, with most children completing measures on 8 school days. Teachers completed measures of aggression for each participating pupil. Four types of peer victimization (verbal victimization, social manipulation, social rebuff, and property attacks) predicted decreased daily perceived social competence. Daily social rebuff predicted decreased daily perceived social competence beyond the effects of the other types of victimization. Classroom aggression moderated the relation of verbal victimization with perceived social competence, such that this relation was significant in classrooms with lower aggression and nonsignificant in classrooms with higher aggression. Results indicate that preadolescents' daily self-perceptions fluctuate with daily victimization by peers, particularly with social rebuff. Findings also suggest that the impact of verbal victimization on children's self-views could be exacerbated in classrooms that better manage peer-to-peer aggression. Accordingly, targeted interventions appear critical for children who continue to experience peer victimization in schools with highly effective aggression prevention programs.

The effect of classroom structure on verbal and physical aggression among peers: a short-term longitudinal study.

PubMed

Bergsmann, Evelyn M; Van De Schoot, Rens; Schober, Barbara; Finsterwald, Monika; Spiel, Christiane

2013-04-01

Teachers promote student learning and well-being in school by establishing a supportive classroom structure. The term classroom structure refers to how teachers design tasks, maintain authority, and evaluate student achievement. Although empirical studies have shown the relation of classroom structure to student motivation, achievement, and well-being, no prior investigations have examined the influence of classroom structure on aggression among peers. The present study examined whether a supportive classroom structure has an impact on verbal and physical aggression. At two points in time, data were collected from 1680 students in Grades 5 to 7 using self-report questionnaires. The results of structural equation modeling revealed that a supportive classroom structure at Time 1 was associated with less perpetrated verbal aggression at Time 2, 9months later. This finding has practical relevance for teacher training as well as for aggression prevention and intervention among children. Copyright © 2012 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Perceived verbal conflict behaviors associated with physical aggression and sexual coercion in dating relationships: a gender-sensitive analysis.

PubMed

Katz, Jennifer; Carino, Andrew; Hilton, Angela

2002-02-01

We studied perceived partner verbal behaviors associated with participants' use of dating aggression. Men's reports of their partners' demanding, controlling, and psychologically abusive behaviors during conflicts were expected to predict men's perpetration against partners. In contrast, women's reports of their partners' withdrawal were expected to predict women's perpetration. Data were collected from heterosexual undergraduates (N = 223) in exclusive dating relationships. Participants' reports of partner demands and partner psychological abuse were associated with participants' use of physical aggression and sexual coercion. Reports of partner withdrawal and partner controlling behaviors were associated with participants' sexual coercion only. Significant moderating effects of gender emerged. As expected, partner demands, controlling behaviors, and psychological abuse were associated with physical aggression and sexual coercion in men, but not women. Partner withdrawal was associated with sexual coercion in both women and men. We conclude that gender-sensitive approaches are necessary to understand and prevent verbal conflict patterns associated with physical aggression and sexual coercion in intimate relationships.

Coping strategies of caregivers towards aggressive behaviors of persons with severe mental illness.

PubMed

Madathumkovilakath, Neethu Bhaskaran; Kizhakkeppattu, Sindhu; Thekekunnath, Saleem; Kazhungil, Firoz

2018-04-24

Aggression is one of the chief determinants of caregiver burden in severe mental illnesses. Clinical and treatment implications of aggression in mental illness are predominantly studied in perspectives of mental health care professionals. Coping style of caregivers towards aggression of persons with mental illness is understudied. So we studied coping strategies used by caregivers of patients with severe mental illness towards aggressive behaviors of patients and relationship between aggressive behavior and coping strategies. We assessed two hundreds and seventy caregivers of patients with severe mental illness attending outpatient psychiatry department using Modified Overt Aggression Scale and the Ways of Coping Scale - revised. 95.6% of the caregivers perceived verbal aggression followed by aggression against property (67%), auto aggression (33.7%) and physical aggression (25.6%). The study revealed that adaptive coping strategies - planful problem solving and seeking social support were used by 40% each of caregivers to deal with aggressive behavior. Only 4.4% of caregivers resorted to escape avoidance which is maladaptive coping strategy. Though adaptive strategies were used by caregivers these were not used in appropriate situations. Physical aggression and aggression against property were not significantly associated with planful problem solving (r = 0.105; p = 0.08 and r = 0.110; p = 0.07 respectively). But verbal aggression, aggression against property and physical aggression were associated with escape avoidance (r = 0.152; p = 0.01 and r = 0.168; p = 0.01 and r = 0.23; p = <0.001 respectively). The study concluded that coping in caregivers of severe mental illness is maladaptive with respect to aggression. Coping skills training would play a major role to address this issue. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Smart-Mouth Kids: Taking the Sting Out of Verbal Aggression.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hewitt, Mary Beth

1998-01-01

Describes how a Life Space Crisis Intervention works to educate school personnel and students about verbal aggression. By analyzing insults, it is possible to avoid being hurt and thrown off focus, thus keeping perspective on the issues at hand. (MKA)

Exploring the Incremental Validity of Nonverbal Social Aggression: The Utility of Peer Nominations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blake, Jamilia J.; Kim, Eun Sook; Lease, A. Michele

2011-01-01

This study examined the construct validity of nonverbal social aggression and the relation of nonverbal social aggression to dimensions of children's social status. Peer nominations of verbal social, nonverbal social, direct veral, and physical aggression, as well as social dominance, perceived popularity, and social acceptance, were collected…

Family Correlates of Children's Social and Physical Aggression with Peers: Negative Interparental Conflict Strategies and Parenting Styles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Underwood, Marion K.; Beron, Kurt J.; Gentsch, Joanna K.; Galperin, Mikal B.; Risser, Scott D.

2008-01-01

This investigation examines whether negative interparental conflict strategies (stonewalling, triangulation, verbal aggression, and physical aggression) and parenting styles are related to social and physical aggression with peers for children followed longitudinally from age 9 to 10 (N = 256). Parents reported on negative conflict strategies and…

Development of the Adult Scale of Hostility and Aggression: Reactive-Proactive (A-SHARP)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matlock, Scott Thomas; Aman, Michael G.

2011-01-01

In this study, the authors developed the Adult Scale of Hostility and Aggression Reactive-Proactive (A-SHARP). Sixty-one caregivers rated 512 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities on the A-SHARP. Exploratory factor analysis revealed 5 factors on the Problem Scale: (a) Verbal Aggression, (b) Physical Aggression, (c) Hostile…

The Relation of Conceptual Tempo to Aggression and Its Control.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Messer, Stanley B.; Brodzinsky, David M.

1979-01-01

Fifth-grade boys and girls were administered the Matching Familiar Figures Test and a projective measure of fantasy aggression and its control. They were also rated sociometrically by peers and teachers on physical, verbal, and indirect forms of overt aggression. Results indicated that conceptual tempo was related to aggression and its control.…

Nursing and aggression in the workplace: a systematic review.

PubMed

Edward, Karen-leigh; Ousey, Karen; Warelow, Philip; Lui, Steve

Personal experiences of aggression or violence in the workplace lead to serious consequences for nurses, their patients, patient care and the organisation as a whole. While there is a plethora of research on this topic, no review is available that identifies types of aggression encountered, individuals perceived to be most at risk and coping strategies for victims. The aim of this systematic review was to examine occupational anxiety related to actual aggression in the workplace for nurses. Databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL and PsycINFO) were searched, resulting in 1543 titles and abstracts. After removal of duplicates and non-relevant titles, 137 papers were read in full. Physical aggression was found to be most frequent in mental health, nursing homes and emergency departments while verbal aggression was more commonly experienced by general nurses. Nurses exposed to verbal or physical abuse often experienced a negative psychological impact post incident.

Aggression on haemodialysis units: a mixed method study.

PubMed

Jones, Julia; Nijman, Henk; Ross, Jamie; Ashman, Neil; Callaghan, Patrick

2014-09-01

Aggression on haemodialysis units is a growing problem internationally that has received little research attention to date. Aggressive behaviour by patients or their relatives can compromise the safety and well-being of staff and other patients sharing a haemodialysis session. The objectives of the study were twofold: First, to identify the prevalance and nature of aggression on haemodialysis units; and second, to investigate factors that contribute to aggressive behaviour on haemodialysis units. A cross-sectional, sequential mixed method research design was adopted, with two research methods utilised. Incidents of aggressive behaviour were recorded over a 12-month period, using a renal version of the Staff Observation Aggression Scale. Six months after the incident data collection had commenced, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 29 multidisciplinary members of staff. Over 12 months, 74 aggressive incidents were recorded. The majority of incidents involved verbal aggression, and the perpetrators were a minority of patients, relatives and staff. Two patients were responsible for 38% of all incidents; both patients had mental health problems. Distinct temporal patterns to the aggressive behaviour were observed according to the day of the week and time of day. This study demonstrates that aggression is a significant problem on haemodialysis units, with verbal aggression most prevalent. The temporal patterns to aggression observed are related to the uniqueness of the haemodialysis setting, with a distinctly different treatment environment compared with other healthcare settings. © 2014 European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses Association/European Renal Care Association.

Television and aggression: a test of a mediated model with a sample of Portuguese students.

PubMed

Matos, Armanda Pinto da Mota; Ferreira, Joaquim Armando G Alves; Haase, Richard F

2012-01-01

We examined the role of identification with violent TV heroes, enjoyment of TV violence, and perceived reality in TV violence as mediators of the relationship between viewing TV violence and subsequent physical and verbal aggression. A sample of 722 4th, 6th, and 8th grade students from schools in the central region of Portugal completed measures assessing enjoyment of TV violence, perceived reality, aggression, identification with violent TV heroes, and exposure to TV violence. The results showed that the relationship between TV violence and physical aggression is mediated by enjoyment of TV violence, perceived reality in TV violence, and identification with violent TV heroes. The TV violence to verbal aggression relationship was also mediated by enjoyment of TV violence.

Evaluation of a Program Designed to Reduce Relational Aggression in Middle School Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dellasega, Cheryl; Adamshick, Pamela

2005-01-01

Physical and verbal aggression is an increasing problem in both middle and high schools across the United States. While physical forms of aggression are targeted in traditional "bullying" programs, relational aggression (RA), or the use of relationships to hurt another, is often not detected or addressed. For girls in the stage of identity…

Perceived Neighborhood Violence and Use of Verbal Aggression, Corporal Punishment, and Physical Abuse by a National Sample of Parents in Israel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winstok, Zeev; Straus, Murray A.

2011-01-01

This study, based on an ecological perspective, examined the relation of perceived neighborhood violence, child misbehavior, parental attitudes to aggressive discipline tactics, and the actual use of aggressive discipline tactics. Research questions were: To what extent is perceived neighborhood violence associated with aggressive discipline by…

Incremental prediction and moderating role of the perceived emotional intelligence over aggressive behavior.

PubMed

Peláez-Fernández, María Angeles; Extremera, Natalio; Fernández-Berrocal, Pablo

2014-01-01

The aim of this research was to explore the influence of Perceived Emotional Intelligence (PEI) on aggression dimensions (Physical Aggression, Verbal Aggression, Hostility, and Anger) above and beyond the effects of gender, age, and personality traits (Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Openness to Experience), as well as the moderating role of PEI on the relationship between personality and aggressive behavior, among young adults. The Trait Meta-Mood Scale, the Big-Five Inventory, and the Aggression Questionnaire were administered to a 313 Spanish community sample, comprised of both males (39.0%) and females (61.0%), ranging from 14 to 69 years old (X = 24.74; SD = 9.27). Controlling the effects of age, gender, and personality, PEI dimensions (Attention, Clarity and Repair) accounted for 3% of the variance (p < .05) in Verbal Aggression and Hostility. Interaction analysis showed that all PEI subscales moderated the relationship between four out of the Big-Five personality dimensions (Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism, and Openness to Experience) and the aggression dimensions. Particularly, the interaction between Attention and Extraversion and between Clarity and Neuroticism were significant predictors of Total Aggression (b = .67, t(313) = 2.35, p < .05; b = -.71, t(313) = -2.50, p < .05). The results show evidence of the predictive and incremental validity of PEI dimensions on aggressive behavior among young adults and of the moderating role of PEI on the personality-aggression relationship.

Spin, Unit Climate, and Aggression: Near Term, Long Term, and Reciprocal Predictors of Violence Among Workers in Military Settings

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-08-01

bullying, harassment, intimate partner violence) as well as physical health and mental health outcomes often associated with exposure to aggression (e.g... physical aggression, witnessing aggression in the workplace can have negative consequences for unit performance, physical health , and mental health . An...constructs (e.g., physical assault, verbal aggression, anger / rage, bullying, harassment, intimate partner violence) as well as physical health and

[Association of pubertal timing and the different dimensionality of adolescents' aggressive behavior].

PubMed

Han, Hui; Wang, Gengfu; Su, Puyu

2016-01-01

To explore the relationship between pubertal timing and aggressive behaviors. Stratified random sampling was used to choose 5760 students from one junior high school and one high school. The pubertal development scale (PDS) questionnaire and perceived pubertal timing were used to evaluate the pubertal timing, and the Buss-Perry questionnaire was used to explore the students' aggressive behaviors. The score of aggressive behavior was significantly different in junior high school students with different perceived pubertal timing, the score of early pubertal timing was highest and the score of delay pubertal timing was lowest, and the score of physical aggression and verbal aggression of schoolboy in early pubertal timing and normal pubertal timing in high school was higher than the delay pubertal timing (P < 0.05). The score of physical aggression, anger and hostility of schoolgirl in early pubertal timing was highest, there was significant difference between them. The relationship between the perceived pubertal timing and the aggressive behavior was the physical aggression, anger and hostility score was highest in schoolgirls both in junior high school and high school, and the score of verbal aggression was higher in normal pubertal timing and early pubertal timing in schoolboys (P < 0.05), there was significant difference between them. There are closely relationship between the early pubertal timing and aggressive behaviors by used the PDS questionnaire, and the perceived pubertal timing is in a relatively large impact on girls' aggressive behaviors.

Attendance Policies, Student Attendance, and Instructor Verbal Aggressiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snyder, Jason; Forbus, Robert; Cistulli, Mark

2012-01-01

The authors utilized an experimental design across six sections of a managerial communications course (N = 173) to test the impact of instructor verbal aggressiveness and class attendance policies on student class attendance. The experimental group received a policy based on the principle of social proof (R. B. Cialdini, 2001), which indicated…

Solving Adolescent Verbal Aggressions through Transactional Analysis Counseling Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Netrawati; Furqon; Yusuf, Syamsu; Rusmana, Nandang

2016-01-01

This study aimed at helping school counselors in solving issues related to adolescent verbal aggressions through implementing Transactional Analysis (TA) counseling, which was particularly given to the students in public vocational schools (SMKs) in Padang city who were majoring in engineering. Recent phenomena in Padang had revealed that among…

Hispanic Parents' Conflict Tactics Influence on College Women's Verbal Aggression Victimization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy, Shannon M.; Stephens, Dionne P.

2017-01-01

Prior research has shown that college women in the United States are experiencing significantly high rates of verbal aggression (VA); approximately 20% to 30% of college women experience VA in their intimate relationships. Research has shown that familial conflict experiences directly influence these outcomes. Unfortunately, studies focusing on…

Instructor Socio-Communicative Style, Argumentativeness, and Verbal Aggressiveness in the College Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myers, Scott A.

A study examined the relationship among instructor socio-communicative style, argumentativeness, and verbal aggressiveness in the college classroom. Participants were 139 undergraduate students enrolled at a small southern university who completed the Assertiveness-Responsiveness Measure (Richmond and McCroskey, 1995), as well as modified versions…

Student-Reported Overt and Relational Aggression and Victimization in Grades 3-8. Issues & Answers. REL 2011-No. 114

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nishioka, Vicki; Coe, Michael; Burke, Art; Hanita, Makota; Sprague, Jeffrey

2011-01-01

This secondary analysis of survey data from a voluntary sample of 11,561 grade 3-8 students examines the prevalence and distribution of aggression, victimization, and approval of aggression, both overt (verbally and physically aggressive behavior intended to threaten or harm) and relational (behavior intended to harm someone's relationships with…

Fregoli Syndrome: An Underrecognized Risk Factor for Aggression in Treatment Settings

PubMed Central

Ashraf, Nauman; Antonius, Daniel; Sinkman, Arthur; Kleinhaus, Karine; Malaspina, Dolores

2011-01-01

Fregoli syndrome (FS) is commonly associated with verbal threats and aggressive behavior. We present a case of Fregoli syndrome leading to an assault. We discuss the possible underdiagnosis of FS, associated risk for aggression, and strategies to reduce that risk. PMID:22937404

Effects of reducing children's television and video game use on aggressive behavior: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Robinson, T N; Wilde, M L; Navracruz, L C; Haydel, K F; Varady, A

2001-01-01

The relationship between exposure to aggression in the media and children's aggressive behavior is well documented. However, few potential solutions have been evaluated. To assess the effects of reducing television, videotape, and video game use on aggressive behavior and perceptions of a mean and scary world. Randomized, controlled, school-based trial. Two sociodemographically and scholastically matched public elementary schools in San Jose, Calif. Third- and fourth-grade students (mean age, 8.9 years) and their parents or guardians. Children in one elementary school received an 18-lesson, 6-month classroom curriculum to reduce television, videotape, and video game use. In September (preintervention) and April (postintervention) of a single school year, children rated their peers' aggressive behavior and reported their perceptions of the world as a mean and scary place. A 60% random sample of children were observed for physical and verbal aggression on the playground. Parents were interviewed by telephone and reported aggressive and delinquent behaviors on the child behavior checklist. The primary outcome measure was peer ratings of aggressive behavior. Compared with controls, children in the intervention group had statistically significant decreases in peer ratings of aggression (adjusted mean difference, -2.4%; 95% confidence interval [CI], -4.6 to -0.2; P =.03) and observed verbal aggression (adjusted mean difference, -0.10 act per minute per child; 95% CI, -0.18 to -0.03; P =.01). Differences in observed physical aggression, parent reports of aggressive behavior, and perceptions of a mean and scary world were not statistically significant but favored the intervention group. An intervention to reduce television, videotape, and video game use decreases aggressive behavior in elementary schoolchildren. These findings support the causal influences of these media on aggression and the potential benefits of reducing children's media use.

A Pilot Study of Verbal Learning in Young Aggressive Boys. Appendix H.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Camp, Bonnie W.

Provided is the manual for the "Think Aloud" program for young aggressive boys which is designed to slow down and inhibit first associations; increase verbal mediation; inhibit immature, irrelevant speech; increase repertory of alternative responses; increase skill in staying with a plan and evaluating outcomes; and facilitate transfer…

Sexual Coercion, Verbal Aggression, and Condom Use Consistency among College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fair, Cynthia D.; Vanyur, Jennifer

2011-01-01

Objective: The relationship between condom use and 2 less visible categories of intimate partner violence (IPV), sexual coercion and verbal aggression, was examined among college students. Methods: In March 2007 a random cross-sectional sample of undergraduates from the southeast region of the United States was taken to collect information about…

Peer Acceptance and Self-Perceptions of Verbal and Behavioural Aggression and Social Withdrawal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Lei; Li, Kin Kit; Lei, Li; Liu, Hongyun; Guo, Boliang; Wang, Yan; Fung, Kitty Y.

2005-01-01

This study presents a model of maladaptive social interactions that includes both behavioural and communication correlates of peer acceptance and self-perceived social competence. Tested in a sample of 377 Hong Kong secondary school students, verbal and nonverbal aggression contributed concurrently and longitudinally to peer acceptance.…

Advisor-Advisee Three: Graduate Students' Perceptions of Verbal Aggression, Credibility, and Conflict Styles in the Advising Relationship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Punyanunt-Carter, Narissra M.; Wrench, Jason S.

2008-01-01

The current study looked at the relation between advisee perceptions of advisor's verbal aggression, credibility, and conflict styles. Participants were 153 graduate students who reported their perceptions concerning their advisor. First, the study found that advisee perceptions of their advisor's credibility (competence, caring/goodwill, &…

Is the Television Rating System Valid? Indirect, Verbal, and Physical Aggression in Programs Viewed by Fifth Grade Girls and Associations with Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linder, Jennifer Ruh; Gentile, Douglas A.

2009-01-01

This study had two goals: first, to examine the validity of the television rating system for assessing aggression in programs popular among girls; second, to evaluate the importance of inclusion of non-physical forms of aggression in the ratings system by examining associations between television aggression exposure and behavior. Ninety-nine fifth…

Leveling, Civility, and Violence in the Family

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Straus, Murray A.

1974-01-01

The factual basis for therapy and family advice urging "leveling" in the sense of giving fre expression to aggressive feelings is reviewed and results presented of a study which tested the hypothesis that verbal aggression is a substitute for physical aggression. Presented at National Council on Family Relations, 1973. (Author)

Perceived Instructor Argumentativeness, Verbal Aggressiveness, and Classroom Communication Climate in Relation to Student State Motivation and Math Anxiety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Yang; Durbin, James M.; Rancer, Andrew S.

2017-01-01

This study examined how student perceptions of math/statistics instructors' argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness are related to student perceptions of classroom communication climate, student state motivation, and student math anxiety. A total of 216 completed questionnaires were returned by the student participants (96 males and 120…

Association of Aggression and Non-Suicidal Self Injury: A School-Based Sample of Adolescents

PubMed Central

Tang, Jie; Ma, Ying; Guo, Yong; Ahmed, Niman Isse; Yu, Yizhen; Wang, Jiaji

2013-01-01

Purpose Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescent has drawn increasing attention because it is associated with subsequent depression, drug abuse, anxiety disorders, and suicide. In the present study, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in a school-based sample of Chinese adolescents and to explore the association between aggression and NSSI. Methods This study was part of a nationwide study on aggression among adolescents in urban areas of China. A sample of 2907 school students including 1436 boys and 1471 girls were randomly selected in Guangdong Province, with their age ranging from 10 to 18 years old. NSSI, aggression, emotional management and other factors were measured by self-administrated questionnaire. Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate the association between aggression and NSSI, after adjustment for participants’ emotional management, and other potential confounding variables. Results The one year self-reported prevalence of NSSI was 33.6%. Of them, 21.7% engaged in ‘minor NSSI’, 11.9% in ‘moderate/severe NSSI’. 96.9% of self-injuries engaged in one to five different types of NSSI in the past year. Hostility, verbal and indirect aggression was significantly associated with self-reported NSSI after adjusting for other potential factors both in ‘minor NSSI’ and ‘moderate/severe NSSI’. Hostility, verbal and indirect aggression was significantly associated with greater risk of ‘minor NSSI’ and ‘moderate/severe NSSI’ in those who had poor emotional management ability. Conclusion These findings highlight a high prevalence of NSSI and indicate the importance of hostility, verbal and indirect aggression as potentially risk factor for NSSI among Chinese adolescents. PMID:24205132

Selective Exposure to Televised Aggression. Report No. 7.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atkin, Charles K.; And Others

This 2-wave panel survey of young people was conducted to explore the relationship between attitudes and viewing over time, examining aggressiveness and viewing of programs portraying physical and verbal aggression. Questionnaires were administered to 227 children in the fourth, sixth, and eighth grades in 1976 and again one year later. The…

Relations between Childraising Styles and Aggressiveness in Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De la Torre-Cruz, M. J.; García-Linares, M. C.; Casanova-Arias, P. F.

2014-01-01

Introduction: Physical and aggressive behavior which children and adolescents show toward peers is associated to parenting styles. The aim of this research was to examine the relation between perceived parenting styles (from mothers and fathers) and the level of physical and verbal aggressive behavior, anger and hostility showed towards the peers.…

A Worldwide Study of Sex Differences in Aggression: A Universalist Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rohner, Ronald P.

The objective of this research paper is to present evidence showing that sex differences in aggression are universal, but that within limits the differences are also highly susceptible to experiential modification. Aggression is defined as any behavior that intends to hurt a person or a thing, physically or verbally. Investigation was conducted…

College Women's Aggression in Relationships: The Role of Childhood and Adolescent Victimization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Katie M.; Desai, Angeli D.; Gidycz, Christine A.; VanWynsberghe, Amy

2009-01-01

Despite growing evidence suggesting that women engage in verbal and physical dating aggression, there is a dearth of research examining the predictors of women's engagement in these behaviors. Utilizing a college sample, the purpose of the current study was to explore women's perpetration of dating aggression within the context of victimization…

Self-defense against verbal assault: shame, anger, and the social bond.

PubMed

Scheff, T J

1995-09-01

With many years of experience and refinement, the arts of self-defense against physical assault are highly developed. Without an effective theory and and a useful practice, there is little in the way of self-defense against verbal assault. For THEORY, I draw upon ideas from aikido, family systems theory, and the sociology of emotions. Since unacknowledged shame seems to generate rage and damage social bonds, I emphasize the management of shame, anger, and bonds. To illustrate the meaning of these principles, I offer several episodes as examples, using the METHOD of discourse analysis. I apply this theory and method to the PRACTICE of psychotherapy by describing some rudimentary principles of defense of self against verbal aggression, especially the subtle aggression of innuendo. Psychotherapy is often an arena of verbal aggression by both therapist and client, even though it is usually unintentional and outside of awareness.

Characterisation of aggression in Huntington's disease: rates, types and antecedents in an inpatient rehabilitation setting.

PubMed

Brown, Anahita; Sewell, Katherine; Fisher, Caroline A

2017-10-01

To systematically review aggression in an inpatient Huntington's cohort examining rates, types and antecedents. Although the prevalence of aggression in Huntington's disease is high, research into this problematic behaviour has been limited. Few studies have investigated the nature of aggressive behaviour in Huntington's disease or antecedents that contribute to its occurrence. A systematic, double-coded, electronic medical file audit. The electronic hospital medical records of 10 people with Huntington's disease admitted to a brain disorders unit were audited for a 90-day period using the Overt Aggression Scale-Modified for Neurorehabilitation framework, yielding 900 days of clinical data. Nine of 10 clients exhibited aggression during the audit period. Both verbal (37·1%) aggression and physical aggression were common (33·8%), along with episodes of mixed verbal and physical aggression (15·2%), while aggression to objects/furniture was less prevalent (5·5%). The most common antecedent was physical guidance with personal care, far exceeding any other documented antecedents, and acting as the most common trigger for four of the nine clients who exhibited aggression. For the remaining five clients, there was intraindividual heterogeneity in susceptibility to specific antecedents. In Huntington's sufferers at mid- to late stages following disease onset, particular care should be made with personal care assistance due to the propensity for these procedures to elicit an episode of aggression. However, given the degree of intraindividual heterogeneity in susceptibility to specific antecedents observed in the present study, individualised behaviour support plans and sensory modulation interventions may be the most useful in identifying triggers and managing aggressive episodes. Rates of aggression in Huntington's disease inpatients can be high. Knowledge of potential triggers, such as personal care, is important for nursing and care staff, so that attempts can be made to minimise distress for patients and maximise the personal safety of care staff. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

What is Bullying?

MedlinePlus

... Types of Aggressive Behavior Print Share What Is Bullying Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged ... When Bullying Happens Frequency of Bullying Types of Bullying There are three types of bullying: Verbal bullying ...

Predictors of violent behavior among acute psychiatric patients: clinical study.

PubMed

Amore, Mario; Menchetti, Marco; Tonti, Cristina; Scarlatti, Fabiano; Lundgren, Eva; Esposito, William; Berardi, Domenico

2008-06-01

Violence risk prediction is a priority issue for clinicians working with mentally disordered offenders. The aim of the present study was to determine violence risk factors in acute psychiatric inpatients. The study was conducted in a locked, short-term psychiatric inpatient unit and involved 374 patients consecutively admitted in a 1-year period. Sociodemographic and clinical data were obtained through a review of the medical records and patient interviews. Psychiatric symptoms at admission were assessed using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). Psychiatric diagnosis was formulated using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. Past aggressive behavior was evaluated by interviewing patients, caregivers or other collateral informants. Aggressive behaviors in the ward were assessed using the Overt Aggression Scale. Patients who perpetrated verbal and against-object aggression or physical aggression in the month before admission were compared to non-aggressive patients, moreover, aggressive behavior during hospitalization and persistence of physical violence after admission were evaluated. Violent behavior in the month before admission was associated with male sex, substance abuse and positive symptoms. The most significant risk factor for physical violence was a past history of physically aggressive behavior. The persistent physical assaultiveness before and during hospitalization was related to higher BPRS total scores and to more severe thought disturbances. Higher levels of hostility-suspiciousness BPRS scores predicted a change for the worse in violent behavior, from verbal to physical. A comprehensive evaluation of the history of past aggressive behavior and psychopathological variables has important implications for the prediction of violence in psychiatric settings.

Verbal Aggressiveness Among Physicians and Trainees.

PubMed

Lazarus, Jenny Lynn; Hosseini, Motahar; Kamangar, Farin; Levien, David H; Rowland, Pamela A; Kowdley, Gopal C; Cunningham, Steven C

2016-01-01

To better understand verbal aggressiveness among physicians and trainees, including specialty-specific differences. The Infante Verbal Aggressiveness Scale (IVAS) was administered as part of a survey to 48 medical students, 24 residents, and 257 attending physicians. The 72 trainees received the IVAS and demographic questions, whereas the attending physicians received additional questions regarding type of practice, career satisfaction, litigation, and personality type. The IVAS scores showed high reliability (Cronbach α = 0.83). Among all trainees, 56% were female with mean age 28 years, whereas among attending physicians, 63% were male with mean age 50 years. Average scores of trainees were higher than attending physicians with corresponding averages of 1.88 and 1.68, respectively. Among trainees, higher IVAS scores were significantly associated with male sex, non-US birthplace, choice of surgery, and a history of bullying. Among attending physicians, higher IVAS scores were significantly associated with male sex, younger age, self-reported low-quality of patient-physician relationships, and low enjoyment talking to patients. General surgery and general internal medicine physicians were significantly associated with higher IVAS scores than other specialties. General practitioners (surgeons and medical physicians) had higher IVAS scores than the specialists in their corresponding fields. No significant correlation was found between IVAS scores and threats of legal action against attending physicians, or most personality traits. Additional findings regarding bullying in medical school, physician-patient interactions, and having a method to deal with inappropriate behavior at work were observed. Individuals choosing general specialties display more aggressive verbal communication styles, general surgeons displaying the highest. The IVAS scoring system may identify subgroups of physicians with overly aggressive (problematic) communication skills and may provide a backdrop for educating physician communicators. The relationship between verbal aggressiveness and efficacy of clinical communication merits inquiry. Copyright © 2016 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factors associated with aggressive behavior between residents and staff in nursing homes.

PubMed

Stutte, Karin; Hahn, Sabine; Fierz, Katharina; Zúñiga, Franziska

The aim of this secondary data analysis of the cross-sectional Swiss Nursing Homes Human Resources Project (SHURP) study was to describe the prevalence of residents' verbal, physical and sexual aggression toward care workers in Swiss nursing homes and to explore their association with context and care worker factors. The study's sample incorporated data from 155 randomly selected nursing homes, including 402 units. Among care workers (n = 3919), 66% reported experiencing verbal, 42% physical and 15% sexual aggression. Logistic regression analyses indicated that non-special care units and care workers' higher perception of staffing and resources adequacy and higher age were associated with a decreased likelihood of aggression, whereas emotional exhaustion was associated with an increased likelihood. Our results suggest an association of aggressive resident behavior with modifiable context and care worker factors. Knowledge about this may contribute to a continuous improvement process, enhancing residents' well-being alongside care workers' safety and satisfaction. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gossip on the Playground: Changes Associated with Universal Intervention, Retaliation Beliefs, and Supportive Friends

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Low, Sabina; Frey, Karin S.; Brockman, Callie J.

2010-01-01

Relational forms of aggression are known to increase during the middle school years. To date, the majority of efficacy studies of elementary school-based programs have focused on the reduction of physical and direct verbal aggression, to the exclusion of effects on relational aggression. "Steps to Respect: A Bullying Prevention Program" is one…

Self-Reported Use of Different Forms of Aggression in Late Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Verona, Edelyn; Sadeh, Naomi; Case, Steve M.; Reed, Americus, II; Bhattacharjee, Amit

2008-01-01

Two studies investigated the psychometric properties of a self-report measure of commonly recognized forms of aggression (FOA) that could be used to efficiently gather aggression data in large samples. EFA and CFA in Study 1 suggested that a five-factor model (Physical, Property, Verbal, Relational, and Passive-Rational) best represented the data…

Psychological consequences of aggression in pre-hospital emergency care: cross sectional survey.

PubMed

Bernaldo-De-Quirós, Mónica; Piccini, Ana T; Gómez, M Mar; Cerdeira, Jose C

2015-01-01

Pre-hospital emergency care is a particularly vulnerable setting for workplace violence. However, there is no literature available to date on the psychological consequences of violence in pre-hospital emergency care. To evaluate the psychological consequences of exposure to workplace violence from patients and those accompanying them in pre-hospital emergency care. A retrospective cross-sectional study. 70 pre-hospital emergency care services located in Madrid region. A randomized sample of 441 health care workers (135 physicians, 127 nurses and 179 emergency care assistants). Data were collected from February to May 2012. The survey was divided into four sections: demographic/professional information, level of burnout determined by Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), mental health status using General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and frequency and type of violent behaviour experienced by staff members. The health care professionals who had been exposed to physical and verbal violence presented a significantly higher percentage of anxiety, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and burnout syndrome compared with those who had not been subjected to any aggression. Frequency of verbal violence (more than five times) was related to emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Type of violence (i.e. physical aggression) is especially related to high anxiety levels and frequency of verbal aggression is associated with burnout (emotional exhaustion and depersonalization). Psychological counselling should be made available to professional staff who have been subjected to physical aggression or frequent verbal violence. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trajectories of Maternal Verbal Aggression across the Middle School Years: Associations with Negative View of Self and Social Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donovan, Kera L.; Brassard, Marla R.

2011-01-01

Objective: The primary research objective was to explore the relationship between trajectories of maternal verbal aggression (VA) experienced by low-income, community middle school students across a three-year period and outcomes that have been found to be related to VA in previous work, including a negative view of self and social problems.…

Early Maladaptive Schemas and Aggression in Men Seeking Residential Substance Use Treatment

PubMed Central

Shorey, Ryan C.; Elmquist, Joanna; Anderson, Scott; Stuart, Gregory L.

2015-01-01

Social-cognitive theories of aggression postulate that individuals who perpetrate aggression are likely to have high levels of maladaptive cognitive schemas that increase risk for aggression. Indeed, recent research has begun to examine whether early maladaptive schemas may increase the risk for aggression. However, no known research has examined this among individuals in substance use treatment, despite aggression and early maladaptive schemas being more prevalent among individuals with a substance use disorder than the general population. Toward this end, we examined the relationship between early maladaptive schemas and aggression in men in a residential substance use treatment facility (N = 106). Utilizing pre-existing patient records, results demonstrated unique associations between early maladaptive schema domains and aggression depending on the type of aggression and schema domain examined, even after controlling for substance use, antisocial personality, age, and education. The Impaired Limits domain was positively associated with verbal aggression, aggressive attitude, and overall aggression, whereas the Disconnection and Rejection domain was positively associated with physical aggression. These findings are consistent with social-cognitive models of aggression and advance our understanding of how early maladaptive schemas may influence aggression. The implications of these findings for future research are discussed. PMID:25897180

Looking through Time: A Longitudinal Study of Children's Media Violence Consumption at Home and Aggressive Behaviors at School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gentile, Douglas A.; Linder, Jennifer R.; Walsh, David A.

Many studies have shown that media violence has an effect on children's subsequent aggression. This study expands upon previous research in three directions: (1) by examining several subtypes of aggression (verbal, relational, and physical); (2) by measuring media violence exposure across three types of media (television, movies/videos, and video…

Predicting aggression in late adolescent romantic relationships: A short-term longitudinal study.

PubMed

Caiozzo, Christina N; Houston, Jessica; Grych, John

2016-12-01

This study sought to prospectively predict aggression in the romantic relationships of 1180 college students from the United States (807 females; 373 males) over the course of two months with a set of intrapersonal risk and protective factors, including personality characteristics that rarely have been examined in this population. After accounting for prior dating aggression, perpetration of verbal aggression was predicted uniquely by aggressive attitudes, emotion regulation, and for females, narcissism. Perpetration of physical aggression was predicted by aggressive attitudes, but only at low levels of emotion regulation, and the interaction of callous-unemotional traits, emotion regulation, and gender: males with low levels of callous-unemotional traits perpetrated less physical aggression when they reported greater emotion regulation. These findings are among the first to show that personality traits and emotion regulation prospectively predict partner aggression in late adolescence and suggest mechanisms for continuity in interpersonal aggression from early adolescence to adulthood. Copyright © 2016 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sensory modulation intervention and behaviour support modification for the treatment of severe aggression in Huntington's disease. A single case experimental design.

PubMed

Fisher, Caroline A; Brown, Anahita

2017-09-01

Aggression is common in Huntington's disease. However, at present there are no standard guidelines for managing aggression in Huntington's sufferers due to a lack of empirical research. This paper presents a case study of the treatment of very high levels of aggression with sensory modulation and behaviour support intervention in a Huntington's sufferer. The client exhibited a range of aggressive behaviours, including physical aggression to people, furniture and objects, and verbal aggression. Following an eight week baseline phase, five weeks of sensory modulation intervention were employed. A behaviour support plan was then implemented as an adjunct to the sensory intervention, with aggressive behaviour systematically audited for a further 11 weeks. The results indicate a significant reduction in reported levels of aggression during the combined sensory modulation and behaviour support phase, compared to both the baseline and the sensory modulation therapy alone phases. This case study highlights the efficacy non-pharmacological interventions may have for reducing aggression in HD.

[Impulsivity - aggression - depression: study of adolescents' problem behavior in light of their personality traits].

PubMed

Pikó, Bettina; Pinczés, Tamás

2014-01-01

Impulsivity is a personality trait that may determine our everyday living, quality of life, decisions. Impulsivity in particular has a great significance during adolescence as a part of the adolescent neuroanatomical and neuropsychiatric developmental processes. The main goal of the present study was to examine correlations among depressive symptomatology, types of aggressive behaviors (verbal, physical, psychic), impulsivity and other personality traits (risk-taking, empathy and self-efficacy) in adolescents. Data collection was going on in Debrecen during the first semester of the year 2012 using classes from three high schools (N = 413), 237 (57,4%) boys and 176 (42,6%) girls. The self-administered questionnaire contained items on mental health and personality traits beyond sociodemographics. After descriptive statistics, correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were applied to detect correlations. Girls reported more depressive symptoms and their level of empathy was also higher. In terms of aggression, significant gender difference was detected only in case of physical aggression with a surplus of boys. Based on multiple regression analyses, we may conclude that impulsivity acted as a risk factor both for mean levels of depressive symptomatology and aggression scales. Besides, lack of empathy proved to be related to physical aggression. In both sexes, self-efficacy was positively associated with verbal and physical aggression. Among girls, self-efficacy was a negative predictor of psychic aggression, that is, it seems to act as a protective factor. In summary, we may conclude that there are strong correlations among depressive symptomatology, aggressive behaviors and impulsivity, and this association may be colored by further personality traits, such as risk-taking, empathy, and self-efficacy. There is a need for learning some basic effective techniques for aggression management and self control as early as adolescence.

Correlates and consequences of spanking and verbal punishment for low-income white, african american, and mexican american toddlers.

PubMed

Berlin, Lisa J; Ispa, Jean M; Fine, Mark A; Malone, Patrick S; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne; Brady-Smith, Christy; Ayoub, Catherine; Bai, Yu

2009-01-01

This study examined the prevalence, predictors, and outcomes of spanking and verbal punishment in 2,573 low-income White, African American, and Mexican American toddlers at ages 1, 2, and 3. Both spanking and verbal punishment varied by maternal race/ethnicity. Child fussiness at age 1 predicted spanking and verbal punishment at all 3 ages. Cross-lagged path analyses indicated that spanking (but not verbal punishment) at age 1 predicted child aggressive behavior problems at age 2 and lower Bayley mental development scores at age 3. Neither child aggressive behavior problems nor Bayley scores predicted later spanking or verbal punishment. In some instances, maternal race/ethnicity and/or emotional responsiveness moderated the effects of spanking and verbal punishment on child outcomes.

Correlates and Consequences of Spanking and Verbal Punishment for Low-Income White, African American, and Mexican American Toddlers

PubMed Central

Berlin, Lisa J.; Ispa, Jean M.; Fine, Mark A.; Malone, Patrick S.; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne; Brady-Smith, Christy; Ayoub, Catherine; Bai, Yu

2010-01-01

This study examined the prevalence, predictors, and outcomes of spanking and verbal punishment in 2,573 low-income White, African American, and Mexican American toddlers at ages 1, 2, and 3. Both spanking and verbal punishment varied by maternal race/ethnicity. Child fussiness at age 1 predicted spanking and verbal punishment at all three ages. Cross-lagged path analyses indicated that spanking (but not verbal punishment) at age 1 predicted child aggressive behavior problems at age 2 and lower Bayley mental development scores at age 3. Neither child aggressive behavior problems nor Bayley scores predicted later spanking or verbal punishment. In some instances, maternal race/ethnicity and/or emotional responsiveness moderated the effects of spanking and verbal punishment on child outcomes. PMID:19765008

Aggressive behaviour among drug-using women from Cape Town, South Africa: ethnicity, heavy alcohol use, methamphetamine and intimate partner violence.

PubMed

Carney, Tara; Myers, Bronwyn; Kline, Tracy L; Johnson, Kim; Wechsberg, Wendee M

2017-09-30

Women have generally been found to be the victims of violence, but scant attention has been paid to the characteristics of women who perpetrate aggression and violence. In South Africa, violence is a prevalent societal issue, especially in the Western Cape. This study aimed at identifying factors that were associated with aggression among a sample of 720 substance-using women. We conducted multivariate logistic regression to identify factors that are significantly associated with these behaviours. Ethnicity (Wald Χ 2  = 17.07(2), p < 0.01) and heavy drinking (Wald Χ 2  = 6.60 (2), p = 0.01) were significantly related to verbal aggression, methamphetamine use was significantly related to physical (Wald Χ 2  = 2.73 (2), p = 0.01) and weapon aggression (Wald Χ 2  = 7.94 (2), p < 0.01) and intimate partner violence was significantly related to verbal (Wald Χ 2  = 12.43 (2), p < 0.01) and physical aggression (Wald Χ 2  = 25.92 (2), p < 0.01). The findings show high levels of aggression among this sample, and highlight the need for interventions that address methamphetamine, heavy drinking and intimate partner violence among vulnerable substance-using women.

Alterations in anterior cingulate cortex myoinositol and aggression in veterans with suicidal behavior: A proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study.

PubMed

Sheth, Chandni; Prescot, Andrew; Bueler, Elliott; DiMuzio, Jennifer; Legarreta, Margaret; Renshaw, Perry F; Yurgelun-Todd, Deborah; McGlade, Erin

2018-06-30

Studies investigating the neurochemical changes that correspond with suicidal behavior (SB) have not yielded conclusive results. Suicide correlates such as aggression have been used to explore risk factors for SB. Yet the neurobiological basis for the association between aggression and SB is unclear. Aggression and SB are both prevalent in veterans relative to civilian populations. The current study evaluated the relationship between brain chemistry in the anterior (ACC) and the posterior cingulate cortex (POC), as well as the relationship between aggression and SB in a veteran population using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H-MRS). Single-voxel MRS data at 3 Tesla (T) were acquired from the ACC and POC voxels using a 2-dimensional J-resolved point spectroscopy sequence and quantified using the ProFit algorithm. Participants also completed a structured diagnostic interview and a clinical battery. Our results showed that the myoinositol (mI)/H2O ratio in the ACC and POC was significantly higher in veterans who reported SB when compared to veterans who did not. The two groups did not differ significantly with regard to other metabolites. Second, verbal aggression and SB measures positively correlated with mI/H2O in the ACC. Finally, verbal aggression mediated the relationship between mI/H2O in the ACC and SB. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Relationships among individualism--collectivism, gender, and ingroup/outgroup status, and responses to conflict: a study in China and the United States.

PubMed

Forbes, Gordon B; Collinsworth, Linda L; Zhao, Peiling; Kohlman, Stephanie; LeClaire, Jessica

2011-01-01

Responses to conflict were studied in samples of college students from a highly collectivistic society (China, n = 207) and a highly individualistic society (United States n = 209). As predicted, the collectivistic society reported more conflict-reducing behaviors and less verbal or physical aggression. However, the effect of individualism/collectivism was moderated by both the ingroup/outgroup status of the target and gender of the participant. Chinese and US women did not differ on any measure. However, of the four groups, Chinese men reported the most conflict-reducing behaviors and the least physical aggression, whereas US men reported the fewest conflict-reducing behaviors and the greatest physical aggression. As predicted, conflict-reducing behaviors were more common in the ingroup condition and both verbal and physical aggression was more common in the outgroup condition. However, the latter were moderated by gender of the participant. US men reported greater physical aggression than any other group. Neither gender nor society had any effect on the level of indirect aggression. There were no gender or individualism/collectivism effects on indirect aggression. Observed gender effects were attributed to differences in how collectivistic and individualistic societies conceptualize masculinity. The effect sizes associated with the ingroup/outgroup condition were consistently and substantially larger than effect sizes associated with individualism/collectivism or gender. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

From hitting to tattling to gossip: an evolutionary rationale for the development of indirect aggression.

PubMed

Ingram, Gordon P D

2014-04-29

Adult humans are characterized by low rates of intra-group physical aggression. Since children tend to be more physically aggressive, an evolutionary developmental account shows promise for explaining how physical aggression is suppressed in adults. I argue that this is achieved partly through extended dominance hierarchies, based on indirect reciprocity and linguistic transmission of reputational information, mediated by indirectly aggressive competition. Reviewing the literature on indirect and related forms of aggression provides three pieces of evidence for the claim that evolutionarily old impulses towards physical aggression are socialized into indirect aggression in humans: (i) physical aggression falls in early childhood over the same age range at which indirect aggression increases; (ii) the same individuals engage in both direct and indirect aggression; and (iii) socially dominant individuals practice indirect aggression more frequently. Consideration of the developmental course of indirect aggression is complemented by analysis of similar developments in verbal behaviors that are not always thought of as aggressive, namely tattling and gossip. An important puzzle concerns why indirect aggression becomes more covert, and tattling more derogated, in preadolescence and adolescence. This may be due to the development of new strategies aimed at renegotiating social identity and friendship alliances in the peer group.

Incidence and risk factors of workplace violence on psychiatric staff

PubMed Central

Ridenour, Marilyn; Lanza, Marilyn; Hendricks, Scott; Hartley, Dan; Rierdan, Jill; Zeiss, Robert; Amandus, Harlan

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND A study by Hesketh et al. found that 20% of psychiatric nurses were physically assaulted, 43% were threatened with physical assault, and 55% were verbally assaulted at least once during the equivalent of a single work week. From 2005 through 2009, the U.S. Department of Justice reported that mental health occupations had the second highest average annual rate of workplace violence, 21 violent crimes per 1,000 employed persons aged 16 or older. OBJECTIVE An evaluation of risk factors associated with patient aggression towards nursing staff at eight locked psychiatric units. PARTICIPANTS Two-hundred eighty-four nurses in eight acute locked psychiatric units of the Veterans Health Administration throughout the United States between September 2007 and September 2010. METHODS Rates were calculated by dividing the number of incidents by the total number of hours worked by all nurses, then multiplying by 40 (units of incidents per nurse per 40-hour work week). Risk factors associated with these rates were analyzed using generalized estimating equations with a Poisson model. RESULTS Combining the data across all hospitals and weeks, the overall rate was 0.60 for verbal aggression incidents and 0.19 for physical aggression, per nurse per week. For physical incidents, the evening shift (3 pm – 11 pm) demonstrated a significantly higher rate of aggression than the day shift (7 am – 3 pm). Weeks that had a case-mix with a higher percentage of patients with personality disorders were significantly associated with a higher risk of verbal and physical aggression. CONCLUSION Healthcare workers in psychiatric settings are at high risk for aggression from patients. PMID:24894691

Effect of motor limitations on the expression of aggressiveness among adolescents.

PubMed

Tripković, Mara; Matijević, Valentina; Marković, Hrvoje; Ercegovi, Nela

2015-03-01

This study examined how motor limitations in terms of reduced possibilities to move influence aggression, starting from the fact that motor skills and movement have an important place in the expression of aggression, as well as the tendency of adolescents to "body language". Adolescent with motor deficit is hindered in gaining experience of one's own body, which is reflected in the formation of complete experience of himself, or constitution of the self. In many of the functions of motor skills and movement aggression has a significant place that we wanted to determine without deeper analysis of whether the origin of aggression is instinctive or it is always just the result of frustration. The sample on which testing was performed consisted of 100 randomly selected subjects of both genders aged 16-18 years. Fifty subjects had motor limitations due to illness or injury, and another fifty subjects had intact motor functions. The study used three instruments: 1) A-87 questionnaire for aggressiveness examination; 2) structured interview; and 3) protocol for observation under natural conditions. Results of the analysis of data obtained in total score, as well as in all five subscales of the A-87 questionnaire for aggressiveness examination showed that the two groups were not significantly different. The results obtained by structured interview showed the adolescents with motor limitations to demonstrate greater verbal aggressiveness, then latent physical aggressiveness. A statistically significant between-group difference was obtained on the factor of self-destructiveness, which implies that adolescents with motor limitations are somewhat more self-destructive compared to those in control group. From the results obtained by the protocol for systematic observation in natural conditions, it was evident that there were significant differences on most of perceptual conducts between control and experimental group, whereby adolescents with motor limitations were more aggressive than control group subjects, especially in behaviors that apply to all forms of verbal aggressiveness. All examined adolescents in which some apparent forms of aggressive behavior were noticed in the observation protocol showed comparable expression of aggressiveness according to the results obtained on the subscales of the A-87 aggressiveness questionnaire, which connects these two measuring instruments and justifies their use in the study of aggressiveness regardless of the understanding of the origin of aggression.

The Relationship Between Emotion Regulation, Executive Functioning, and Aggressive Behaviors.

PubMed

Holley, Sarah R; Ewing, Scott T; Stiver, Jordan T; Bloch, Lian

2015-06-30

Emotion regulation deficits and executive functioning deficits have independently been shown to increase vulnerability toward engaging in aggressive behaviors. The effects of these risk factors, however, have not been evaluated in relation to one another. This study evaluated the degree to which each was associated with aggressive behaviors in a sample of 168 undergraduate students. Executive functioning (cognitive inhibition and mental flexibility) was assessed with a Stroop-like neuropsychological task. Emotion regulation and aggressive behaviors were assessed via self-report inventories. Results showed main effects for both emotion regulation and executive functioning, as well as a significant interaction, indicating that those who scored lowest in both domains reported engaging in aggressive behaviors the most frequently. When different types of aggression were examined, this interaction was only significant for acts of physical aggression, not for acts of verbal aggression. Therefore, for physical aggression, emotion regulation and executive functioning exerted a moderating effect on one another. The implications are that, at least for acts of physical aggression, relatively strong capabilities in either domain may buffer against tendencies to engage in aggressive behaviors. Thus, both emotion regulation skills and executive functioning abilities may be valuable targets for interventions aiming to reduce aggressive behaviors. © The Author(s) 2015.

Self-harm as a risk factor for inpatient aggression among women admitted to forensic psychiatric care.

PubMed

Selenius, Heidi; Leppänen Östman, Sari; Strand, Susanne

2016-10-01

Inpatient aggression among female forensic psychiatric patients has been shown to be associated with self-harm, that is considered to be a historical risk factor for violence. Research on associations between previous or current self-harm and different types of inpatient aggression is missing. The aim of this register study was to investigate the prevalence of self-harm and the type of inpatient aggression among female forensic psychiatric inpatients, and to study whether the patients' self-harm before and/or during forensic psychiatric care is a risk factor for inpatient aggression. Female forensic psychiatric patients (n = 130) from a high security hospital were included. The results showed that 88% of the female patients had self-harmed at least once during their life and 57% had been physically and/or verbally aggressive towards staff or other patients while in care at the hospital. Self-harm before admission to the current forensic psychiatric care or repeated self-harm were not significantly associated with inpatient aggression, whereas self-harm during care was significantly associated with physical and verbal aggression directed at staff. These results pointed towards self-harm being a dynamic risk factor rather than a historical risk factor for inpatient aggression among female forensic psychiatric patients. Whether self-harm is an individual risk factor or a part of the clinical risk factor 'Symptom of major mental illness' within the HCR-20V3 must be further explored among women. Thus, addressing self-harm committed by female patients during forensic psychiatric care seems to be important in risk assessments and the management of violence, especially in reducing violence against staff in high-security forensic psychiatric services.

Prevalence and Consequences of Aggression and Violence towards Nursing and Care Staff in Germany-A Survey.

PubMed

Schablon, Anja; Wendeler, Dana; Kozak, Agnessa; Nienhaus, Albert; Steinke, Susanne

2018-06-15

Acts of aggression by patients or clients are a part of the average working day for many Health care employees. The objective of the survey was to study the frequency and nature of violence and the handling of aggressive behavior by facility management. The cross-sectional study was conducted in 2017, 81 different healthcare facilities and 1984 employees participated. The questionnaire encompassed socio-demographic details, the frequency of physical violence and verbal abuse, consequences of violence and the stress of employees. In the previous twelve months, 94.1% of the employees in the survey had experienced verbal abuse and 69.8% had experienced physical aggression. Acts of aggression were most commonly encountered in hospitals and residential facilities for the disabled. One third of the employees felt under high levels of stress as a result of the incidents. If the workplace prepares effectively, however, this reduces the perceived stress odds ratio (OR) 0.6, 95% CI 0.4⁻0.8). Violence and aggression are very common. Healthcare facilities are increasingly dealing with this topic. Awareness raising is likely to lead to higher incident reporting rates. Good preparation and an open approach to the topic in the facilities have a positive effect on the feeling of stress and work ability.

Prevalence and risk factors of inpatient aggression by adults with intellectual disabilities and severe challenging behaviour: a long-term prospective study in two Dutch treatment facilities.

PubMed

Drieschner, Klaus H; Marrozos, Isabel; Regenboog, Maarten

2013-08-01

Over five years, various types of aggressive incidents by 421 intellectually disabled inpatients were recorded on a daily basis, using an adapted version of the Modified Overt Aggression Scale. Stable patient characteristics (e.g., gender, intelligence, DSM IV classification at the start of treatment) and pre-treatment scores of two treatment outcome measures (e.g., Adult Behavior Checklist and Dynamic Risk Outcome Scale) were used to predict aggression during the treatment. At an overall average of one incident per patient per week, about ten times more aggression occurred on admission compared to resocialisation wards, and the 20% most aggressive individuals caused 50% of the verbal and 80% of the physical incidents. The best predictor of aggressive behaviour was aggression early in treatment, followed by coping skills deficits and impulsiveness. The relevance of the results for the treatment of aggressive behaviour and methodological issues in the recording of inpatient aggression are discussed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prevalence and predictors of sexual aggression in dating relationships of adolescents and young adults.

PubMed

Muñoz-Rivas, Marina J; Graña, José Luis; O'Leary, K Daniel; González, M Pilar

2009-05-01

Dyadic influences among the diverse forms of aggression in dating relationships of adolescents and young adults have been reported in various studies. The goal of this research was to extend a dyadic model of physical aggression against partners to sexual aggression against partners. An urban sample of 4,052 adolescents and young adults of both genders, between 16 and 26 years old, was used. The percentage of male aggressors was significantly higher than that of the females (35.7% vs. 14.9%) and the percentage of victimization was higher for the women (25.1% vs.21.7%). Sexual aggression and sexual victimization was almost solely psychological in nature, that is, verbal coercion. As predicted by the dyadic model of physical aggression in dating relationships, sexual victimization was best predicted by sexual aggression of the individuals in this study both for males and females.

Working memory and social functioning in children.

PubMed

McQuade, Julia D; Murray-Close, Dianna; Shoulberg, Erin K; Hoza, Betsy

2013-07-01

This study extends previous research and examines whether working memory (WM) is associated with multiple measures of concurrent social functioning (peer rejection, overall social competence, relational aggression, physical aggression, and conflict resolutions skills) in typically developing fourth- and fifth-grade children (N=116). Poor central executive WM was associated with both broad social impairments (peer rejection and poor overall social competence) and specific social impairments (physical aggression, relational aggression, and impaired conflict resolution skills); poor verbal storage was associated only with greater peer rejection, and spatial storage was not associated with any measures of social impairment. Analyses also examined whether specific impairments in aggressive behavior and conflict resolution skills mediated the association between central executive and broad measures of social functioning. Greater physical aggression and impaired conflict resolution skills were both significant mediators; relational aggression was not. Implications for theory and future research are discussed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Characteristics of patient aggression in a psychiatric hospital in Switzerland].

PubMed

Schuwey-Hayoz, Aline; Needham, Ian

2006-09-01

Characteristics of patient aggression in a psychiatric hospital in Switzerland Patient aggression in psychiatry is a prominent problem for all concerned. In this prospective survey we registered and analysed all violent incidents of patients in a cantonal psychiatric hospital in Switzerland in order to determine the characteristics of aggression. The Staff Observation Aggression Scale Revised (SOAS-R) was utilised. During the study period 815 patients were admitted to the hospital. 71 (63.4%) of the 110 violent incidents were perpetrated by male patients. The majority of aggressive incidents were perpetrated in the vicinity of the rooms of the patients and were triggered mainly by the refusal to adhere to the demands of the patient or by patients' use of toxic substances. The most frequent type of aggression was of a verbally aggressive nature and the principal target was nursing personnel who felt threatened in most of the cases. In order to terminate the aggression the most predominant measure was communication with the patient and coercive measures. This study demonstrates clearly that aggression concerns psychiatric nursing personnel and points to the recommendation to reinforce measures of security and to predictive measures to ameliorate the management of aggression.

Facial width-to-height ratio predicts self-reported dominance and aggression in males and females, but a measure of masculinity does not.

PubMed

Lefevre, Carmen E; Etchells, Peter J; Howell, Emma C; Clark, Andrew P; Penton-Voak, Ian S

2014-10-01

Recently, associations between facial structure and aggressive behaviour have been reported. Specifically, the facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR) is thought to link to aggression, although it is unclear whether this association is related to a specific dimension of aggression, or to a more generalized concept of dominance behaviour. Similarly, an association has been proposed between facial masculinity and dominant and aggressive behaviour, but, to date, this has not been formally tested. Because masculinity and fWHR are negatively correlated, it is unlikely that both signal similar behaviours. Here, we thus tested these associations and show that: (i) fWHR is related to both self-reported dominance and aggression; (ii) physical aggression, verbal aggression and anger, but not hostility are associated with fWHR; (iii) there is no evidence for a sex difference in associations between fWHR and aggression; and (iv) the facial masculinity index does not predict dominance or aggression. Taken together, these results indicate that fWHR, but not a measure of facial masculinity, cues dominance and specific types of aggression in both sexes. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Gender roles, sex and the expression of driving anger.

PubMed

Sullman, M J M; Paxion, J; Stephens, A N

2017-09-01

The present study investigated the validity of the 25-item Driving Anger Expression Inventory (DAX) as well as the role of sex and gender-roles in relation to the expression of driving anger in a sample of 378 French drivers (males=38%, M=32.9years old). Confirmatory Factor Analysis supported the four-factor structure of the 25-item DAX (Adaptive/Constructive Expression; Use of the Vehicle to Express Anger; Verbal Aggressive Expression and Personal Physical Aggressive Expression) and two of the three aggressive factors were found to have significant positive relationships with driving anger, while adaptive/constructive expression was negatively related to driving anger. Use of the vehicle to express anger was not significantly related to crash involvement, but was significantly related to all other crash-related conditions (traffic tickets, loss of concentration, loss of control of the vehicle, near crash). The presence of feminine traits, but not sex, was predictive of adaptive/constructive behaviours, while masculine traits predicted more frequent verbal aggressive expression, use of the vehicle to express anger, personal physical aggressive expression and total aggressive expression. This finding may account for the inconsistent relationship found between driving anger and sex in previous research. This research also found that the 25-item DAX is a valid tool to measure the expression of driving anger and that the endorsement of masculine traits are related to more aggressive forms of driving anger expression. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prevalence and Psychosocial Factors of Aggression Among Youth

PubMed Central

Sharma, Manoj Kumar; Marimuthu, Palaniappan

2014-01-01

Background: Youth indulgence themselves in various aggressive behaviors leading to significant psychosocial dysfunctions. The present study assesses the prevalence of aggression among youth and to assess the risk factors of aggression among youth. Materials and Methods: Anger Data sheet, Resilience Scale and Buss-Perry Aggression Scale, were administered on 5476 participants using survey design. Data was collected from different communities (college, residential, apartments and workplace) of Bangalore, Jammu, Indore, Kerala, Rajasthan, Sikkim and Delhi. 47% were female and 53% were male. The mean age of the sample was 20.2 years. Comparative analysis was carried out by Pearson correlation coefficient and Chi-square was also carried out. Results: About 17.7% of the youth has high mean aggression score on Buss-Perry Aggression Scale. Males have high mean score on aggression than females. Males experienced more verbal aggression, physical aggression and anger than females. Younger age group (16-19 years) experienced more aggression than older age group (20-26 years). The risk factors of the youth aggressions were identified as physical abuse in childhood, substance abuse such as alcohol and tobacco, negative peer influence, family violence, academic disturbance, psychological problems attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, suspicious, loneliness, mood disturbance, negative childhood experience and TV and media. Conclusion: The study document, the presence of correlates of risk factors of aggression among youth and implies usages of management strategies to help them to handle aggression. PMID:24701010

Psychosomatic symptoms among Palestinian nurses exposed to workplace aggression.

PubMed

Jaradat, Yousef; Nielsen, Morten Birkeland; Bast-Pettersen, Rita

2018-06-01

The study examined associations between workplace aggression (WPA) and psychosomatic symptoms in Palestinian nurses. The 341 nurses, (62% females and 38% males), answered a WHO questionnaire and a psychosomatic symptoms checklist. A total of 27.3% of the nurses reported exposure to WPA of any kind within the last 12 months. After adjusting for covariates, female nurses exposed to WPA of any kind and those exposed to verbal aggression reported a higher symptom score: (1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.3, 2.7), and (1.4; 95%CI 0.2, 2.6), respectively, than unexposed females. Male nurses exposed to bullying reported a higher symptom score: (3.2; 95%CI 1.0, 5.5) than unexposed males. Exposure to WPA was associated with higher occurrences of psychosomatic symptoms for both sexes. The female nurses reacted most strongly to verbal aggression or to WPA of any type, while bullying was associated with the male nurses' symptoms. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Aggression Profiles in the Spanish Child Population: Differences in Perfectionism, School Refusal and Affect

PubMed Central

Vicent, María; Inglés, Cándido J.; Sanmartín, Ricardo; Gonzálvez, Carolina; García-Fernández, José Manuel

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify the existence of combinations of aggression components (Anger, Hostility, Physical Aggression and Verbal Aggression) that result in different profiles of aggressive behavior in children, as well as to test the differences between these profiles in scores of perfectionism, school refusal and affect. It is interesting to analyze these variables given: (a) their clinical relevance due to their close relationship with the overall psychopathology; and (b) the need for further evidence regarding how they are associated with aggressive behavior. The sample consisted of 1202 Spanish primary education students between the ages of 8 and 12. Three aggressive behavior profiles for children were identified using Latent Class Analysis (LCA): High Aggression (Z scores between 0.69 and 0.7), Moderate Aggression (Z scores between −0.39 and −0.47) and Low Aggression (Z scores between −1.36 and −1.58). These profiles were found for 49.08%, 38.46% and 12.48% of the sample, respectively. High Aggression scored significantly higher than Moderate Aggression and Low Aggression on Socially Prescribed Perfectionism (SPP), Self-Oriented Perfectionism (SOP), the first three factors of school refusal (i.e., FI. Negative Affective, FII. Social Aversion and/or Evaluation, FIII. To Pursue Attention), and Negative Affect (NA). In addition, Moderate Aggression also reported significantly higher scores than Low Aggression for the three first factors of school refusal and NA. Conversely, Low Aggression had significantly higher mean scores than High Aggression and Moderate Aggression on Positive Affect (PA). Results demonstrate that High Aggression was the most maladaptive profile having a high risk of psychological vulnerability. Aggression prevention programs should be sure to include strategies to overcome psychological problems that characterize children manifesting high levels of aggressive behavior. PMID:29441002

The developmental trajectory of disruptive behavior in Down syndrome, fragile X syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome and Williams syndrome.

PubMed

Rice, Lauren J; Gray, Kylie M; Howlin, Patricia; Taffe, John; Tonge, Bruce J; Einfeld, Stewart L

2015-06-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the developmental trajectories of verbal aggression, physical aggression, and temper tantrums in four genetic syndrome groups. Participants were part of the Australian Child to Adult Development Study (ACAD), which collected information from a cohort of individuals with an intellectual disability at five time points over 18 years. Data were examined from a total of 248 people with one of the four following syndromes: Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, or Williams syndrome. Changes in behaviors were measured using validated items from the Developmental Behavior Checklist (DBC). The results indicate that, while verbal aggression shows no evidence of diminishing with age, physical aggression, and temper tantrums decline with age before 19 years for people with Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, and William syndrome; and after 19 years for people with Prader-Willi syndrome. These findings offer a somewhat more optimistic outlook for people with an intellectual disability than has previously been suggested. Research is needed to investigate the mechanisms predisposing people with PWS to persistence of temper tantrums and physical aggression into adulthood. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Neural correlates of proactive and reactive aggression in adolescent twins.

PubMed

Yang, Yaling; Joshi, Shantanu H; Jahanshad, Neda; Thompson, Paul M; Baker, Laura A

2017-05-01

Verbal and physical aggression begin early in life and steadily decline thereafter in normal development. As a result, elevated aggressive behavior in adolescence may signal atypical development and greater vulnerability for negative mental and health outcomes. Converging evidence suggests that brain disturbances in regions involved in impulse control, emotional regulation, and sensation seeking may contribute to heightened aggression. However, little is known regarding the neural mechanisms underlying subtypes of aggression (i.e., proactive and reactive aggression) and whether they differ between males and females. Using a sample of 106 14-year-old adolescent twins, this study found that striatal enlargement was associated with both proactive and reactive aggression. We also found that volumetric alterations in several frontal regions including smaller middle frontal and larger orbitofrontal cortex were correlated with higher levels of aggression in adolescent twins. In addition, cortical thickness analysis showed that thickness alterations in many overlapping regions including middle frontal, superior frontal, and anterior cingulate cortex and temporal regions were associated with aggression in adolescent twins. Results support the involvement of fronto-limbic-striatal circuit in the etiology of aggression during adolescence. Aggr. Behav. 43:230-240, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The relationship between antisocial and borderline features and aggression in young adult men in treatment for substance use disorders

PubMed Central

Shorey, Ryan C.; Elmquist, Joanna; Anderson, Scott; Stuart, Gregory L.

2016-01-01

There is a large literature documenting that adult men in treatment for substance use disorders perpetrate more aggression than men without substance use disorders. Unfortunately, there is minimal research on aggression among young adult men (i.e., 18–25 years of age) in treatment for substance use. Moreover, although aggression is more likely to occur when individuals are acutely intoxicated by alcohol or drugs, research also suggests that antisocial (ASPD) and borderline (BPD) personality features increase the chances an individual will use aggression. The current study therefore examined the associations between ASPD and BPD features, including specific features that are reflective of impulsivity, and aggression in young adult men in treatment for substance use disorders (N = 79). Controlling for age, education, alcohol and drug use, ASPD features were positively associated with various indicators of aggression (e.g., physical, verbal, attitudinal), whereas BPD features were only associated with physical aggression. However, ASPD and BPD features that were specific to impulsivity were robustly related to indicators of aggression. Findings suggest that substance use treatment should attempt to target ASPD and BPD features in young adult men, which may help reduce aggression after treatment. PMID:26941068

Real-time hostile attribution measurement and aggression in children.

PubMed

Yaros, Anna; Lochman, John E; Rosenbaum, Jill; Jimenez-Camargo, Luis Alberto

2014-01-01

Hostile attributions are an important predictor of aggression in children, but few studies have measured hostile attributions as they occur in real-time. The current study uses an interactive video racing game to measure hostile attributions while children played against a presumed peer. A sample of 75 children, ages 10-13, used nonverbal and verbal procedures to respond to ambiguous provocation by their opponent. Hostile attributions were significantly positively related to parent-rated reactive aggression, when controlling for proactive aggression. Hostile attributions using a nonverbal response procedure were negatively related to proactive aggression, when controlling for reactive aggression. Results suggest hostile attributions in real-time occur quickly and simultaneously with social interaction, which differs from the deliberative, controlled appraisals measured with vignette-based instruments. The relation between real-time hostile attributions and reactive aggression could be accounted for by the impulsive response style that is characteristic of reactive aggression, whereas children exhibiting proactive aggression may be more deliberate and intentional in their responding, resulting in a negative relation with real-time hostile attributions. These findings can be used both to identify children at risk for aggression and to enhance preventive interventions. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Student Antisocial Compliance-Gaining as a Function of Instructor Aggressive Communication and Classroom Justice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Claus, Christopher J.; Chory, Rebecca M.; Malachowski, Colleen C.

2012-01-01

This study investigated students' perceptions of their instructors' argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness, classroom justice, and effectiveness of and likelihood of communicating student antisocial behavior alteration techniques (BATs). Results indicate that student perceptions of instructor argumentativeness were not related to their…

Individuals with Mental Illness Can Control Their Aggressive Behavior through Mindfulness Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh, Nirbhay N.; Lancioni, Giulio E.; Winton, Alan S. W.; Adkins, Angela D.; Wahler, Robert G.; Sabaawi, Mohamed; Singh, Judy

2007-01-01

Verbal and physical aggression are risk factors for community placement of individuals with serious and persistent mental illness. Depending on the motivations involved, treatment typically consists of psychotropic medications and psychosocial interventions, including contingency management procedures and anger management training. Effects of a…

The costs of racism for marriage: how racial discrimination hurts, and ethnic identity protects, newlywed marriages among Latinos.

PubMed

Trail, Thomas E; Goff, Phillip Atiba; Bradbury, Thomas N; Karney, Benjamin R

2012-04-01

The experience of racial or ethnic discrimination is a salient and severe stressor that has been linked to numerous disparities in important outcomes. Yet, the link between perceived discrimination and marital outcomes has been overlooked by research on relationship stressors. The current study examined this link and tested whether ethnic identity buffered the relation between discrimination and ratings of marital quality and verbal aggression. A sample of 330 Latino newlyweds completed measures of perceived discrimination, ethnic identity, spouse's verbal aggression, and marital quality. Each spouse's interviewer also independently rated marital quality. Dyadic analyses revealed that husbands' experience of discrimination negatively predicted wives' marital quality, but only for husbands with weak ethnic identity. Wives whose husbands had strong ethnic identity were buffered from this effect. Identity also buffered the relation between husbands' discrimination and verbal aggression toward their wives, and this effect mediated the association between discrimination, identity, and marital quality.

Formal caregivers' experiences of aggressive behaviour in older people living with dementia in nursing homes: A systematic review.

PubMed

Holst, Adelheid; Skär, Lisa

2017-12-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate formal caregivers' experiences of aggressive behaviour in older people living with dementia in nursing homes. Aggressive behaviour symptoms among older people living with dementia are reported to be prevalent. As aggressive behaviour includes both verbal and physical behaviours, such as kicking, hitting and screaming, it causes an increased burden on formal caregivers. Professionals experiencing this aggression perceived it as challenging, causing physical and psychological damage, leading to anger, stress and depression. A systematic review was conducted. A search of published research studies between 2000 and 2015 was conducted using appropriate search terms. Eleven studies were identified and included in this review. The analysis resulted in four categories: formal caregivers' views on triggers of aggression, expressions of aggression, the effect of aggressive behaviours on formal caregivers and formal caregivers' strategies to address aggression. The results show that aggressive behaviour may lead to negative feelings in formal caregivers and nursing home residents. The results of this study suggest that having the ability to identify triggers possibly assists caregivers with addressing aggressive behaviour. Aggressive behaviour might also affect quality of care. Results from this systematic review indicate that caregivers prefer person-centred strategies to handle aggressive behaviour among older people, while the use of pharmaceuticals and coercion strategies is a last resort. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Prison Adjusted Measure of Aggression (PAMA): Psychometric characteristics of a new tool measuring change in aggressive behaviors in correctional settings.

PubMed

Kerekes, Nóra; Apelqvist, Susanne; Fielding, Cecilia; Anckarsäter, Henrik; Nilsson, Thomas

2018-05-01

There is a need for instruments that can be used in correctional settings to measure changes in aggressive behaviors over a limited time period. This study aimed to validate an instrument (the Prison Adjusted Measure of Aggression, PAMA) that assesses specifically the past month's aggressive behaviors and is adapted for use in correctional facilities. The psychometric properties of the self-rated and interview versions of the PAMA were explored and compared to those of two well-established measures of aggression: The Staff Observation Aggression Scale (SOAS); and the self-rate Aggression Questionnaire-Revised Swedish Version (AQ-RSV). The study group comprised 93 male and 59 female inmates, who were followed for two months. During the study, the prevalence of aggressive acts was observed and reported by SOAS. On two occasions, at monthly intervals, subjects reported their own aggressive behaviors using AQ-RSV and the self-report version of the PAMA; also, a psychologist conducted interviews according to PAMA. This study's main finding was that the self-rated version of PAMA is a valid measure of different types and dimensions of aggression (physical and verbal aggression, hostility) and has acceptable psychometric properties. Therefore, PAMA could potentially be of value for use in correctional services evaluating aggression managing treatment interventions. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

“Yes, I Do But Not With You”-Qualitative Analyses of Sexual/Romantic Overture-related Aggression in Bars and Clubs

PubMed Central

Graham, Kathryn; Wells, Samantha; Bernards, Sharon; Dennison, Susan

2010-01-01

Assaultive and aggressive behaviors related to sexual overtures are common in commercial drinking establishments (bars, pubs and clubs). In this paper, we examined the thematic content of 251 incidents of verbal and physical aggression related to sexual/romantic overtures documented by researcher-observers in a study of Toronto bar and clubs. Aggression was examined as it emerged in the following stages of the social interaction process: (a) sexual/romantic overtures that began aggressively; (b) initiators of sexual/romantic overtures who became aggressive later in the social interaction process; (c) aggression by targets of overtures; and (d) aggression by third parties. From these thematic analyses, we identify the distinctions between predatory and genuine overtures and explore the potential role of the effects of alcohol. In these social overtures, aggression occurred as part of the initial overture, during the interaction following the overture (i.e., aggression by the person who made the initial overture, by the target or third parties) and in response to rejection by the target. Targets of overtures responded aggressively to perceived inappropriate overtures; third parties played important aggressive and nonaggressive roles; and alcohol intoxication was identified as contributing to aggression in a number of ways. The theoretical significance and practical implications for prevention of the findings are discussed. PMID:21625360

Violence in forensic medicine practice: a survey of legal medicine practitioners' views.

PubMed

Sheikhazadi, Ardeshir; Mehrzad, Kiani; Fakhredin, Taghaddosinejad

2009-09-01

: To survey the extent of abuse and violence directed toward legal medicine practitioners during the course of their professional duties and to categorize the characteristics of such aggression. : Retrospective survey of the views of a large sample of Tehran's legal medicine practitioners by using a piloted anonymous questionnaire. : In all, 105 (86.1%) of the responders had experienced verbal abuse during the previous 12 months, 79 (64.7%) had experienced some sort of verbal abuse at least once a month, 39 (32%) had experienced verbal abuse every week, and 13 (10.7%) had experienced verbal abuse every day. Of the 122 legal medicine physicians, 39 (32%) were exposed to specific threats, 8 (6.6%) were exposed to physical action without injury, and 7 (5.7%) had experience serious incidents including threats with a weapon or attacks leading to physical injury over the previous year. Even assuming that all the nonresponders did not experience any violence, the aggression by patients affected 75% of legal medicine practitioners in the Tehran province. : Violence toward Tehran's legal medicine practitioners is very common and may be increasing. Some of the participating factors of aggression are potentially avoidable and practices should make strenuous attempts to identify such factors and remedy them. Staff training in interpersonal skills and recognizing anxious patients are essential. Doctors should avoid delays for patients by rearranging the booking policies, visit times, and duration. Victims of aggression must be followed up.

Identifying and Intervening in Relational Aggression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raskauskas, Juliana; Stoltz, Ann D.

2004-01-01

Chronic victimization by bullies has been associated with academic failure in adolescence, as well as adjustment difficulties, depression, and suicidal ideation. Relational aggression is a form of bullying that is a problem for adolescent girls. It often takes the form of damaging peer relationships and includes verbal assaults such as teasing or…

Relational Aggression: A Different Kind of Bullying.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mullin-Rindler, Nancy

2003-01-01

Relational aggression is a form of bullying that includes both overt name-calling and verbal attacks as well as such indirect strategies as spreading gossip and rumors, manipulating friendships, or intentionally excluding or isolating someone. Educators must become more attuned and vigilant in their responses to it. Offers successful strategies.…

The Influence of Argumentativeness and Verbal Aggressiveness in Intrafamily Violence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rancer, Andrew S.; Niemasz, JoAnn

In order to identify causes of spousal abuse, current research efforts have attempted to reconstruct the communicative components of physically aggressive encounters within the family. An interactionist model of intrafamily violence, proposed by D. A. Infante, suggests that the interaction of personal, situational, and societal conditions may lead…

The Factors That Influence and Protect Against Power Imbalance in Covert Bullying Among Preadolescent Children at School: A Thematic Analysis.

PubMed

Nelson, Helen J; Burns, Sharyn K; Kendall, Garth E; Schonert-Reichl, Kimberly A

2017-01-01

In this article, the perceptions of preadolescent children (ages 9-11) regarding factors that influence and protect against power imbalance associated with covert aggression and bullying are explored. In aggression research, the term covert has been typically used to describe relational, indirect, and social acts of aggression that are hidden. These behaviors contrast with overt physical and verbal aggression. Children have previously conveyed their belief that covert aggression is harmful because adults do not see it even though children, themselves, are aware. We used focus groups to explore children's understanding of covert aggression and to identify children's experience and perception of adult support in relation to bullying. Thematic analysis supported the definition of covert aggression as that which is intentionally hidden from adults. Friendship, social exclusion, and secret from teacher were identified as factors that influence power imbalance, while support from friends and adult support protected against power imbalance.

A Three-Year Emotional Intelligence Intervention to Reduce Adolescent Aggression: The Mediating Role of Unpleasant Affectivity.

PubMed

Castillo-Gualda, Ruth; Cabello, Rosario; Herrero, Marta; Rodríguez-Carvajal, Raquel; Fernández-Berrocal, Pablo

2018-03-01

Adolescents' aggressive behavior is a growing social problem with important implications for psychosocial adjustment. The teaching of emotional skills has an important impact on reducing aggression in schools. However, little scientific evidence has shown the explanatory mechanism through which this training reduces aggression during adolescence. This article aims to provide evidence for the effectiveness of a 3-year longitudinal intervention among adolescents in nine Spanish schools. A total of 476 adolescents participated. Results showed a reduction in physical and verbal aggression in Time 2 through the reduction in negative affect, anger, and hostile feelings, compared with an active control group. The training seems to be crucial for dealing with the emotional and cognitive components of aggression and, thus, their behavioral manifestations. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Research on Adolescence © 2017 Society for Research on Adolescence.

Physical Aggression and Language Ability from 17 to 72 Months: Cross-Lagged Effects in a Population Sample

PubMed Central

Girard, Lisa-Christine; Pingault, Jean-Baptiste; Falissard, Bruno; Boivin, Michel; Dionne, Ginette; Tremblay, Richard E.

2014-01-01

Background Does poor language ability in early childhood increase the likelihood of physical aggression or is language ability delayed by frequent physical aggression? This study examined the longitudinal associations between physical aggression and language ability from toddlerhood to early childhood in a population sample while controlling for parenting behaviours, non-verbal intellectual functioning, and children’s sex. Methods Children enrolled in the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD) (N = 2, 057) were assessed longitudinally from 17 to 72 months via parent reports and standardized assessments. Results The cross-lagged models revealed modest reciprocal associations between physical aggression and language performance from 17 to 41 months but not thereafter. Conclusions Significant associations between physical aggression and poor language ability are minimal and limited to the period when physical aggression and language performance are both substantially increasing. During that period parenting behaviours may play an important role in supporting language ability while reducing the frequency of physical aggression. Further studies are needed that utilize multiple assessments of physical aggression, assess multiple domains of language abilities, and that examine the potential mediating role of parenting behaviours between 12 and 48 months. PMID:25375971

Aggression in children with behavioural/emotional difficulties: seeing aggression on television and video games.

PubMed

Mitrofan, Oana; Paul, Moli; Weich, Scott; Spencer, Nicholas

2014-11-18

Mental health professionals are often asked to give advice about managing children's aggression. Good quality evidence on contributory environmental factors such as seeing aggression on television and in video games is relatively lacking, although societal and professional concerns are high. This study investigated possible associations between seeing aggression in such media and the aggressive behaviour of children attending specialist outpatient child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). In this mixed methods study, forty-seven British children aged 7-11 years with behavioural/emotional difficulties attending CAMHS and their carers participated in a survey; twenty purposively-selected children and a parent/carer of theirs participated in a qualitative study, involving semi-structured interviews, analysed using the Framework Analysis Approach; findings were integrated. Children attending CAMHS exhibit clinically significant aggression, of varying types and frequency. They see aggression in multiple real and virtual settings. Verbal aggression was often seen, frequently exhibited and strongly associated with poor peer relationships and low prosocial behaviour. Children did not think seeing aggression influences their own behaviour but believed it influences others. Carers regarded aggression as resulting from a combination of inner and environmental factors and seeing aggression in real-life as having more impact than television/video games. There is yet no definitive evidence for or against a direct relationship between aggression seen in the media and aggression in children with behavioural/emotional difficulties. Future research should take an ecological perspective, investigating individual, developmental and environmental factors. Carers, professional organisations and policy makers should address aggression seen in all relevant area of children's lives, primarily real-life and secondly virtual environments.

The factor structure of generalized workplace harassment.

PubMed

Rospenda, Kathleen M; Richman, Judith A

2004-04-01

We describe the development and psychometric characteristics of the Generalized Workplace Harassment Questionnaire (GWHQ), a 29-item instrument developed to assess harassing experiences at work in five conceptual domains: verbal aggression, disrespect, isolation/exclusion, threats/bribes, and physical aggression. Over 1700 current and former university employees completed the GWHQ at three time points. Factor analytic results at each wave of data suggested a five-factor solution that did not correspond to the original five conceptual factors. We suggest a revised scoring scheme for the GWHQ utilizing four of the empirically extracted factors: covert hostility, verbal hostility, manipulation, and physical hostility. Covert hostility was the most frequently experienced type of harassment, followed by verbal hostility, manipulation, and physical hostility. Verbal hostility, covert hostility, and manipulation were found to be significant predictors of psychological distress.

Turkey: a pilot study of elder mistreatment in a convenience sample.

PubMed

Yalçinkaya, Alev; Mandiracioğlu, Aliye; Turan, Feryal

2006-01-01

Attitudes towards elder abuse were explored through a survey on International Perspectives on Family Violence and Abuse in a Turkish convenience sample of 25 females and 14 males, ranging in age from 22 to 58. Participants gave examples of behaviors considered in their culture to be extremely abusive, moderately abusive, and mildly abusive from an adult child toward his or her older parent. Responses were coded into four major categories of abuse, each of which had several subcategories: psychological aggression (including the subcategories of verbal aggression, emotional abuse, disrespect, disobedience, power assertion, blame, and imprisonment), neglect (including physical neglect, psychological neglect, abandonment, and putting the older individual into a nursing home), physical aggression (including beating and hitting), and mistreatment related to goods and services (including economic demands, economic withholding, and labor). The most common examples of extreme abuse were neglect, particulary physical neglect, followed by physical abuse. At the moderate and mild levels, various forms of psychological aggression were most commonly mentioned. The only significant gender difference was that men listed more instances of verbal aggression as examples of extreme abuse than women. A positive correlation was found between age and the number of abandonment examples at the extreme level. Results were interpreted from a cultural perspective.

The 10-year course of adult aggression toward others in patients with borderline personality disorder and axis II comparison subjects.

PubMed

Zanarini, Mary C; Temes, Christina M; Ivey, Alexandra M; Cohn, Danielle M; Conkey, Lindsey C; Frankenburg, Frances R; Fitzmaurice, Garrett M

2017-06-01

This study had two aims. The first was to assess and compare various types of aggressive behavior toward others reported by borderline patients and axis II comparison subjects over time. The second was to determine the best baseline and time-varying predictors of aggressive behavior in these borderline patients. At baseline, a series of interviews and self-report measures were administered to 290 borderline patients and 72 axis II comparison subjects. Measures assessing aggression toward others, axis I and II disorders as well as adult adversity were re-administered every two years over the course of ten years. It was found that borderline patients reported significantly higher rates of verbal, emotional, and physical aggression toward others than comparison subjects but the rates of these forms of aggression toward others declined significantly for those in both study groups. Multivariate analyses indicated that the strongest predictors of adult aggression towards others were severity of adult adversity and a substance use disorder. Taken together, these results suggest that borderline patients commonly report aggression toward others but that this aggression declines significantly over time. These results also suggest that this aggression toward others is most strongly associated with adult experiences of adversity and concurrent substance abuse. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Less Is More: Inpatient Management of a Child with Complex Pharmacotherapy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kratochvil, Christopher J.; Varley, Christopher; Cummins, Thomas K.; Martin, Andres

2006-01-01

This paper presents a case of an 11-year-old boy who was admitted to an acute inpatient psychiatric setting because of a recent exacerbation of physical aggression, accompanied by long-standing problems with verbal aggression, irritability, dysphoria, and sleep disturbance. His family history was notable for domestic violence, substance abuse by…

Family Violence and Aggression and Their Associations with Psychosocial Functioning in Jamaican Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Delores E.; Moore, Todd M.

2013-01-01

The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationships among selected family interaction variables and psychosocial outcomes in a sample of Jamaican adolescents. The authors hypothesized that adolescent psychosocial outcomes would be negatively associated with physical violence, verbal aggression would be more potent than physical…

College Students' Use of Behavioral Alteration Techniques as a Function of Aggressive Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy-Lightsey, Carrie D.; Myers, Scott A.

2009-01-01

This study examined the associations between students' self-reported verbal aggressiveness and argumentativeness and their perceptions of student BATs (Golish, 1999) as appropriate and effective as well as how likely they were to use each BAT. Participants were 187 undergraduate students enrolled in communication courses at a large Mid-Atlantic…

Effects of Model Characterization on Preschool Children's Evaluative, Imitative and Nonimitative Responses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitman, Thomas L.; Taub, Susan Ilene

This study examined the effects of differentially characterizing a model as "good", "bad", or "neutral" on preschool children's subsequent evaluation and imitation of the model. The model's aggressive and motor behaviors were more frequently imitated than were his non-aggressive and verbal behaviors. Instructions influenced the Ss' evaluation of…

Comorbidity of Autism Spectrum Disorders and Emotional/behavioral Disorders: Towards Improved Diagnostic Procedures, Instructional Programming, and Personnel Preparation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clinton, Elias

2016-01-01

An emotional/behavioral disorder is a mental health disability characterized by intensive internalized behaviors (e.g., anxiety, depression) and/or externalized behaviors (e.g., physical aggression, verbal aggression). Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and repetitive behaviors (i.e., stereo…

The Effectiveness of Peer Mediation on Student to Student Conflict

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayorga, Mary G.

2010-01-01

Conflict in school settings continues to be an area of concern for school administrators, teachers, and parents. Conflict between and among students in their school environment is followed by aggressive behavior that contributes to violent actions. The aggressive behavior may range from verbal attacks to physical attacks that may end up with the…

Decreasing Physical and Verbal Aggression in Fifth Grade Students through Conflict Resolution Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cassell, Joan R.

This practicum was designed to decrease the number of aggressive responses to conflict by fifth grade students. The goal was to increase student awareness of peaceful resolutions while decreasing the number of teacher interventions in student conflicts. To educate students on conflict resolution, the Community Board Curriculum for conflict…

Evaluation of the Olweus Bully Prevention Program in an Urban School System in the USA.

PubMed

Farrell, Albert D; Sullivan, Terri N; Sutherland, Kevin S; Corona, Rosalie; Masho, Saba

2018-06-14

This study evaluated the Olweus Bully Prevention Program (OBPP) in urban middle schools serving a mostly African American student population. Participants were 1791 students from three communities with high rates of crime and poverty. We evaluated the impact of the OBPP using a multiple-baseline experimental design in which we randomized the order and timing of intervention activities across three schools. We assessed the frequency of violence and victimization using self-report and teachers' ratings of students collected every 3 months over 5 years. Initiation of the OBPP was associated with reductions in teachers' ratings of students' frequency of aggression, with effects emerging in different years of implementation for different forms of aggression. Whereas reductions in teachers' ratings of students' verbal and relational aggression and victimization were evident during the second implementation year, reductions in physical aggression did not appear until the third year. Effects were consistent across gender and schools, with variability across grades for relational and verbal aggression and victimization. In contrast, there were no intervention effects on students' reports of their behavior. Positive outcomes for teachers', but not students' ratings, suggest the intervention's effects may have been limited to the school context. Variation in when effects emerged across outcomes suggests that changes in physical aggression may require more sustained intervention efforts. The intervention was also associated with increases in teachers' concerns about school safety problems, which may indicate that teachers were more attuned to recognizing problem behaviors following exposure to the OBPP.

Are all perpetrators alike? Comparing risk factors for sexual coercion and aggression.

PubMed

DeGue, Sarah; DiLillo, David; Scalora, Mario

2010-12-01

The present study developed and contrasted predictive models of male nonphysical sexual coercion (e.g., verbal pressure or manipulation) and physical sexual aggression (e.g., incapacitation, physical force, or threats) using a sample of 369 incarcerated males to identify shared and unique risk factors for each form of sexual perpetration. Results revealed a set of shared risk characteristics that predisposed individuals to both sexual coercion and aggression (i.e., belief in rape myths, sexual promiscuity, aggressive tendencies, and empathic deficits). In addition, findings indicated that whether the offenders engaged in only sexual coercion or also used more violent sexually aggressive tactics depended on the presence of two sets of traits unique to these forms of perpetration. Specifically, sexual coercers tended to possess traits that facilitated the use of verbal tactics (i.e., ability to manipulate others and to imagine others' emotional reactions). In contrast, sexual aggressors had characteristics that could increase their willingness to "cross the line" and resort to more violent means to obtain sex from an unwilling partner (i.e., hostility toward women, egocentricity, an impulsive disregard for sociolegal proscriptions, and childhood emotional abuse). A model of general sexual perpetration that directly contrasted sexually coercive and aggressive men was also developed, and hostility toward women was identified as the only predictor capable of predicting perpetrator group membership. Together, these findings suggest that although sexual coercers and aggressors share some underlying risk factors, the etiological patterns of these behaviors are distinct and necessitate individual attention by researchers and prevention programs.

Aggression between siblings: Associations with the home environment and peer bullying.

PubMed

Tippett, Neil; Wolke, Dieter

2015-01-01

Sibling aggression is a common form of intra-familial aggression, yet has been largely neglected by research. Using an inclusive measure of sibling aggression, this study investigated, firstly, prevalence of sibling aggression and associations with family and household characteristics, and secondly, the relationship between sibling aggression and peer bullying. Participants were 4,237 adolescents from Wave 1 of Understanding Society. Four types of sibling aggression were measured: physical, verbal, stealing and teasing, and combined into composite measures of victimization and perpetration. Regression analysis identified associations with demographic characteristics, family and sibling composition, parent-child relationships and socioeconomic status and explored the link between sibling aggression and involvement in peer bullying. Using a broad definition, sibling aggression was found to be widespread, with 46% of all participants being victimized and 36% perpetrating aggression. Household and family characteristics, including a large family size, male siblings, and financial difficulties were associated with greater rates of sibling aggression. Parenting behavior showed the strongest relationship: harsh parenting increased the risk of sibling aggression while positive parenting protected against it. Sibling aggression was also homotypically related to involvement in peer bullying. Victimization by siblings significantly increased the odds of being a victim of peer bullying, and perpetrators of sibling aggression were more likely to be both peer bullies and bully-victims. Considering the adverse effects of sibling aggression on physical and mental health, the study provides pointers for efforts to reduce the risk of sibling aggression. Furthermore, the link with peer bullying suggests that school anti-bullying efforts should also take account of children's sibling relationships. Aggr. Behav. 41:14-24, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Third party involvement in barroom conflicts.

PubMed

Parks, Michael J; Osgood, D Wayne; Felson, Richard B; Wells, Samantha; Graham, Kathryn

2013-01-01

This study examines the effect of situational variables on whether third parties intervene in conflicts in barroom settings, and whether they are aggressive or not when they intervene. Based on research on bystander intervention in emergencies, we hypothesized that third parties would be most likely to become involved in incidents with features that convey greater danger of serious harm. The situational variables indicative of danger were severity of aggression, whether the aggression was one-sided or mutual, gender, and level of intoxication of the initial participants in the conflict. Analyses consist of cross-tabulations and three-level Hierarchical Logistic Models (with bar, evening, and incidents as levels) for 860 incidents of verbal and physical aggression from 503 nights of observation in 87 large bars and clubs in Toronto, Canada. Third party involvement was more likely during incidents in which: (1) the aggression was more severe; (2) the aggression was mutual (vs. one-sided) aggression; (3) only males (vs. mixed gender) were involved; and (4) participants were more intoxicated. These incident characteristics were stronger predictors of non-aggressive third party involvement than aggressive third party involvement. The findings suggest that third parties are indeed responding to the perceived danger of serious harm. Improving our knowledge about this aspect of aggressive incidents is valuable for developing prevention and intervention approaches designed to reduce aggression in bars and other locations. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Intervention for aggressive victims of school bullying in Hong Kong: a longitudinal mixed-methods study.

PubMed

Fung, Annis Lai-Chu

2012-08-01

The distinction between aggressive and passive victims of school bullying is well documented. Aggressive victims exhibit restlessness and hot-temperedness, are easily provoked, and take revenge when irritated, whereas passive victims are quiet and timid when attacked or insulted and withdraw rather than retaliate. To date, there has been no evidence-based evaluative study examining interventions designed specifically to reduce aggressive victimization, and neither has there been an inclusive assessment screening of high-risk aggressive victims prior to intervention. This study addressed these research gaps by employing multi-stage assessment procedures and a mixed-mode methodology in a one-year longitudinal design. Data were collected from student self-reports, parent and teacher rating scales, and individual structured interviews with students, parents and teachers. A total of 269 potential high-risk aggressive victims were identified from among 5,089 schoolchildren, 68 of whom were screened out and randomly assigned to 10 treatment groups, with 39 completing a one-year follow-up study. Multivariate analysis of variance identified significant improvements in physical and verbal victimization (F(2,47, 93.99) = 10.73, p < 0.01), verbal victimization (F(2.74, 104.14) = 12.80, p < 0.01) and social exclusion scores at the three follow-up assessments compared to the pre-treatment scores, and the qualitative results were consistent, showing participants' cognition, emotion, and behavior to have been positively reconstructed by the group intervention. The consistent quantitative and qualitative results confirm that the cognitive-behavioral group therapy program reported herein is effective in reducing aggressive victims' anxious and depressed emotions and reactive cognition. © 2012 The Author. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology © 2012 The Scandinavian Psychological Associations.

On the relation between 2D:4D and sex-dimorphic personality traits.

PubMed

Hampson, Elizabeth; Ellis, Connie L; Tenk, Christine M

2008-02-01

Several personality traits, including aggressiveness and sensation seeking, have been hypothesized to be influenced by prenatal androgen exposure, though evidence for this proposition is limited. We investigated whether individual differences in aggressiveness, sensation seeking, and several prosocial personality traits can be predicted from differences in the 2D:4D digit ratio, a putative marker of prenatal androgen activity. A total of 164 undergraduates (87 men, 77 women) completed self-report measures of physical and verbal aggression, as well as a standardized measure of sensation seeking, and five scales to assess empathy, nurturance, expressivity/femininity, instrumentality/masculinity, and assertiveness. Two sex-dimorphic tests of spatial ability also were included. Men had a lower 2D:4D ratio than women, confirming the typical sex difference in digit proportions. Significant sex differences were observed on 10 of the 11 personality scales purported to show sex differences and on both tests of spatial ability. The 2D:4D ratio was a significant predictor of scores on three of the four aggression subscales, total aggression, thrill and adventure seeking, and total sensation-seeking, in the sample as a whole and in women. In men, correlations with 2D:4D were significant only for total sensation-seeking and verbal aggression. In both sexes, lower 2D:4D ratios were associated with increased aggressiveness and sensation seeking. For the spatial tests, there was no evidence of any association with 2D:4D in either men or women. The 2D:4D digit ratio may be a valid, though weak, predictor of selective sex-dependent traits that are sensitive to testosterone.

Using simulation modelling to examine the impact of venue lockout and last-drink policies on drinking-related harms and costs to licensees.

PubMed

Scott, Nick; Livingston, Michael; Reporter, Iyanoosh; Dietze, Paul

2017-06-01

Many variations of venue lockout and last-drink policies have been introduced in attempts to reduce drinking-related harms. We estimate the public health gains and licensee costs of these policies using a computer simulated population of young adults engaging in heavy drinking. Using an agent-based model we implemented 1 am/2 am/3 am venue lockouts in conjunction with last drinks zero/one/two hours later, or at current closing times. Outcomes included: the number of incidents of verbal aggression in public drinking venues, private venues or on the street; and changed revenue to public venues. The most effective policy in reducing verbal aggression among agents was 1 am lockouts with current closing times. All policies produced substantial reductions in street-based incidents of verbal aggression among agents (33-81%) due to the smoothing of transport demand. Direct revenue losses were 1-9% for simulated licensees, with later lockout times and longer periods between lockout and last drinks producing smaller revenue losses. Simulation models are useful for exploring consequences of policy change. Our simulation suggests that additional hours between lockout and last drinks could reduce aggression by easing transport demand, while minimising revenue loss to venue owners. Implications for public health: Direct policies to reduce late-night transport-related disputes should be considered. © 2017 The Authors.

Does distraction reduce the alcohol-aggression relation? A cognitive and behavioral test of the attention-allocation model.

PubMed

Gallagher, Kathryn E; Parrott, Dominic J

2011-06-01

This study provided the first direct test of the cognitive underpinnings of the attention-allocation model and attempted to replicate and extend past behavioral findings for this model as an explanation for alcohol-related aggression. A diverse community sample (55% African American) of men (N = 159) between 21 and 35 years of age (M = 25.80) were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 beverage conditions (i.e., alcohol, no-alcohol control) and 1 of 2 distraction conditions (i.e., distraction, no-distraction). Following beverage consumption, participants were provoked via reception of electric shocks and a verbal insult from a fictitious male opponent. Participants' attention allocation to aggression words (i.e., aggression bias) and physical aggression were measured using a dot probe task and a shock-based aggression task, respectively. Intoxicated men whose attention was distracted displayed significantly lower levels of aggression bias and enacted significantly less physical aggression than intoxicated men whose attention was not distracted. However, aggression bias did not account for the lower levels of alcohol-related aggression in the distraction, relative to the no-distraction, condition. These results replicated and extended past evidence that cognitive distraction is associated with lower levels of alcohol-related aggression in highly provoked males and provide the first known cognitive data to support the attentional processes posited by the attention-allocation model. Discussion focused on how these data inform intervention programming for alcohol-related aggression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved).

Does Distraction Reduce the Alcohol-Aggression Relation?: A Cognitive and Behavioral Test of the Attention-Allocation Model

PubMed Central

Gallagher, Kathryn E.; Parrott, Dominic J.

2011-01-01

Objective This study provided the first direct test of the cognitive underpinnings of the attention-allocation model and attempted to replicate and extend past behavioral findings for this model as an explanation for alcohol-related aggression. Method A diverse community sample (55% African-American) of males (N = 159) between 21 and 35 years of age (M = 25.80) were randomly assigned to one of two beverage conditions (i.e., alcohol, no-alcohol control) and one of two distraction conditions (i.e., distraction, no-distraction). Following beverage consumption, participants were provoked via reception of electric shocks and a verbal insult from a fictitious male opponent. Participants’ attention-allocation to aggression words (i.e., aggression bias) and physical aggression were measured using a dot probe task and a shock-based aggression task, respectively. Results Intoxicated men whose attention was distracted displayed significantly lower levels of aggression bias and enacted significantly less physical aggression than intoxicated men whose attention was not distracted. However, aggression bias did not account for the lower levels of alcohol-related aggression in the distraction, relative to the no-distraction, condition. Conclusions These results replicated and extended past evidence that cognitive distraction is associated with lower levels of alcohol-related aggression in highly provoked males and provide the first known cognitive data to support the attentional processes posited by the attention-allocation model. Discussion focused on how these data inform intervention programming for alcohol-related aggression. PMID:21500889

Attachment security representations in institutionalized children and children living with their families: links to problem behaviour.

PubMed

Torres, Nuno; Maia, Joana; Veríssimo, Manuela; Fernandes, Marilia; Silva, Filipa

2012-01-01

The present work analyses differences in the attachment representations of institutionalized children as compared with children from low and high educational level living with their natural families. Participants were 91 Portuguese children, 52% girls, aged 48-96 months. There were three different groups: 19 institutionalized children, 16 low educational level families' children and 56 from high educational level families'. Attachment representations were assessed for Security of the narratives of the Attachment Story Completion Task (ASCT). Psychopathological symptoms were assessed using the Child Behaviour Checklist for parents and caretakers. Verbal skills were assessed using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence--Revised. Results show that institutionalized children have significantly lower security of attachment representations, less verbal skills and higher aggressive behaviour than the other two groups. Attachment representations were associated with social/withdrawal and aggression, independently of age, verbal skills and parents' education. The main effect of institutionalization on externalizing aggressive behaviour was completely mediated by the security of attachment representations.  Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Personality correlates of revenge-seeking: Multidimensional links to physical aggression, impulsivity, and aggressive pleasure.

PubMed

Chester, David S; DeWall, C Nathan

2018-05-01

People differ in how much they seek retribution for interpersonal insults, slights, rejections, and other antagonistic actions. Identifying individuals who are most prone towards such revenge-seeking is a theoretically-informative and potentially violence-reducing endeavor. However, we have yet to understand the extent to which revenge-seeking individuals exhibit specific features of aggressiveness, impulsivity, and what motivates their hunt for retribution. Toward this end, we conducted three studies (total N = 673), in which revenge-seeking was measured alongside these other constructs. Analyses repeatedly demonstrated that revenge-seeking was associated with greater physical (but not verbal) aggressiveness, anger, and hostility. Revenge-seeking's link to physical aggression was partially accounted for by impulses toward enjoying aggression and the tendency to use aggression to improve mood. Dominance analyses revealed that sadism explained the most variance in revenge-seeking. Revenge-seeking was associated with greater impulsive responses to negative and positive affect, as well as greater premeditation of behavior. These findings paint a picture of revenge-seekers as physically aggressive curators of anger, whose retributive acts are performed with planned malice and motivated by the act's entertaining and therapeutic qualities. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The association between cyber victimization and subsequent cyber aggression: the moderating effect of peer rejection.

PubMed

Wright, Michelle F; Li, Yan

2013-05-01

Adolescents experience various forms of strain in their lives that may contribute jointly to their engagement in cyber aggression. However, little attention has been given to this idea. To address this gap in the literature, the present longitudinal study examined the moderating influence of peer rejection on the relationship between cyber victimization at Time 1 (T1) and subsequent cyber aggression at Time 2 (T2; 6 months later) among 261 (150 girls) 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. Our findings indicated that both peer rejection and cyber victimization were related to T2 peer-nominated and self-reported cyber aggression, both relational and verbal, after controlling for gender and T1 cyber aggression. Furthermore, T1 cyber victimization was related more strongly to T2 peer-nominated and self-reported cyber aggression at higher levels of T1 peer rejection. These results extend previous findings regarding the relationship between peer rejection and face-to-face aggressive behaviors to the cyber context. In addition, our findings underscore the importance of utilizing multiple methods, such as peer-nomination and self-report, to assess cyber aggression in a school setting.

Patient aggression towards different professional groups of healthcare workers.

PubMed

Kowalczuk, Krystyna; Krajewska-Kułak, Elżbieta

2017-03-31

Patient aggression affects healthcare quality and, in extreme situations, may even lead to medical malpractice. Little is known, however, about the specific distribution of health care professionals' exposure to patient aggression in various countries. The aim of this study was to assess the exposure of various professional groups of healthcare personnel to patient aggression, and to identify potential determinants (medical profession, age, gender, professional experience and employment at outpatient/inpatient healthcare units) of this exposure. The study was performed between January 2008 - December 2009 in northeastern Poland, and included 1,624 healthcare workers (493 nurses, 504 midwives, 501 physicians and 126 medical rescue workers). Exposure to eight forms of patient aggression was assessed using the MDM Mobbing Questionnaire. Using a raised voice was the most frequently observed form of aggression in all groups, whereas the least frequent form of aggression encountered was the use of direct physical violence. In inpatient healthcare units, the intensity of patient aggression was encountered most by nurses and medical rescue workers, followed by physicians and midwives. In outpatient healthcare units, medical rescue workers experienced significantly higher levels of aggression when compared to other professional groups. Significant differences in mean aggression intensity experienced in inpatient and outpatient healthcare units were observed only in nurses and physicians. Furthermore, no significant effects of gender were observed on the intensity of patient aggression. Nurses are most exposed to different forms of patient aggression, with verbal attacks being most prevalent. Nurses employed at inpatient healthcare units experienced aggression more frequently than those working in outpatient healthcare units.

Ponytails & Death-Ray Looks: A Review of Research on Relational Aggression among Adolescent Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Glenn L.

2010-01-01

Relational aggression (RA) involves either indirect, verbal, or covert acts with the intent to humiliate, exclude peers from groups, and/or damage a peer's reputation and social status. RA is believed to be particularly devastating psychologically for adolescent girls, as they tend to form smaller and more intimate social groups. Unfortunately, RA…

The Mediating Effects of Verbal Skills in the Relationship between Low Birth Weight and Childhood Aggressive Behaviour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaske, Jamie; Newsome, Jamie; Boisvert, Danielle

2013-01-01

Prenatal and perinatal risk factors, such as low birth weight, have been linked to higher levels of aggressive and destructive behaviours during childhood. Although low birth weight is associated with childhood externalizing behaviour, the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain open to empirical investigation. The current study extends the…

Children's responses to hypothetical provocation by peers: coordination of assertive and aggressive strategies.

PubMed

Dirks, Melanie A; Suor, Jennifer H; Rusch, Dana; Frazier, Stacy L

2014-10-01

Children often respond to aggression by peers with assertive bids or aggressive retaliation. Little is known, however, about whether and how children coordinate these strategies across different types of provocation. The present study examined endorsement of aggressive and assertive responses to hypothetical physical, relational, and verbal provocation in a sample of lower-income children (N = 402, M age = 10.21, SD = 1.46). Latent-profile analysis revealed 3-class models for both aggression and assertion, each reflecting low, moderate, and high levels of endorsement. There was no association between children's reported use of aggression and assertion. For example, children who endorsed high levels of aggression were equally likely to be classified as low, moderate, or high on assertive responding. For both assertion and aggression, parental ratings of children's externalizing behavior and social skills differed across the low and high groups. No such differences were found between the low and moderate groups, despite the latter groups endorsing markedly higher levels of assertive and aggressive responses. This pattern of findings may be due, in part, to the situation specificity of children's responding. Our findings hint at the complexity of children's behavioral repertoires and contribute to a growing literature that suggests the need for intervention models that consider both social skills and social situations.

[Androgen levels, parenting styles and aggressive behavior in 5-6-year-old boys and girls].

PubMed

Sánchez-Martín, José R; Azurmendi Imaz, Aitziber; Fano Ardanaz, Eduardo; Braza Lloret, Francisco; Muñoz Sánchez, José M; Carreras de Alba, María R

2009-02-01

Androgen levels, parenting styles and aggressive behavior in 5-6-year-old boys and girls. This study explores the relationship between androgen levels, parenting styles, and physical, verbal, and indirect aggression measures in 5-6-year-old children. 129 children (60 boys and 69 girls) were assessed in relation to their aggression levels using a peer-rating technique. Parents completed the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire, from which the different parenting styles were obtained. Testosterone, androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) were measured using an enzymoimmunoassay technique in saliva samples. A regression analysis indicated that the directive mother-androstenedione interaction at the age of 5 was predictive of physical aggression at the age of 6. In specific terms, the results showed that, in boys with high androstenedione levels, directive maternal behavior is associated with physical aggression. The results are subsequently discussed in light of postulates related to parenting characteristic of developmental psychology and we suggest a potential link of our results with the hypothesis of maternal dominance.

Inoculation effect in prevention of increased verbal aggression in schools.

PubMed

Rosenberg, Steven

2004-12-01

This paper presents an argument for the use of intervention programs as inoculation agents in adolescents' social behavior, specifically the prevention of abusive and antisocial verbal aggression. The theoretical substance of the intervention is social-cognitive and eclectic, borrowing from several strategies known to be effective. The bridge between theory and curriculum is an inoculation-like process. Inoculation is not a strategy to change beliefs but rather to reinforce prosocial attitudes and assist students in overcoming influences that might lessen their prosocial stance. Results must include a control group to assess the effect of inoculation.

Third Party Involvement in Barroom Conflicts

PubMed Central

Parks, Michael J.; Osgood, D. Wayne; Felson, Richard B.; Wells, Samantha; Graham, Kathryn

2014-01-01

This study examines the effect of situational variables on whether third parties intervene in conflicts in barroom settings, and whether they are aggressive or not when they intervene. Based on research on bystander intervention in emergencies, we hypothesized that third parties would be most likely to become involved in incidents with features that convey greater danger of serious harm. The situational variables indicative of danger were severity of aggression, whether the aggression was one-sided or mutual, gender, and level of intoxication of the initial participants in the conflict. Analyses consist of cross-tabulations and three-level Hierarchical Logistic Models (with bar, evening, and incidents as levels) for 860 incidents of verbal and physical aggression from 503 nights of observation in 87 large bars and clubs in Toronto, Canada. Third party involvement was more likely during incidents in which: (1) the aggression was more severe; (2) the aggression was mutual (vs. one-sided) aggression; (3) only males (vs. mixed gender) were involved; and (4) participants were more intoxicated. These incident characteristics were stronger predictors of nonaggressive third party involvement than aggressive third party involvement. The findings suggest that third parties are indeed responding to the perceived danger of serious harm. Improving our knowledge about this aspect of aggressive incidents is valuable for developing prevention and intervention approaches designed to reduce aggression in bars and other locations. PMID:23494773

Physical aggressive resident behavior during hygienic care.

PubMed

Farrell Miller, M

1997-05-01

Management of aggressive behavior has been identified as a concern for nursing staff who provide institutional care for cognitively impaired elderly. The Omnibus Reconciliation Act (OBRA '87) mandates a trial reduction in the use of chemical and physical restraints, and the development of nursing interventions for the management of behavioral disorders of institutionalized cognitively impaired elderly. Most skilled nursing facilities, however, are limited in their ability to provide environmental and behavioral programs to manage aggressive patient behavior. For the purposes of this study, physically aggressive behavior was identified as threatened or actual aggressive patient contact which has taken place between a patient and a member of the nursing staff. This study explored the nursing staff's responses to patient physical aggression and the effects that physical aggression had on them and on nursing practice from the perspective of the nursing staff. Nursing staff employed on one Dementia Special Care Unit (DSCU) were invited to participate. Interviews with nursing staff were analyzed using qualitative descriptive methods described by Miles and Huberman (1994). Nursing staff reported that they were subjected to aggressive patient behaviors ranging from verbal threats to actual physical violence. Nursing staff reported that showering a resident was the activity of daily living most likely to provoke patient to staff physical aggression. The findings revealed geropsychiatric nursing practices for the management of physically aggressive residents, and offered recommendations for improving the safety of nursing staff and residents on a secured DSCU.

Application of Alternatives for Families: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy to School Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herschell, Amy D.; Kolko, David J.; Baumann, Barbara L.; Brown, Elissa J.

2012-01-01

Alternatives for Families: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT) is an evidence-based treatment for families with children aged 5 to 15 years who have been affected by verbal and physical aggression in the family. AF-CBT was designed to address risks for exposure to emotional and physical aggression as well as common clinical consequences of…

Aggression in the work environment of physiotherapists.

PubMed

Szczegielniak, Anna; Skowronek, Anna; Krysta, Krzysztof; Krupka-Matuszczyk, Irena

2012-09-01

Aggression in the medical environment can take on different forms. It can be inflicted both by patients and workmates and may also cause a rise of aggressive behavior performed by the physiotherapists themselves. The aim of the study was to evaluate possible danger that may occur in the working environment of physiotherapists as well as to assess the correlation between such factors as the length of professional experience and exposure to the aggression inflicted by patients and workmates in the workplace with the level of aggression occurring within the professional group of physiotherapists. The study was conducted among 50 physiotherapists from Opole and the Silesian Voivodships in Poland. Two types of questionnaires were used: the author's own questionnaire, assessing exposure of the physiotherapists to aggression in the workplace, and the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire. The results were analyzed with the Statistica 8.0 application. 60% of participants suffered from patients' verbal aggression, 8% from physical aggression and 26% from the patients' emotional self-aggression at least twice a month. The study showed a minor correlation between the duration of the length of professional experience and the level of hostility (r=0.2; p>0.05). There is a considerable impact of negative emotions present in relations with workmates at the workplace causing mainly increase of general aggression among physiotherapists and hostility. Similarly, negative emotions that may appear in relations between psychiatrists and patients show a positive correlation with the level of general aggression developed by doctors. It can be observed that there is a huge impact of the impulsive behaviour and attitude (presented both by patients and workmates in the workplaces) on the appearance of aggressive actions by physiotherapists (especially anger and hostility). Further research in this field is needed.

Angry thoughts in Spanish drivers and their relationship with crash-related events. The mediation effect of aggressive and risky driving.

PubMed

Herrero-Fernández, David; Fonseca-Baeza, Sara

2017-09-01

Several studies have related aggressive and risky driving behaviours to accidents. However, the cognitive processes associated with driving aggression have received very little attention in the scientific literature. With the aim of shedding light on this topic, the present research was carried out on a sample of 414 participants in order to validate the Driver's Angry Thoughts Questionnaire (DATQ) with a sample of Spanish drivers and to test the hypothesis of the mediation effect of aggressive and risky driving on the relationship between drivers' angry thoughts and crash-related events. The results showed a good fit with the five-factor model of the questionnaire (Judgmental and Disbelieving Thinking, Pejorative Labelling and Verbally Aggressive Thinking, Revenge and Retaliatory Thinking, Physically Aggressive Thinking, and Coping Self-Instruction). Moreover, slight gender differences were observed in drivers' angry thoughts, with women scoring higher than men (η 2 =0.03). However, younger drivers had higher scores than older drivers in general (η 2 =0.06). Finally, several mediation effects of aggressive driving and risky driving on the relationship between aggressive thinking and the crash-related events were found. Implications of the results for research in traffic psychology and clinical assessment of aggressive drivers as well as limitations of the study are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Children’s Sympathy for Peers Who Are the Targets of Peer Aggression

PubMed Central

Leff, Stephen S.

2014-01-01

Although a goal of many aggression intervention programs is to increase children’s concern (often termed sympathy or empathy) for their peers as a means of ultimately reducing aggressive behavior, there are no measures specifically of children’s concern for peers who are the targets of peer aggression. A participatory action research (PAR) model was used to create a culturally-sensitive measure of urban African American children’s sympathy for peers who are the targets of physical aggression, relational or social aggression, verbal aggression, and property damage. In Study 1, 40 children (Mage =9.71 years; 47.5 % female) were interviewed about the types of incidents that lead them to feel sympathy for a peer. Based upon these findings, the 15-item Peer Sympathy Scale (PSS) was developed. In Study 2, the PSS was administered to 517 children (Mage=9.82 years; 47.4 % female) to examine the psychometric properties of the measure and to explore the association between children’s sympathy for their peers and their social behavior. Greater sympathy was associated with less overt and relational aggression according to both peer and teacher reports as well as with less oppositional-defiant behavior according to teacher reports. The clinical utility of the PSS as an outcome assessment tool for social skills intervention programs is discussed. PMID:22556114

The Neurocognition of Conduct Disorder Behaviors: Specificity to Physical Aggression and Theft After Controlling for ADHD Symptoms

PubMed Central

Barker, Edward D.; Tremblay, Richard E.; van Lier, Pol A.C.; Vitaro, Frank; Nagin, Daniel S.; Assaad, Jean-Marc; Séguin, Jean R.

2012-01-01

There is growing evidence that among the different conduct disorder (CD) behaviors, physical aggression, but not theft, links to low neurocognitive abilities. Specifically, physical aggression has consistently been found to be negatively related to neurocognitive abilities, whereas theft has been shown to be either positively or not related to neurocognition. The specificity of these links needs further examination because attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) links to both physical aggression and neurocognitive variation. The development of self-reported physical aggression and theft, from age 11 to 17 years, was studied in a prospective at-risk male cohort via a dual process latent growth curve model. Seven neurocognitive tests at age 20 were regressed on the growth parameters of physical aggression and theft. The links between neurocognition and the growth parameters of physical aggression and theft were adjusted for ADHD symptoms at ages 11 and 15 (parent, child and teacher reports). Results indicated that verbal abilities were negatively related to physical aggression while they were positively associated with theft. However, inductive reasoning was negatively associated with increases in theft across adolescence. Symptoms of ADHD accounted for part of the neurocognitive test links with physical aggression but did not account for the associations with theft. These differences emphasize the importance of examining specific CD behaviors to better understand their neurodevelopmental mechanisms. They also suggest that youth who engage in different levels of physical aggression or theft behaviors may require different preventive and corrective interventions. PMID:21046606

The neurocognition of conduct disorder behaviors: specificity to physical aggression and theft after controlling for ADHD symptoms.

PubMed

Barker, Edward D; Tremblay, Richard E; van Lier, Pol A C; Vitaro, Frank; Nagin, Daniel S; Assaad, Jean-Marc; Séguin, Jean R

2011-01-01

There is growing evidence that among the different conduct disorder (CD) behaviors, physical aggression, but not theft, links to low neurocognitive abilities. Specifically, physical aggression has consistently been found to be negatively related to neurocognitive abilities, whereas theft has been shown to be either positively or not related to neurocognition. The specificity of these links needs further examination because attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) links to both physical aggression and neurocognitive variation. The development of self-reported physical aggression and theft, from age 11 to 17 years, was studied in a prospective at-risk male cohort via a dual process latent growth curve model. Seven neurocognitive tests at age 20 were regressed on the growth parameters of physical aggression and theft. The links between neurocognition and the growth parameters of physical aggression and theft were adjusted for ADHD symptoms at ages 11 and 15 (parent, child and teacher reports). Results indicated that verbal abilities were negatively related to physical aggression while they were positively associated with theft. However, inductive reasoning was negatively associated with increases in theft across adolescence. Symptoms of ADHD accounted for part of the neurocognitive test links with physical aggression but did not account for the associations with theft. These differences emphasize the importance of examining specific CD behaviors to better understand their neurodevelopmental mechanisms. They also suggest that youth who engage in different levels of physical aggression or theft behaviors may require different preventive and corrective interventions. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Gender symmetry in intimate aggression: an effect of intimacy or target sex?

PubMed

Cross, Catharine P; Tee, William; Campbell, Anne

2011-01-01

Men's greater use of direct aggression is not evident in studies of intimate partner aggression. In previous research, the effects of target sex and relationship intimacy have frequently been confounded. This study sought to examine these effects separately. One hundred and seventy-four participants (59 male and 115 female) read vignette scenarios in which they were provoked by a same-sex best friend, an opposite-sex best friend, and a partner. For each target, participants estimated their likely use of direct physical and verbal aggression as well as noninjurious forms of anger expression. Results showed that men lower their aggression in the context of an intimate partnership and that this is an effect of the target's sex. In contrast, women raise their aggression in the context of an intimate partnership and this is an effect of intimacy with the target. The use of noninjurious angry behavior did not vary between targets for either sex of the participant, which suggests that the effects of target are confined to behaviors which carry an intention to harm. Possible effects of social norms and oxytocin-mediated emotional disinhibition on intimate partner aggression are discussed. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Perceptions of Males and Females' Use of Aggressive Affirming and Nonaffirming Messages in an Interpersonal Dispute: You've Come a Long Way Baby?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jordan-Jackson, Felecia F.; Lin, Yang; Rancer, Andrew S.; Infante, Dominic A.

2008-01-01

This study examines perceptions of argumentative and verbally aggressive conduct, and also five relationship-outcome factors contingent upon dyad sex and communicator style. Participants viewed one of four videos that manipulated the sex and the communicator style of a dyad in an interpersonal dispute. Significant main effects were observed for…

Interpersonal conflict tactics and substance use among high-risk adolescents.

PubMed

Unger, Jennifer B; Sussman, Steve; Dent, Clyde W

2003-07-01

Adolescents who use aggressive tactics to handle interpersonal conflicts may be at high risk for substance use, while adolescents who possess coping strategies to avoid or manage interpersonal conflict may be at lower risk for substance use. This study examined the association between interpersonal conflict tactics and substance use among 631 continuation high school students. Items from a modified Conflict Tactics Scale formed three factors: Physical Aggression, Nonphysical Aggression, and Nonaggression. Logistic regression analyses revealed that adolescents' ways of responding to interpersonal conflicts were associated with their substance use. Use of physical aggression was associated with a higher risk of cigarette, alcohol, marijuana, and other drug use. Use of nonphysical aggression was associated with a higher risk of cigarette and alcohol use. Use of nonaggressive conflict tactics was associated with a lower risk of cigarette use. Adolescents who respond to interpersonal conflicts in an aggressive manner, whether physical or verbal/psychological, may be at increased risk for substance use, while nonaggressive conflict management skills may be protective. Possibly, teaching adolescents nonaggressive techniques for handling interpersonal conflict may be a useful strategy for preventing both interpersonal violence and substance use.

Prospective randomized clinical trial of aggressive rehabilitation after acute Achilles tendon ruptures repaired with Dresden technique.

PubMed

De la Fuente, Carlos; Peña y Lillo, Roberto; Carreño, Gabriel; Marambio, Hugo

2016-03-01

Rupture of the Achilles tendon is a common injury during working years. Aggressive rehabilitation may provide better outcomes, but also a greater chance of re-rupture. To determine if aggressive rehabilitation has better clinical outcomes for Achilles tendon function, Triceps surae function, one-leg heel rise capacity and lower complication rate during twelve weeks after percutaneous Achilles tendon repair compared to conventional rehabilitation. Randomized controlled trial. Thirty-nine patients were prospectively randomized. The aggressive group (n=20, 41.4 ± 8.3 years) received rehabilitation from the first day after surgery. The conventional group (n=19, 41.7 ± 10.7 years) rested for 28 days, before rehabilitation started. The statistical parameters were the Achilles tendon rupture score (ATRS), verbal pain scale, time to return to work, pain medication consumption, Achilles tendon strength, dorsiflexion range of motion (RoM), injured-leg calf circumference, calf circumference difference, one-leg heel rise repetition and difference, re-rupture rate, strength deficit rate, and other complication rates. Mixed-ANOVA and Bonferroni's post hoc test were performed for multiple comparisons. Student's t-test was performed for parameters measured on the 12th week. The aggressive group with respect to the conventional group had a higher ATRS; lower verbal pain score; lower pain medication consumption; early return to work; higher Achilles tendon strength; higher one-leg heel rise repetitions; and lower one-leg heel rise difference. The re-rupture rate was 5% and 5%, the strength deficit rate was 42% and 5%, and other complications rate was 11% and 15% in the conventional and aggressive group, respectively. Patients with Dresden repair and aggressive rehabilitation have better clinical outcomes, Achilles tendon function and one-leg heel rise capacity without increasing the postoperative complications rate after 12 weeks compared to rehabilitation with immobilization and non-weight-bearing during the first 28 days after surgery. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of training on de-escalation of violence and management of aggressive behavior faced by health care providers in a public sector hospital of Karachi

PubMed Central

Baig, Lubna; Tanzil, Sana; Shaikh, Shiraz; Hashmi, Ibrahim; Khan, Muhammad Arslan; Polkowski, Maciej

2018-01-01

Background & Objective: Considering high burden of violence against healthcare workers in Pakistan APPNA Institute of Public Health developed a training to prevent reactive violence among healthcare providers. The purpose of this training was to equip healthcare providers with skills essential to control aggressive behaviors and prevent verbal and non-verbal violence in workplace settings. This study assesses the effectiveness of training in prevention, de-escalation and management of violence in healthcare settings. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted in October, 2016 using mixed method concurrent embedded design. The study assessed effectiveness of de-escalation trainings among health care providers working in emergency and gynecology and obstetrics departments of two teaching hospitals in Karachi. Quantitative assessment was done through structured interviews and qualitative through Focus Group Discussions. Healthcare providers` confidence in coping with patient aggression was also measured using a standard validated tool”. Results: The overall self-perceived mean score of Confidence in Coping with Patient Aggression Instrument “(CCPAI)” scale was significantly higher in intervention group (Mean= 27.49, SD=3.53) as compared to control group (Mean= 23.92, SD=4.52) (p<0.001). No statistically significant difference was observed between intervention and control groups with regard to frequency of violence faced by HCPs post training and major perpetrators of violence.. Conclusion: De-escalation of violence training was effective in improving confidence of healthcare providers in coping with patient aggression. PMID:29805396

Psychopharmacological treatment of aggression in schizophrenic patients.

PubMed

Brieden, T; Ujeyl, M; Naber, D

2002-05-01

Aggressive behavior is frequently observed in schizophrenic patients. More than 50 % of all psychiatric patients and 10 % of schizophrenic patients show aggressive symptoms varying from threatening behavior and agitation to assault. The pharmacological treatment of acute, persisting and repetitive aggression is a serious problem for other patients and staff members. Not only is violent behavior from mentally ill patients the most detrimental factor in their stigmatization, aggression is also a considerable direct source of danger for the patients themselves. Based on rather limited evidence, a wide variety of medications for the pharmacological treatment of aggression has been recommended: typical and atypical antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, mood stabilizers, beta-blockers and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Most clinical information on treating aggression has been collected for atypical neuroleptics, particularly for clozapine. Several retrospective and open studies indicate its efficacy. Treatment duration of 6 months is recommended to induce a stable reduction of physical and verbal aggression. Severe side effects have very rarely been seen. At the moment, clozapine seems to be the first choice in aggression treatment. Within the last few years, about 10 articles were published showing that this is the most effective antiaggressive agent in the treatment of aggression and agitation in psychiatric patients, independent of psychiatric diagnosis. However, clozapine, like all the other substances used, does not have an established indication for the treatment of aggressive symptoms. Noncompliance with medication makes it difficult to choose the right preparation for the medication: tablets, liquids, intramuscular injections and readily soluble "FDDFs" are available. Ethical, juridical and methodological problems prevent controlled studies from establishing a reference in the treatment of aggression in mentally ill patients. This review summarizes the current discussion and publications on the pharmacological treatment of aggression in schizophrenic patients of the last 20 years. In addition, we will briefly present studies and case reports concerning the treatment of aggression in other psychiatric patients.

Announcement: National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month - October 2016.

PubMed

2016-10-07

Bullying among youths is defined as any unwanted aggressive behavior by another youth or group of youths who are not siblings or current dating partners and involves an observed or perceived power imbalance, and is repeated multiple times or is highly likely to be repeated (1). As a form of youth violence, bullying can include aggression that is physical (hitting or tripping), verbal (name calling or teasing), or relational/social (rumor spreading or leaving out of a group). Electronic aggression, or cyber-bullying, is bullying that occurs through the Internet, cellphone technology, and social media (e.g., e-mail, website, text messaging, posting videos, or pictures) (2).

The role of anger rumination and autism spectrum disorder–linked perseveration in the experience of aggression in the general population

PubMed Central

Pugliese, Cara E; Fritz, Matthew S; White, Susan W

2016-01-01

This study (a) examined the role of anger rumination as a mediator of the relation between social anxiety and the experience of anger, hostility, and aggression, in the general population, and (b) evaluated the degree to which the presence of autism spectrum disorder characteristics moderates the indirect influence of anger rumination. We then explored whether social cognition and perseveration characteristic of autism spectrum disorder uniquely accounted for the predicted moderation. In this survey study of young adults (n = 948), anger rumination mediated the relation between social anxiety and hostility, as well as verbal and physical aggression, as predicted. Greater autism spectrum disorder characteristics augmented the effect of social anxiety on hostility and physical aggression by increasing the effect of anger rumination, but not by increasing the effect of social anxiety on anger rumination. Implications for developing treatment approaches that target hostility and aggression among young adults who may not be formally diagnosed but have characteristics of autism spectrum disorder are discussed. PMID:25212211

[The effect of group-based psychodrama therapy on decreasing the level of aggression in adolescents].

PubMed

Karataş, Zeynep; Gökçakan, Dan Zafer

2009-01-01

This study aimed to examine the effect of group-based psychodrama therapy on the level aggression in adolescents. The study included 23 students from Nezihe Yalvac Anatolian Vocational High School of Hotel Management and Tourism that had high aggression scores. Eleven of the participants (6 female, 5 male) constituted the experimental group and 12 (6 male, 6 female) were in the control group. The 34-item Aggression Scale was used to measure level of aggression. We utilized mixed pattern design including experiment-control, pre-test and post test and follow up. The experimental group participated in group-based psychodrama therapy once a week for 90 minutes, for 14 weeks in total. The Aggression Scale was administered to the experimental and control groups before and after treatment; it was additionally administered to the experimental group 16 weeks after treatment. Data were analyzed using ANCOVA and dependent samples t tests. Our analysis shows that group-based psychodrama had an effect on the experimental group in terms of total aggression, anger, hostility, and indirect aggression scores (F=65.109, F=20.175, F=18.593, F=40.987, respectively, P<.001). There was no effect of the group-based treatment on verbal or physical aggression scores. Follow-up indicated that the effect of the therapy was still measureable 16 weeks after the cessation of the therapy. Results of the present study indicate that group-based psychodrama therapy decreased the level of aggression in the experimental group. Current findings are discussed with reference to the literature. Recommendations for further research and for psychiatric counselors are provided.

Are Adolescents Engaged in the Problematic Use of Social Networking Sites More Involved in Peer Aggression and Victimization?

PubMed

Martínez-Ferrer, Belén; Moreno, David; Musitu, Gonzalo

2018-01-01

The problematic use of social networking sites is becoming a major public health concern. Previous research has found that adolescents who engage in a problematic use of social networking sites are likely to show maladjustment problems. However, little is known about its links with peer aggression and victimization. The main goal of this study was to analyze the relationship between problematic use of online social networking sites, peer aggression -overt vs. relational and reactive vs. instrumental-, and peer victimization -overt physical and verbal, and relational-, taking into account gender and age (in early and mid-adolescence). Participants were selected using randomized cluster sampling considering school and class as clusters. A battery of instruments was applied to 1,952 adolescents' secondary students from Spain (Andalusia) (50.4% boys), aged 11 to 16 ( M = 14.07, SD = 1.39). Results showed that girls and 14-16 adolescents were more involved in a problematic use of online social networking sites. Furthermore, adolescents with high problematic use of online social networking sites were more involved in overt-reactive and instrumental-and relational-reactive and instrumental-aggressive behaviors, and self-reported higher levels of overt-physical and verbal-and relational victimization. Even though boys indicated higher levels of all types of victimization, girls with high problematic use of online social networking sites scored the highest on relational victimization. Relating to age, early adolescents (aged 11-14) with higher problematic use of online social networking sites reported the highest levels of overt verbal and relational victimization. Overall, results suggested the co-occurrence of problematic use of online social networking sites, peer aggression and victimization. In addition, results showed the influence that gender and age had on peer victimization. This study highlights the continuity between offline and online domains with regard to maladjustment problems in adolescence.

Violence towards Emergency Nurses. The Italian National Survey 2016: A qualitative study.

PubMed

Ramacciati, Nicola; Ceccagnoli, Andrea; Addey, Beniamino; Rasero, Laura

2018-05-01

Physical and verbal aggression against health professionals, particularly nurses, is globally serious and widespread, with the most vulnerable being nurses working in the Accident and Emergency Department. Most international research into this issue focused on quantifying aggression, describing its nature, identifying perpetrators, stratifying risk and implementing preventive or mitigating interventions. Few studies investigated the nurses' subjective perceptions. As part of the 2016 Italian National Survey on Violence against Accident and Emergency Nurses, our research team collected qualitative data to explore their perceptions of Workplace Violence. From 19th July 2016 to 19th March 2017 we distributed online a 39-item validated questionnaire to 15,618 Emergency Nurses working in 668 Italian National Health Service Accident and Emergency Departments in all 20 Italian Regions. Answers were analysed using van Kaan's method. 1100 Emergency Nurses responded to the survey and 265 replied to our focus question. There were 144 Females, 119 Males, 2 not stated, average age 42 ± 9 years, average work experience 18 ± 9 years, average Accident and Emergency Department experience 11 ± 8 years. Four major themes emerged: the nurses' perception of physical and verbal aggression, precipitating factors, consequences, and solutions. These themes confirmed previous findings and showed that Italian nursing staff's perceptions of physical and verbal aggression is the same as emergency nurses working worldwide. How Italian Accident and Emergency nurses perceive Workplace Violence adds to our knowledge of the issue and contributes to finding shared solutions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding the connection between self-esteem and aggression: The mediating role of emotion dysregulation.

PubMed

Garofalo, Carlo; Holden, Christopher J; Zeigler-Hill, Virgil; Velotti, Patrizia

2016-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to extend previous knowledge concerning the link between self-esteem and aggression by examining the mediating role of emotion dysregulation among offenders and community participants. A sample of 153 incarcerated violent offenders and a community sample of 197 individuals completed self-report measures of self-esteem level, emotion dysregulation, and trait aggression. Offenders reported lower levels of self-esteem than community participants, as well as greater levels of emotional nonacceptance and hostility. Bootstrapping analyses were performed to test whether emotion dysregulation mediated the association between self-esteem level and aggression. In the offender sample, mediation models were significant for three of the four aspects of trait aggression that were considered. Emotion dysregulation fully mediated the links that low self-esteem had with physical aggression, anger, and hostility. The same pattern (with the addition of full mediation for verbal aggression) was confirmed in the community sample. Our findings suggest that emotion dysregulation may play an important role in the connection between low self-esteem and aggression. Alternative models of the associations among these variables were tested and discussed. As a whole, the present results are consistent with those of other studies and suggest that it may be beneficial to include emotion regulation modules as part of prevention and treatment programs for violent offenders. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The effects of a novel hostile interpretation bias modification paradigm on hostile interpretations, mood, and aggressive behavior.

PubMed

AlMoghrabi, Nouran; Huijding, Jorg; Franken, Ingmar H A

2018-03-01

Cognitive theories of aggression propose that biased information processing is causally related to aggression. To test these ideas, the current study investigated the effects of a novel cognitive bias modification paradigm (CBM-I) designed to target interpretations associated with aggressive behavior. Participants aged 18-33 years old were randomly assigned to either a single session of positive training (n = 40) aimed at increasing prosocial interpretations or negative training (n = 40) aimed at increasing hostile interpretations. The results revealed that the positive training resulted in an increase in prosocial interpretations while the negative training seemed to have no effect on interpretations. Importantly, in the positive condition, a positive change in interpretations was related to lower anger and verbal aggression scores after the training. In this condition, participants also reported an increase in happiness. In the negative training no such effects were found. However, the better participants performed on the negative training, the more their interpretations were changed in a negative direction and the more aggression they showed on the behavioral aggression task. Participants were healthy university students. Therefore, results should be confirmed within a clinical population. These findings provide support for the idea that this novel CBM-I paradigm can be used to modify interpretations, and suggests that these interpretations are related to mood and aggressive behavior. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Relationships among empathy, prosocial behavior, aggressiveness, self-efficacy and pupils' personal and social responsibility].

PubMed

Gutiérrez Sanmartín, Melchor; Escartí Carbonell, Amparo; Pascual Baños, Carminal

2011-02-01

The aim of this study was, on the one hand, to present/display the Spanish version of diverse instruments that assess Empathy, Prosocial behavior, Aggressiveness, Self-efficacy and Personal and social responsibility, and, on the other hand, to analyze which of these variables could predict responsibility. Participants were 822 pupils, ages 8 to 15 years, who studied in 11 educational centres of the Valencian Community. Measures include Spanish versions of the Index of Empathy for Children and Adolescents, Prosocial Behaviour, and Physical and Verbal Aggression, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Self-Efficacy, and the Contextual Self-Responsibility Questionnaire. Through structural equation modelling (SEM), the results showed positive relationships between Prosocial behaviour, Empathy, Self-efficacy, and Responsibility; and negative relationships between Aggressiveness and Responsibility. The results and implications for education are discussed.

Adolescent aggression and differentiation of self: guided mindfulness meditation in the service of individuation.

PubMed

Birnbaum, Liora

2005-06-23

This paper presents adolescent aggression as mediated by the level of differentiation of self. No research has directly addressed Bowen's notion that level of differentiation impacts child functioning including aggression. Level of differentiation is discussed in conjunction with social, gender and cultural norms as manifested in aggressive behavior. Female adolescent aggression is described as mainly relationship focused and expressed via verbal threats, intimidation and manipulation, while male aggression is described mainly as overt physical violence involving dominance and competitiveness. Research on differentiation focuses mainly on Western cultures that tend to be individualistic. Jewish-Israeli society is in transition from collectivistic to individualistic cultural values in the midst of ongoing hostilities. These processes create conflict regarding togetherness and individuality needs among adolescents, who are exposed to contradictory messages regarding separating and staying close. External as well as internal expressions of aggression (depression, suicide) are presented as coping strategies in the service of a wounded self-negotiating with the world. Guided mindfulness meditation is a powerful technique for facilitating healing and growth toward autonomy by helping adolescents connect to their inner voice. This technique may be especially useful in the adolescent search for self-awareness, meaning and life purpose. Bodily, cognitive and emotional experiences are treated as informative regarding the 'self' and facilitate expansion of self-perception and individuality.

A Risky Boundary: Unwanted Sexual Behaviour among Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Bruijn, Paula; Burrie, Ingrid; van Wel, Frits

2006-01-01

The aim of this research was to explore unwanted sexual behaviour amongst young people. Sexual aggression was operationalized at three levels: "verbal", "non-verbal/intimidating" and "physically violent". A total of 1,700 Dutch adolescents completed a questionnaire that included six clusters of possible determinants…

Associations of Workplace Aggression With Work-Related Well-Being Among Nurses in the Philippines

PubMed Central

Gee, Gilbert C.; de Castro, A. B.

2011-01-01

Objectives. We examined whether workplace aggression was associated with self-rated health and work-related injury and illness among nurses in the Philippines. Methods. Our data came from a cross-sectional survey of nurses (n = 687) in the Philippines. We assessed the associations of self-reported physical assault and verbal abuse with self-rated health, work-related injury and illness, and missed workdays with Poisson regression. Control variables included demographic and work characteristics (e.g., hours worked, work setting, shift). Results. Verbal abuse was associated with poor general health (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.94; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09, 3.45). Both physical assault and verbal abuse were associated with work-related injury (PR = 1.48; 95% CI = 1.00, 2.20; PR = 1.72; 95% CI = 1.34, 2.23, respectively) and work-related illness (PR = 1.46; 95% CI = 0.99, 2.15; PR = 1.68; 95% CI = 1.32, 2.14, respectively) after demographic and work characteristics were accounted for in the model. In addition, physical assault was associated with missed workdays (PR = 1.56; 95% CI = 1.02, 2.33). Conclusions. Workplace aggression was associated with increased risks of poor general health and adverse work-related health outcomes among nurses in the Philippines. PMID:21088262

Identifying key factors associated with aggression on acute inpatient psychiatric wards.

PubMed

Bowers, Len; Allan, Teresa; Simpson, Alan; Jones, Julia; Van Der Merwe, Marie; Jeffery, Debra

2009-04-01

Aggressive behaviour is a critical issue for modern acute psychiatric services, not just because of the adverse impact it has on patients and staff, but also because it puts a financial strain on service providers. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship of patient violence to other variables: patient characteristics, features of the service and physical environment, patient routines, staff factors, the use of containment methods, and other patient behaviours. A multivariate cross sectional design was utilised. Data were collected for a six month period on 136 acute psychiatric wards in 26 NHS Trusts in England. Multilevel modelling was conducted to ascertain those factors most strongly associated with verbal aggression, aggression toward objects, and physical aggression against others. High levels of aggression were associated with a high proportion of patients formally detained under mental health legislation, high patient turnover, alcohol use by patients, ward doors being locked, and higher staffing numbers (especially qualified nurses). The findings suggest that the imposition of restrictions on patients exacerbates the problem of violence, and that alcohol management strategies may be a productive intervention. Insufficient evidence is available to draw conclusions about the nature of the link between staffing numbers and violence.

Aggression and withdrawal related behavior within conflict management progression in preschool boys with language impairment.

PubMed

Horowitz, Laura; Westlund, Karolina; Ljungberg, Tomas

2007-10-01

This study examined conflict behavior in naturalistic preschool settings to better understand the role of non-affiliative behavior and language in conflict management. Free-play at preschool was filmed among 20 boys with typically developing language (TL) and among 11 boys with Language Impairment (LI); the boys 4-7 years old. Conflict behavior was coded and analyzed with a validated system. Post-conflict non-affiliative behavior (aggression and withdrawal) displays, and the links between the displays and reconciliation (i.e., former opponents exchange friendly behavioral shortly after conflict termination) was examined. Group comparisons revealed boys with LI displayed aggression in a smaller share of conflicts, but exhibited [Symbol: see text]active' withdrawal (left the room), in a larger conflict share. Boys with TL overcame aggression (more common TL behavior) and after reconciled, to a greater extent than the boys with LI after active withdrawal (more common LI behavior). Also, after reciprocal or only verbal aggression, boys with LI reconciled to a lesser extent than boys with TL. The boys with LI demonstrated difficulties confronting conflict management, as well as concluding emotionally heightened and aggressive behavioral turns.

Dementia care worker stress associations with unit type, resident, and work environment characteristics: a cross-sectional secondary data analysis of the Swiss Nursing Homes Human Resources Project (SHURP).

PubMed

Vogel, Barbara; De Geest, Sabina; Fierz, Katharina; Beckmann, Sonja; Zúñiga, Franziska

2017-03-01

Although caring for residents with dementia in nursing homes is associated with various stressors for care workers, the role of the unit type, and particularly the proportion of residents with dementia, remains unclear. This study aimed to explore associations between unit type and care worker stress, taking into account additional potential stressors. This cross-sectional study was a secondary data analysis in the Swiss Nursing Homes Human Resources Project, which included data from 3,922 care workers from 156 Swiss nursing homes. Care workers' stress was measured with a shortened version of the Health Professions Stress Inventory. Generalized estimating equation models were used to assess care worker stress and its relationships with three unit types (special care units and others with high or low proportions of residents with dementia), work environment factors, and aggressive resident behavior. After including all potential stressors in the models, no significant differences between the three unit types regarding care worker stress were found. However, increased care worker stress levels were significantly related to lower ratings of staffing and resources adequacy, the experience of verbal aggression, and the observation of verbal or physical aggression among residents. Although the unit type plays only a minor role regarding care worker stress, this study confirms that work environment and aggressive behavior of residents are important factors associated with work-related stress. To prevent increases of care worker stress, interventions to improve the work environment and strengthen care workers' ability to cope with aggressive behavior are suggested.

Suicidal ideation and school bullying experiences after controlling for depression and delinquency.

PubMed

Espelage, Dorothy L; Holt, Melissa K

2013-07-01

This cross-sectional study examines differences in the frequency of suicidal ideation and suicidal behaviors across a group of verbal bullies, bully-victims, victims, physically aggressive bullies, and students not involved in bullying. A large sample of middle school students (n = 661; fifth through eighth grades; ages 10-13 years of age) completed a pencil-and-paper survey that included the University of Illinois Bully, Fight, and Victim scales. Students also self-reported how often they had thought of killing themselves or deliberating hurting themselves in past 6 months, and provided information about delinquent behaviors and symptoms of depression and anxiety. We used cluster analysis to create bully-victim subtypes: uninvolved (n = 357), victims (n = 110), verbal bullies (n = 114), bully-victims (n = 29), and physically aggressive bullies (n = 42). Approximately 32%-38% of verbal bullies and victims, 60% of bully-victims, and 43% of physically aggressive bullies reported suicidal ideation, compared with 12% of uninvolved youth. Similarly, 24%-28% of verbal bullies and victims, 44% of bully-victims, and 35% of physically aggressive bullies reported deliberately trying to hurt or kill themselves, compared with 8% of uninvolved youth. Females in the bully-victim subtype reported particularly elevated suicidal ideation and behavior. After controlling for delinquency and depression, differences in suicidal thoughts and behaviors emerged only between uninvolved youth and the victim and bully-victim groups, but these differences were minimal. Findings highlight that at a bivariate level, involvement in bullying in any capacity is linked to increased risk for suicidal ideation and behavior, and echoes previous literature documenting particularly strong mental health implications for bully-victims. Furthermore, this study points to the importance of considering delinquency and depression in conjunction with suicidal ideation and behaviors. Copyright © 2013 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of aggression among psychiatric inpatients by ward type in Japan: Using the Staff Observation Aggression Scale - Revised (SOAS-R).

PubMed

Sato, Makiko; Noda, Toshie; Sugiyama, Naoya; Yoshihama, Fumihiro; Miyake, Michi; Ito, Hiroto

2017-12-01

Aggressive behaviour by psychiatric patients is a serious issue in clinical practice, and adequate management of such behaviour is required, with careful evaluation of the factors causing the aggression. To examine the characteristics of aggressive incidents by ward type, a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted for 6 months between April 2012 and June 2013 using the Staff Observation Aggression Scale - Revised, Japanese version (SOAS-R) in 30 wards across 20 Japanese psychiatric hospitals. Participating wards were categorized into three types based on the Japanese medical reimbursement system: emergency psychiatric, acute psychiatric, and standard wards (common in Japan, mostly treating non-acute patients). On analyzing the 443 incidents reported, results showed significant differences in SOAS-R responses by ward type. In acute and emergency psychiatric wards, staff members were the most common target of aggression. In acute psychiatric wards, staff requiring patients to take medication was the most common provocation, and verbal aggression was the most commonly used means. In emergency psychiatric wards, victims felt threatened. In contrast, in standard wards, both the target and provocation of aggression were most commonly other patients, hands were used, victims reported experiencing physical pain, and seclusion was applied to stop their behaviour. These findings suggest that ward environment was an important factor influencing aggressive behaviour. Ensuring the quality and safety of psychiatric care requires understanding the characteristics of incidents that staff are likely to encounter in each ward type, as well as implementing efforts to deal with the incidents adequately and improve the treatment environment. © 2016 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

The HEXACO Model of Personality and Risky Driving Behavior.

PubMed

Burtăverde, Vlad; Chraif, Mihaela; Aniţei, Mihai; Dumitru, Daniela

2017-04-01

This research tested the association between the HEXACO personality model and risky driving behavior as well as the predictive power of the HEXACO model in explaining risky driving behavior compared with the Big Five model. In Sample 1, 227 undergraduate students completed measures of the HEXACO personality model, the Big Five model, and driving aggression. In Sample 2, 244 community respondents completed measures of the HEXACO personality model, the Big Five model, and driving styles. Results showed that the Honesty-Humility factor is an important addition to personality models that aim to explain risky driving behavior as being related to all forms of driving aggression as well as to maladaptive and adaptive driving styles and having incremental validity in predicting verbally aggressive expression, risky driving, high-velocity driving, and careful driving. Moreover, compared with the Big Five model, the HEXACO model had better predictive power of aggressive driving.

Pathways from marital aggression to infant emotion regulation: the development of withdrawal in infancy.

PubMed

Crockenberg, Susan C; Leerkes, Esther M; Lekka, Shamila K

2007-02-01

Associations between marital conflict and infant emotion regulation exist, but explanatory pathways have not been explored. For older children, parental behavior partially mediates this association through a "spillover" process. We test: associations between mothers' and fathers' verbally aggressive marital conflict, infant temperament, and infant withdrawal; mediating effects of negative maternal behavior, and moderating effects of infant temperament, exposure to marital arguments, and contact with father. Eighty mothers, 73 fathers, and their 6-month-old infants participated; parents reported marital aggression prenatally, mothers reported infant exposure to arguments, direct caregiving by father, and infant temperament at 5 months. Negative maternal behavior, infant withdrawal, distress to novelty, activity, and look away were observed at 6 months. Mothers' and fathers' aggressive marital conflict predicted infant withdrawal, interactively with exposure to marital arguments and extent of father caregiving, as did infant temperament and negative maternal behavior. Maternal behavior did not mediate between marital conflict and withdrawal.

Aggression in psychiatry wards: a systematic review.

PubMed

Cornaggia, Cesare Maria; Beghi, Massimiliano; Pavone, Fabrizio; Barale, Francesco

2011-08-30

Although fairly frequent in psychiatric in-patient, episodes of aggression/violence are mainly limited to verbal aggression, but the level of general health is significantly lower in nurses who report 'frequent' exposure to violent incidents, and there is disagreement between patients and staff concerning predictors of these episodes. We searched the Pubmed, Embase and PsychInfo databases for English, Italian, French or German language papers published between 1 January 1990 and 31 March 2010 using the key words "aggress*" (aggression or aggressive) "violen*" (violence or violent) and "in-patient" or "psychiatric wards", and the inclusion criterion of an adult population (excluding all studies of selected samples such as a specific psychiatric diagnosis other than psychosis, adolescents or the elderly, men/women only, personality disorders and mental retardation). The variables that were most frequently associated with aggression or violence in the 66 identified studies of unselected psychiatric populations were the existence of previous episodes, the presence of impulsiveness/hostility, a longer period of hospitalisation, non-voluntary admission, and aggressor and victim of the same gender; weaker evidence indicated alcohol/drug misuse, a diagnosis of psychosis, a younger age and the risk of suicide. Alcohol/drug misuse, hostility, paranoid thoughts and acute psychosis were the factors most frequently involved in 12 studies of psychotic patients. Harmony among staff (a good working climate) seems to be more useful in preventing aggression than some of the other strategies used in psychiatric wards, such as the presence of male nurses. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Perceptions of television violence: effects of programme genre and type of violence on viewers' judgements of violent portrayals.

PubMed

Gunter, B; Furnham, A

1984-06-01

This paper reports two studies which examined the mediating effects of programme genre and physical form of violence on viewers' perceptions of violent TV portrayals. In Expt 1, a panel of British viewers saw portrayals from five programme genres: British crime-drama series, US crime-drama series, westerns, science-fiction series and cartoons which feature either fights or shootings. In Expt. 2, the same viewers rated portrayals from British crime-drama and westerns which featured four types of violence, fist-fights, shootings, stabbings and explosions. All scenes were rated along eight unipolar scales. Panel members also completed four subscales of a personal hostility inventory. Results showed that both fictional setting and physical form had significant effects on viewers' perceptions of televised violence. British crime-drama portrayals, and portrayals that featured shootings and stabbings, were rated as most violent and disturbing. Also, there were strong differences between viewers with different self-reported propensities towards either verbal or physical aggression. More physically aggressive individuals tended to perceive physical unarmed violence as less violent than did more verbally aggressive types.

Examining the Role of Antisocial Personality Disorder in Intimate Partner Violence Among Substance Use Disorder Treatment Seekers With Clinically Significant Trauma Histories.

PubMed

Dykstra, Rita E; Schumacher, Julie A; Mota, Natalie; Coffey, Scott F

2015-08-01

This study examined the associations among posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity, antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) diagnosis, and intimate partner violence (IPV) in a sample of 145 substance abuse treatment-seeking men and women with positive trauma histories; sex was examined as a moderator. ASPD diagnosis significantly predicted both verbal and physical aggression; sex moderated the association between ASPD diagnosis and physical violence. PTSD symptom severity significantly predicted engaging in verbal, but not physical, aggression. Overall, these results suggest that an ASPD diagnosis may be an important risk factor for engaging in IPV among women seeking treatment for a substance use disorder. © The Author(s) 2015.

Anger expression among Danish cyclists and drivers: A comparison based on mode specific anger expression inventories.

PubMed

Møller, M; Haustein, S

2017-11-01

Based on the short form of the driving anger expression inventory (DAX-short, 15-item), the present study developed an adapted version of the DAX for cyclists (CAX, 14 items). The data basis was an online survey of 2000 inhabitants of Denmark. A principle component analysis on the translated DAX-short confirmed the 4-factor solution of the original study differentiating between (1) personal physical aggressive expression, (2) use of a vehicle to express anger, (3) verbal aggressive expression and (4) adaptive/constructive expression. In case of cycling, the factor "use of a vehicle to express anger" only included one item and was left out. Based on the results, reliable subscales were developed. Drivers scored higher in verbal aggressive expression than cyclists, while there was no significant difference in constructive expression. The subscales for drivers and cyclists showed significant relations to age, gender, self-reported aggressive behaviours and traffic fines: Women scored for instance lower in physical expression, while older people scored higher in constructive expression. The effect of age and gender on anger expression among drivers and cyclists remained significant when controlling for exposure and other factors in linear regression analyses. These analyses also showed a relationship between a positive attitude towards driving and higher levels of anger expression among drivers, while this was not the case for cyclists. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Attributional bias and reactive aggression.

PubMed

Hudley, C; Friday, J

1996-01-01

This article looks at a cognitive behavioral intervention designed to reduce minority youths' (Latino and African-American boys) levels of reactive peer-directed aggression. The BrainPower Program trains aggressive boys to recognize accidental causation in ambiguous interactions with peers. The objective of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of this attribution retraining program in reducing levels of reactive, peer-directed aggression. This research hypothesizes that aggressive young boys' tendency to attribute hostile intentions to others in ambiguous social interactions causes display of inappropriate, peer-directed aggression. A reduction in attributional bias should produce a decrease in reactive physical and verbal aggression directed toward peers. A 12-session, attributional intervention has been designed to reduce aggressive students' tendency to infer hostile intentions in peers following ambiguous peer provocations. The program trains boys to (1) accurately perceive and categorize the available social cues in interactions with peers, (2) attribute negative outcomes of ambiguous causality to accidental or uncontrollable causes, and (3) generate behaviors appropriate to these retrained attributions. African-American and Latino male elementary-school students (N = 384), in grades four-six, served as subjects in one of three groups: experimental attribution retraining program, attention training, and no-attention control group. Three broad categories of outcome data were collected: teacher and administrator reports of behavior, independent observations of behavior, and self-reports from participating students. Process measures to assess implementation fidelity include videotaped training sessions, observations of intervention sessions, student attendance records, and weekly team meetings. The baseline data indicated that students who were evenly distributed across the four sites were not significantly different on the baseline indicators: student cognitions, teacher perceptions of behavior, and student suspension rates. Substantial evidence has shown that aggressive boys tend to attribute hostile intentions to peers, often resulting in inappropriate retaliatory aggression. The BrainPower Program was designed to determine whether psychoeducational strategies in a school context are effective in reducing attributional bias and whether such reductions significantly reduce aggressive behavior.

Patient Aggression and the Wellbeing of Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study in Psychiatric and Non-Psychiatric Settings.

PubMed

Pekurinen, Virve; Willman, Laura; Virtanen, Marianna; Kivimäki, Mika; Vahtera, Jussi; Välimäki, Maritta

2017-10-18

Wellbeing of nurses is associated with patient aggression. Little is known about the differences in these associations between nurses working in different specialties. We aimed to estimate and compare the prevalence of patient aggression and the associations between patient aggression and the wellbeing of nurses in psychiatric and non-psychiatric specialties (medical and surgical, and emergency medicine). A sample of 5288 nurses (923 psychiatric nurses, 4070 medical and surgical nurses, 295 emergency nurses) participated in the study. Subjective measures were used to assess both the occurrence of patient aggression and the wellbeing of nurses (self-rated health, sleep disturbances, psychological distress and perceived work ability). Binary logistic regression with interaction terms was used to compare the associations between patient aggression and the wellbeing of nurses. Psychiatric nurses reported all types of patient aggression more frequently than medical and surgical nurses, whereas nurses working in emergency settings reported physical violence and verbal aggression more frequently than psychiatric nurses. Psychiatric nurses reported poor self-rated health and reduced work ability more frequently than both of the non-psychiatric nursing groups, whereas medical and surgical nurses reported psychological distress and sleep disturbances more often. Psychiatric nurses who had experienced at least one type of patient aggression or mental abuse in the previous year, were less likely to suffer from psychological distress and sleep disturbances compared to medical and surgical nurses. Psychiatric nurses who had experienced physical assaults and armed threats were less likely to suffer from sleep disturbances compared to nurses working in emergency settings. Compared to medical and surgical nurses, psychiatric nurses face patient aggression more often, but certain types of aggression are more common in emergency settings. Psychiatric nurses have worse subjective health and work ability than both of the non-psychiatric nursing groups, while their psychiatric wellbeing is better and they have less sleep problems compared to medical and surgical nurses. Psychiatric nurses maintain better psychiatric wellbeing and experience fewer sleep problems than non-psychiatric nurses after events of exposure to patient aggression. This suggest that more attention should be given to non-psychiatric settings for maintaining the wellbeing of nurses after exposure to patient aggression.

Mental health nurses' emotions, exposure to patient aggression, attitudes to and use of coercive measures: Cross sectional questionnaire survey.

PubMed

Jalil, Rahul; Huber, Jorg W; Sixsmith, Judith; Dickens, Geoffrey L

2017-10-01

Mental health nurses are exposed to patient aggression, and required to manage and de-escalate aggressive incidents; coercive measures such as restraint and seclusion should only be used as a last resort. An improved understanding of links between nurses' exposure to aggression, attitudes to, and actual involvement in, coercive measures, and their emotions (anger, guilt, fear, fatigue, sadness), could inform preparation and education for prevention and management of violence. To identify relationships between mental health nurses' exposure to patient aggression, their emotions, their attitudes towards coercive containment measures, and their involvement in incidents involving seclusion and restraint. Cross-sectional, correlational, observational study. Low and medium secure wards for men and women with mental disorder in three secure mental health hospitals in England. N=Sixty eight mental health nurses who were designated keyworkers for patients enrolled into a related study. Participants completed a questionnaire battery comprising measures of their exposure to various types of aggression, their attitudes towards seclusion and restraint, and their emotions. Information about their involvement in restraint and/or restraint plus seclusion incidents was gathered for the three-month period pre- and post- their participation. Linear and logistic regression analyses were performed to test study hypotheses. Nurses who reported greater exposure to a related set of aggressive behaviours, mostly verbal in nature, which seemed personally derogatory, targeted, or humiliating, also reported higher levels of anger-related provocation. Exposure to mild and severe physical aggression was unrelated to nurses' emotions. Nurses' reported anger was significantly positively correlated with their endorsement of restraint as a management technique, but not with their actual involvement in restraint episodes. Significant differences in scores related to anger and fatigue, and to fatigue and guilt, between those involved/not involved in physical restraint and in physical restraint plus seclusion respectively were detected. In regression analyses, models comprising significant variables, but not the variables themselves, predicted involvement/non-involvement in coercive measures. Verbal aggression which appears targeted, demeaning or humiliating is associated with higher experienced anger provocation. Nurses may benefit from interventions which aim to improve their skills and coping strategies for dealing with this specific aggressive behaviour. Nurse-reported anger predicted approval of coercive violence management interventions; this may have implications for staff deployment and support. However, anger did not predict actual involvement in such incidents. Possible explanations are that nurses experiencing anger are sufficiently self-aware to avoid involvement or that teams are successful in supporting colleagues who they perceive to be 'at risk'. Future research priorities are considered. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Weight Stigma Goes Viral on the Internet: Systematic Assessment of YouTube Comments Attacking Overweight Men and Women

PubMed Central

Hale, Brent; Knackmuhs, Eric; Mackert, Michael

2018-01-01

Background Anonymous verbal attacks against overweight individuals on social media are common and widespread. These comments often use negative, misogynist, or derogatory words, which stigmatize the targeted individuals with obesity. These verbal attacks may cause depression in overweight individuals, which could subsequently promote unhealthy eating behavior (ie, binge eating) and further weight gain. To develop an intervention policy and strategies that tackle the anonymous, Web-based verbal attacks, a thorough understanding of the comments is necessary. Objective This study aimed to examine how anonymous users verbally attack or defend overweight individuals in terms of 3 themes: (1) topic of verbal attack (ie, what aspects of overweight individuals are verbally attacked), (2) gender of commenters and targeted overweight individuals, and (3) intensity of derogation depending on the targeted gender (ie, the number of swear words used within comments). Methods This study analyzed the content of YouTube comments that discuss overweight individuals or groups from 2 viral videos, titled “Fat Girl Tinder Date” and “Fat Guy Tinder Date.” The twin videos provide an avenue through which to analyze discussions of obesity as they organically occurred in a contemporary setting. We randomly sampled and analyzed 320 comments based on a coding instrument developed for this study. Results First, there were twice as many comments verbally attacking overweight individuals (n=174) than comments defending them (n=89). Second, overweight women are attacked for their capacities (eg, laziness, maturity; 14/51, 28%), whereas overweight men are attacked for their heterosocial skills (eg, rudeness, annoyance; 24/29, 83%). Third, the majority of commenters who attacked overweight women are male (42/52, 81%). Fourth, attacking comments generated toward overweight women included more swear words (mean 0.44, SD 0.77) than those targeting men (mean 0.23, SD 0.48). Conclusions Our data elucidate a worrying situation of frequent disinhibited aggressive messages against overweight individuals online. Importantly, the patterns of verbal aggression differ depending on the gender of the targeted overweight individuals. Thus, gender-tailored intervention strategies that specifically tackle Internet users’ verbal aggression against overweight individuals need to be developed. PMID:29559426

Factors associated with resident aggression toward caregivers in nursing homes.

PubMed

Zeller, Adelheid; Dassen, Theo; Kok, Gerjo; Needham, Ian; Halfens, Ruud J G

2012-09-01

Caregivers in nursing homes often experience aggressive behavior of residents. The aim of this study was to explore the caregivers' experiences with aggressive behavior from residents and to identify environmental factors as well as caregiver and resident characteristics related to aggressive behavior in Swiss nursing homes. A retrospective cross-sectional survey was conducted between November 2010 and April 2011 with a sample of caregivers working in various nursing homes in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. In total, 814 caregivers (response rate 51.8%) of 21 nursing homes participated in the study. Data were collected using the German version of the Survey of Violence Experienced by Staff (SOVES-G-R). Standard descriptive statistics were used to describe and summarize the date. To identify risk factors related to the experience of aggression by residents, multilevel logistic regression analysis was applied. The prevalence of participants reporting an aggressive incident during the 12-month period prior to data collection was 81.6%. Of these, 76.5% had experienced verbal aggression, 27.6% threats, and 54.0% physical aggression. The predictive variables in the multiple regression model for physical aggression were: staff education level (odds ratio [OR]= 1.82), gender (OR = 1.82), age (< 30 years vs. 30-45 years: OR = 1.46; < 30 years vs. > 45 years: OR = 2.13), and confidence in managing physical aggression (OR = 1.49). The predictive variables for threatening behavior were staff education level (registered nurses vs. non-registered nurses: OR = 1.70; nonstudent vs. student: OR = 1.89) and age (< 30 years vs. 30-45 years: OR = 2.00; < 30 years vs. > 45 years: OR = 2.04). Caregivers in nursing homes are at high risk for experiencing aggressive behavior. The identified risk factors are in line with earlier investigations, but some contradictory results also were observed. The high risk for registered nurses exposed to aggressive behavior and the increased risk for caregivers who feel confident in managing aggressive behavior cast a critical light on the content and aim on present programs for management of aggressive behavior. Caregivers in nursing homes should be qualified in understanding resident aggression in a comprehensive way. A critical point in this topic seems to be the interaction between caregiver and resident during basic care activities. This topic should be investigated in further research projects. © 2012 Sigma Theta Tau International.

[Physical activity as a factor reducing aggressive behaviour in adolescents in gymnasium school age].

PubMed

Rotter, Iwona; Kotwas, Artur; Kemicer-Chmielewska, Ewa; Watral, Aleksandra

Violence among adolescents is one of the most serious problems, and has significantly increased in recent years. Studies conducted in 2011 on aggression and violence in schools reported that the most widespread form of offence is verbal aggression. As many as 63% of students had experience of being ridiculed, humiliated or offended. According to research, 33% of students suffered from physical aggression (PA). The aim of the study to evaluate the relationship between physical activity and the incidence of aggressive behaviour in adolescents of lower -secondary school age. The study was conducted in autumn 2013, in West Pomerania province in Poland, among 807 students of a lower -secondary school. A diagnostic survey method with a standardized questionnaire (Aggression Questionnaire) by H. Buss and M. Perry of 1992 (Amity version) was used. Statistical analysis was performed in Statistica Pl version 10 using the Kruskal–Wallis test and the U Mann–Whitney test with a significance level of p ≤ 0.05. The Kruskal–Wallis test showed only a statistically significant difference between the groups surveyed in relation to the frequency of attendance at additional sports activities and the level of PA (p = 0.02). Subjects who engage in team sports show a higher tendency for physical aggression than those engaged in individual sports. Taking into account the higher level of PA in adolescents performing sport 3–4 times a week compared to physically inactive and very active adolescents (more than 5 times a week), it may be presumed that sport attracts people with high physical aggression tendencies. Only with strong involvement in sport is the level of aggression reduced. There is a need for research on the personality of young athletes, which would give credence to this thesis.

Modification of severe violent and aggressive behavior among psychiatric inpatients through the use of a short-term token economy.

PubMed

Park, Jae Soon; Lee, Kyunghee

2012-12-01

Meager research has been carried out to determine the effectiveness of the token economy among patients behaving violently in mental hospitals. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the Short-Term Token Economy (STTE) on violent behavior among chronic psychiatric in-patients. A nonequivalent control group design method was utilized. Participants in an experimental group (n=22) and control group (n=22) took part in this study from January to April, 2008. Observation on aggressive behavior among male in-patients in one hospital as a baseline was made during the week before the behavior modification program and measurement of aggressive behavior was done using the Overt Aggression Scale (OAS), which includes verbal attacks, property damage and physical attacks. The aggressive behavior scores of the experimental group decreased, those of the control group, scores showed an increase after the eight-week behavior modification program utilizing STTE. The results of the study indicate that STTE is effective in reducing the incidence of aggressive behavior among male in-patients in psychiatric hospitals. The outcome of this study should be helpful in reducing the use of coercive measures or psychoactive medication in controlling the violent behavior among in-patients in hospitals.

Hypermasculinity, intimate partner violence, sexual aggression, social support, and child maltreatment risk in urban, heterosexual fathers taking parenting classes.

PubMed

Vasquez Guerrero, Desi Alonzo

2009-01-01

This study examines the relationships between hypermasculinity, sexual aggression, intimate partner violence, social support, and child maltreatment risk among heterosexual fathers completing parenting classes. Hypermasculinity scores were found to be significant predictors of study participants' reported verbal, physical, and sexual aggression toward their intimate partners. Only lack of social support, operationalized as the reported frequency of participants' conversations with friends, relatives, or neighbors about their problems, was found to be a significant predictor of child maltreatment risk. Alcohol frequency, education, and monthly income were not found to be unique, significant predictors of any dependent variables. Implications for clinical practice and research as well as limitations to the current study are discussed.

Effect of tryptophan hydroxylase gene polymorphism on aggression in major depressive disorder and undifferentiated somatoform disorder.

PubMed

Koh, Kyung Bong; Kim, Chan Hyung; Choi, Eun Hee; Lee, Young-joon; Seo, Won Youl

2012-05-01

Aggression and anger have been linked with depression, and anger suppression has been linked with somatic symptoms of somatoform disorders. However, the relationship between aggression or anger and genes in patients with depression and somatoform disorders has not been clearly elucidated. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of serotonin-related gene polymorphism on aggression in depressive disorders and somatoform disorders. A serotonin-related polymorphic marker was assessed by using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping. 106 outpatients with major depressive disorder (MDD), 102 outpatients with undifferentiated somatoform disorder, and 133 healthy subjects were enrolled between October 2005 and May 2008. Diagnoses were made according to the Korean version of the Structured Clinical Interview Schedule for DSM-IV. The allele and genotype frequencies of tryptophan hydroxylase-1 (TPH1) A218C were compared between groups. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and the Aggression Questionnaire were used for psychological assessment. Each of the 2 disorder groups scored significantly higher on all the Aggression Questionnaire subscales and on the total Aggression Questionnaire score than the healthy subjects (P < .001). Patients with MDD had significantly higher frequencies of TPH1 C allele (P = .0002) and CC homozygote (P = .0003) than healthy subjects, regardless of sex and age. However, no significant differences were found in TPH1 C allele and CC homozygote frequencies between the undifferentiated somatoform disorder patients and the healthy subjects. TPH1 CC homozygote in the MDD group scored significantly higher in terms of verbal aggression (P = .03) and total Aggression Questionnaire score (P = .04) than A-carrier genotypes, regardless of sex and age. However, no significant differences were found in the scores of all the Aggression Questionnaire subscales and the total Aggression Questionnaire score between TPH1 CC homozygote and A-carrier genotypes in the undifferentiated somatoform disorder group and the control group, respectively. Aggression in MDD patients is more susceptible to an excess of TPH1 CC homozygote than in undifferentiated somatoform disorder patients, though the 2 disorders are high risk groups for aggression. In addition, TPH1 gene is most likely to have a shared effect on aggression and MDD. © Copyright 2012 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Antiepileptics for aggression and associated impulsivity

PubMed Central

Huband, Nick; Ferriter, Michael; Nathan, Rajan; Jones, Hannah

2014-01-01

Background Aggression is a major public health issue and is integral to several mental health disorders. Antiepileptic drugs may reduce aggression by acting on the central nervous system to reduce neuronal hyper-excitability associated with aggression. Objectives To evaluate the efficacy of antiepileptic drugs in reducing aggression and associated impulsivity. Search methods We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, metaRegister of Controlled Trials (mRCT) and ClinicalTrials.gov to April 2009. We also searched Cochrane Schizophrenia Group’s register of trials on aggression, National Research Record and handsearched for studies. Selection criteria Prospective, placebo-controlled trials of antiepileptic drugs taken regularly by individuals with recurrent aggression to reduce the frequency or intensity of aggressive outbursts. Data collection and analysis Three authors independently selected studies and two authors independently extracted data. We calculated standardised mean differences (SMDs), with odds ratios (ORs) for dichotomous data. Main results Fourteen studies with data from 672 participants met the inclusion criteria. Five different antiepileptic drugs were examined. Sodium valproate/divalproex was superior to placebo for outpatient men with recurrent impulsive aggression, for impulsively aggressive adults with cluster B personality disorders, and for youths with conduct disorder, but not for children and adolescents with pervasive developmental disorder. Carbamazepine was superior to placebo in reducing acts of self-directed aggression in women with borderline personality disorder, but not in children with conduct disorder. Oxcarbazepine was superior to placebo for verbal aggression and aggression against objects in adult outpatients. Phenytoin was superior to placebo on the frequency of aggressive acts in male prisoners and in outpatient men including those with personality disorder, but not on the frequency of ‘behavioral incidents’ in delinquent boys. Authors’ conclusions The authors consider that the body of evidence summarised in this review is insufficient to allow any firm conclusion to be drawn about the use of antiepileptic medication in the treatment of aggression and associated impulsivity. Four antiepileptics (valproate/ divalproex, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine and phenytoin) were effective, compared to placebo, in reducing aggression in at least one study, although for three drugs (valproate, carbamazepine and phenytoin) at least one other study showed no statistically significant difference between treatment and control conditions. Side effects were more commonly noted for the intervention group although adverse effects were not well reported. Absence of information does not necessarily mean that the treatment is safe, nor that the potential gains from the medication necessarily balance the risk of an adverse event occurring. Further research is needed. PMID:20166067

[Aggressions towards Primary Health Care Workers in Madrid, Spain, 2011-2012].

PubMed

Rincón-Del Toro, Teresa; Villanueva-Guerra, Adela; Rodríguez-Barrientos, Ricardo; Polentinos-Castro, Elena; Torijano-Castillo, Mª José; de Castro-Monteiro, Emilia; Escrivá de Romaní de Gregorio, Blanca; Barba Calderón, Margarita; de Frías Redondo, María Soledad; Alejo Brú, Nury; Blanco Morales, Concepción; Vázquez Pinilla, Margarita; Besora Altés, Cristina; Heras-Mosteiro, Julio; Infantes Rodríguez, Juan Ángel; Bustamante Fernández, Pilar; de Blas Salvador, Victorina

2016-10-25

The number of aggressions towards health care professionals has risen over the past few years. There are no previous studies in primary care covering an entire region and to all professional categories. The aim of this study was to characterize aggressions in Primary Care in the Community of Madrid. Multicenter cross-sectional study. Analysis of a Registration System that reports any type of aggression suffered by Primary Care workers, in the Community of Madrid. The study variables included sociodemographic characteristics of the aggressor and the victim, the type of aggression (verbal or physical abuse), its causes and consequences. We described median, intercuartilic range and frequencies. Logistic regression was performed calculating odds ratio and their 95% confidence intervals. 1,157 assaults were reported, 53.07% suffered by doctors. Physical assault occurred in 4.7% of the cases. The main reason was dissatisfaction with the care (36.1%). The non-medical staff showed less risk of being physically assaulted (OR: 0.38; CI95%: 0.17-0.86). The perpetrator profile was male (56.8%), aged between 31-40 (26.8%) years. Health care victim profile was female (84%), aged between 45-60 years. 10% of professionals reported some form of aggression, 5,9% of aggression were submitted to court. The risk of assault is higher in health personnel, particularly physicians. There were significant differences by gender and age, both in the profile of the aggressor and the victim.

Testosterone and aggressive behavior in man.

PubMed

Batrinos, Menelaos L

2012-01-01

Atavistic residues of aggressive behavior prevailing in animal life, determined by testosterone, remain attenuated in man and suppressed through familial and social inhibitions. However, it still manifests itself in various intensities and forms from; thoughts, anger, verbal aggressiveness, competition, dominance behavior, to physical violence. Testosterone plays a significant role in the arousal of these behavioral manifestations in the brain centers involved in aggression and on the development of the muscular system that enables their realization. There is evidence that testosterone levels are higher in individuals with aggressive behavior, such as prisoners who have committed violent crimes. Several field studies have also shown that testosterone levels increase during the aggressive phases of sports games. In more sensitive laboratory paradigms, it has been observed that participant's testosterone rises in the winners of; competitions, dominance trials or in confrontations with factitious opponents. Aggressive behavior arises in the brain through interplay between subcortical structures in the amygdala and the hypothalamus in which emotions are born and the prefrontal cognitive centers where emotions are perceived and controlled. The action of testosterone on the brain begins in the embryonic stage. Earlier in development at the DNA level, the number of CAG repeats in the androgen receptor gene seems to play a role in the expression of aggressive behavior. Neuroimaging techniques in adult males have shown that testosterone activates the amygdala enhancing its emotional activity and its resistance to prefrontal restraining control. This effect is opposed by the action of cortisol which facilitates prefrontal area cognitive control on impulsive tendencies aroused in the subcortical structures. The degree of impulsivity is regulated by serotonin inhibiting receptors, and with the intervention of this neurotransmitter the major agents of the neuroendocrine influence on the brain process of aggression forms a triad. Testosterone activates the subcortical areas of the brain to produce aggression, while cortisol and serotonin act antagonistically with testosterone to reduce its effects.

The evolution of humor from male aggression.

PubMed

Shuster, Sam

2012-01-01

The response to seeing a man riding a unicycle was reported to be consistently related to the viewer's sex and stage of physical development. To see if this observation was universal, observations of responses were collected from 23 male and 9 female unicyclists aged 15-69 years, with 2-40 years cycling experience across four continents. With two exceptions among men, the findings were the same as those originally reported: children showed interest and curiosity, young girls showed little interest, while adult women showed a kindly, concerned, praising response. By contrast, boys showed physical aggression, which became more verbal, merging in the later teens to the snide, aggressive, stereotyped humorous response shown by adult males, which became less frequent in elderly men. The universality of the response across different individuals, environments, and dates of observation suggests an endogenous mechanism, and the association with masculine development relates this to androgen. The theoretical consequences are discussed. It is concluded that humor develops from aggression in males and is evolutionarily related to sexual selection.

Violence against doctors, a serious concern for healthcare organizations to ponder about.

PubMed

Ahmed, Farah; Khizar Memon, Muhammad; Memon, Sidra

2018-01-01

Aggression and Violence against primary care physicians is reportedly common in Pakistan but there is no any documented study to-date on this burning issue. A formed written questionnaire was distributed among 769 primary care physicians aged 31 ± 7.68 years. Apart from the demographic data, the questionnaire included questions regarding the level of safety that primary care physicians felt during their work setups and on-call duties, along with the experience of aggression against them by the perpetrators & the support provided by the hospital management in such cases. Response rate was 68% i.e. 524 physicians agreed to participate in the study. It was found that majority (85%) of the physicians has faced mild events, 62% have faced moderate events and roughly 38% were subjected to severe violence. Some physicians revealed more than one form of aggression being faced by them in 12 months preceding months which makes the collective percentage greater than 100%. Verbal abuse is the most frequent type of mistreatment faced by the doctors from the patients or their attendants. A considerable number of physicians participated have faced mild violence in which verbal abuse was commonest; followed by moderate and severe events.

Evaluation of safety at work in a psychiatric setting: the "Workplace Safety Assessment".

PubMed

Palumbo, Claudia; Di Sciascio, Guido; Di Staso, Salvatore; Carabellese, Felice; Valerio, Antonella; Catanesi, Roberto

2016-07-26

Workplace violence is a common risk for mental health professionals, and psychiatrists often encounter it in a variety of settings. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and features of violent episodes toward psychiatrists in various mental healthcare system settings. All psychiatrists from the Region of Puglia (Apulia) were contacted (N=285) via email and were administered an on-line standardized questionnaire. The response rate by psychiatrists was 57%. The main types of violence revealed were "threats" and "verbal aggression" and, of particular importance, "stalking". Female psychiatrists seemed to be at a higher risk of becoming victims of workplace violence, especially as regards verbal abuse (OR: 2.7, 95% CI: 1.2-6.5, c2 6.7, p=0.0095) and reported more serious psychological consequences with need for rest after the episode of aggression. Our data confirm that mental health workers, particularly psychiatrists, are healthcare professionals at high risk for workplace violence. Future implementation of preventive strategies with the aim of reducing aggressive episodes towards psychiatrists should be a high priority for managers and policy-makers operating in the Italian healthcare sector.

Parental warmth amplifies the negative effect of parental hostility on dating violence.

PubMed

Simons, Leslie Gordon; Simons, Ronald L; Lei, Man-Kit; Hancock, Donna L; Fincham, Frank D

2012-09-01

Past research has documented the positive association between parental hostility and offspring involvement in intimate partner violence. Researchers, practitioners, and parents typically adopt the standpoint that parental warmth may counter these negative lessons. However, Straus and colleagues argue that parents foster IPV to the extent that they teach their child that verbal and physical aggression are a normal and legitimate component of loving relationships. A strict interpretation of social learning theory would suggest that these lessons are more, not less, likely to occur when parental hostility is interspersed with displays of affection. The present study tests this idea using data from 2,088 undergraduate students from a large university in the Southeast. Consistent with Straus' arguments, findings suggest that, rather than attenuating the negative effects of hostility, supportive interactions seem to amplify the probability that offspring will emulate aggressive behaviors in their own romantic relationships. The same is true for the effects of harsh parenting for women. It seems that the best way parents can avoid contributing to their child's chances of being in a violent dating relationship is to eschew family interaction involving verbal and physical aggression.

On Chomsky's Appraisal of Skinner's "Verbal Behavior": A Half Century of Misunderstanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmer, D. C.

2006-01-01

The history of the writing of "Verbal Behavior" (Skinner, 1957), Chomsky's review (1959), and MacCorquodale's rebuttal (1970) are briefly summarized. Chomsky's recent reflections on his review are analyzed: Chomsky's refusal to acknowledge the review's errors or its aggressive tone is consistent with his polemical style but comes at a minor cost…

Patient Aggression and the Wellbeing of Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study in Psychiatric and Non-Psychiatric Settings

PubMed Central

Willman, Laura; Virtanen, Marianna; Kivimäki, Mika; Vahtera, Jussi; Välimäki, Maritta

2017-01-01

Wellbeing of nurses is associated with patient aggression. Little is known about the differences in these associations between nurses working in different specialties. We aimed to estimate and compare the prevalence of patient aggression and the associations between patient aggression and the wellbeing of nurses in psychiatric and non-psychiatric specialties (medical and surgical, and emergency medicine). A sample of 5288 nurses (923 psychiatric nurses, 4070 medical and surgical nurses, 295 emergency nurses) participated in the study. Subjective measures were used to assess both the occurrence of patient aggression and the wellbeing of nurses (self-rated health, sleep disturbances, psychological distress and perceived work ability). Binary logistic regression with interaction terms was used to compare the associations between patient aggression and the wellbeing of nurses. Psychiatric nurses reported all types of patient aggression more frequently than medical and surgical nurses, whereas nurses working in emergency settings reported physical violence and verbal aggression more frequently than psychiatric nurses. Psychiatric nurses reported poor self-rated health and reduced work ability more frequently than both of the non-psychiatric nursing groups, whereas medical and surgical nurses reported psychological distress and sleep disturbances more often. Psychiatric nurses who had experienced at least one type of patient aggression or mental abuse in the previous year, were less likely to suffer from psychological distress and sleep disturbances compared to medical and surgical nurses. Psychiatric nurses who had experienced physical assaults and armed threats were less likely to suffer from sleep disturbances compared to nurses working in emergency settings. Compared to medical and surgical nurses, psychiatric nurses face patient aggression more often, but certain types of aggression are more common in emergency settings. Psychiatric nurses have worse subjective health and work ability than both of the non-psychiatric nursing groups, while their psychiatric wellbeing is better and they have less sleep problems compared to medical and surgical nurses. Psychiatric nurses maintain better psychiatric wellbeing and experience fewer sleep problems than non-psychiatric nurses after events of exposure to patient aggression. This suggest that more attention should be given to non-psychiatric settings for maintaining the wellbeing of nurses after exposure to patient aggression. PMID:29057802

Evaluation of anger management groups in a high-security hospital.

PubMed

Wilson, Claire; Gandolfi, Stacy; Dudley, Alison; Thomas, Brian; Tapp, James; Moore, Estelle

2013-12-01

Anger management programmes for offenders typically aim to improve the management of emotion associated with aggressive and antisocial behaviour. Such programmes have been quite extensively evaluated in prison and probation settings, but there is less published research in forensic mental health settings. This study aimed to evaluate anger management groups in a high-security hospital. Eighty-six patients were referred for a 20-session anger management intervention. Outcomes were self-reported experiences of anger and changes in institutionally documented incidents of aggression. Incident rates were retrospectively reviewed for all group graduates, where data were available, including a comparison group of graduates who acted as their own controls. Group graduates reported sustained reductions in feelings of anger and positive changes in their use of aggression in reaction to provocation. Some reduction in incidents of physical aggression was noted when group completers were compared with non-completers. Incidents of verbal aggression were observed to increase for graduates. There was also a trend towards improvement when treated men were compared with men on the waiting list. Our findings contribute to the growing evidence for anger management groups for aggressive men, although the low-base rate of incidents, typical of such a containing and therapeutic hospital setting, rendered the analysis of behavioural outcomes difficult. Anger management sessions for male forensic psychiatric patients can be effective in reducing incidents of physical aggression in response to provocation. Evaluation of treatments for anger is particularly difficult in secure and protective settings, where the aim is to keep incidents of actual physical aggression to a minimum. Further research of this kind is needed to test the value of self-reported reduction in angry feelings as an indicator of clinically useful progress. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Sexual Aggression Victimization and Perpetration among Male and Female College Students in Chile

PubMed Central

Schuster, Isabell; Krahé, Barbara; Ilabaca Baeza, Paola; Muñoz-Reyes, José A.

2016-01-01

Evidence on the prevalence of sexual aggression among college students is primarily based on studies from Western countries. In Chile, a South American country strongly influenced by the Catholic Church, little research on sexual aggression among college students is available. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine the prevalence of sexual aggression victimization and perpetration since the age of 14 (the legal age of consent) in a sample of male and female students aged between 18 and 29 years from five Chilean universities (N = 1135), to consider possible gender differences, and to study the extent to which alcohol was involved in the reported incidents of perpetration and victimization. Sexual aggression victimization and perpetration was measured with a Chilean Spanish version of the Sexual Aggression and Victimization Scale (SAV-S), which includes three coercive strategies (use or threat of physical force, exploitation of an incapacitated state, and verbal pressure), three victim-perpetrator constellations (current or former partners, friends/acquaintances, and strangers), and four sexual acts (sexual touch, attempted sexual intercourse, completed sexual intercourse, and other sexual acts, such as oral sex). Overall, 51.9% of women and 48.0% of men reported at least one incident of sexual victimization, and 26.8% of men and 16.5% of women reported at least one incident of sexual aggression perpetration since the age of 14. For victimization, only few gender differences were found, but significantly more men than women reported sexual aggression perpetration. A large proportion of perpetrators also reported victimization experiences. Regarding victim-perpetrator relationship, sexual aggression victimization and perpetration were more common between persons who knew each other than between strangers. Alcohol use by the perpetrator, victim, or both was involved in many incidents of sexual aggression victimization and perpetration, particularly among strangers. The present data are the first to provide a systematic and detailed picture of sexual aggression among college students in Chile, including victimization and perpetration reports by both men and women and confirming the critical role of alcohol established in past research from Western countries. PMID:27708593

Translation and Adaptation of a Nursing Swearing Impact Questionnaire Into Chinese.

PubMed

Sun, Yan; Stone, Teresa E; Yang, Bingxiang; Petrini, Marcia A; McMillan, Margaret

Verbal aggression and swearing are the most frequently encountered violence in the health care industry. Nurses are the most frequent victims. Not known is the incidence and impact of swearing against nurses in China. (a) Develop a Chinese version of the Nursing Swearing Impact Questionnaire; (b) report the preliminary findings from the use of the tool. Using a translation-back translation procedure, focus groups and expert review, followed by a survey of 32 participants. The Chinese version of the Nursing Swearing Impact Questionnaire has been developed, and cultural differences and different attitudes toward verbal aggression and swearing in disparate groups and workplaces have been highlighted. This is the first Chinese tool to research nurses' perspectives and experiences of swearing in the workplace. Nurses in China face serious challenges, and the impact of swearing on nurses requires more attention.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of factors that relate to aggression perpetrated against nurses by patients/relatives or staff.

PubMed

Edward, Karen-leigh; Stephenson, John; Ousey, Karen; Lui, Steve; Warelow, Philip; Giandinoto, Jo-Ann

2016-02-01

The aim of this meta-analysis was to identify the factors that related to aggression (verbal abuse or physical abuse/assault) perpetrated against the nurse or other health professionals by patients/relatives or staff. In the light of the paucity of systematic reviews on this common issue in nursing, the objective was to present a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of these papers. Aggression towards nurses is common around the world and can be the impetus for nurses leaving the profession or developing anxiety when working in particular settings. Systematic review with meta-analysis. Meta-analyses were conducted to assess the effect of the factors of gender and context (dichotomised as mental health/psychiatric or nonmental health/psychiatric). The databases of Medline (1966-2015), CINAHL (1982-2015) and PsychInfo (1920-2015). A total of 1571 papers were screened by two reviewers. At the final decision 14 were selected for analysis. A higher proportion of female nurses than male nurses were reported to be the victims of verbal abuse, with the difference in proportions being statistically significant. A statistically significant higher proportion of male nurses than female nurses were reported to be the victims of physical abuse. There was a significantly higher proportion of mental health nurses reported experiencing physical abuse as compared to nonmental health nurses. The analysis reveal female nurses have greater odds of verbal abuse than male nurses and male nurses have greater odds of physical abuse than female nurses. Overall mental health nurses had three times higher odds of physical assault than other nurses. In the light of the findings it is recommended organisational support improve in high aggression potential clinical areas and for nursing curriculums to incorporate education about the management of challenging behaviours in undergraduate programmes. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder: a window on the emotional world of Parkinson disease.

PubMed

Mariotti, Paolo; Quaranta, Davide; Di Giacopo, Raffaella; Bentivoglio, Anna Rita; Mazza, Marianna; Martini, Annalisa; Canestri, Jorge; Della Marca, Giacomo

2015-02-01

REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a parasomnia characterized by motor activity during sleep with dream mentation. Aggressiveness has been considered a peculiar feature of dreams associated with RBD, despite normal score in aggressiveness scales during wakefulness. We aimed to measure daytime aggressiveness and analyze dream contents in a population of patients with Parkinson disease (PD) with and without RBD. This is a single-center prospective observational study; it concerns the description of the clinical features of a medical disorder in a case series. The study was performed in the Department of Neurosciences of the Catholic University in Rome, Italy. Three groups of subjects were enrolled: patients with PD plus RBD, patients with PD without RBD, and healthy controls. The diagnosis of RBD was determined clinically and confirmed by means of overnight, laboratory-based video-polysomnography. For the evaluation of diurnal aggressiveness, the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) was used. The content of dreams was evaluated by means of the methods of Hall and Van De Castle. Patients with PD without RBD displayed higher levels of anger, and verbal and physical aggressiveness than patients with PD and RBD and controls. Patients with PD and RBD and controls did not differ in hostility. It can be hypothesized that a noradrenergic impairment at the level of the locus coeruleus could, at the same time, explain the presence of RBD, as well as the reduction of diurnal aggressiveness. This finding also suggests a role for REM sleep in regulating homeostasis of emotional brain function. © 2015 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

[The link between aggressive behavior and depression in adolescence. A cross-sectional study conducted in the psychiatric emergency unit at the Sainte-Anne hospital].

PubMed

Benarous, X; Guedj, M J; Braitman, A; Gallois, E; Lana, P

2014-12-01

The link between depression and aggressive behavior in adults has been found in many studies. In adolescents, this relationship is still controversial. Several studies point out that irritability is a key symptom in adolescent depressed. Few studies have analyzed precisely the kind of aggressive behavior. This study sets out to assess the relationship between aggressive behavior and depressive affects in adolescents. We also pay attention in this population to hopelessness feelings, anxiety, global functioning and the type of aggressive behavior. This is a descriptive and observational cross-sectional study. Data was collected from 49 successive adolescents admitted for a 24-hour evaluation in the emergency department of the Sainte-Anne psychiatric hospital. The inclusion period was from February to April 2012, with age limits between 15 and 18. For each patient, the clinician completed with the parents or other caregivers the Modified Overt Aggressive Scale (MOAS) searching for existence of aggressive behavior in the week prior to the consultation. The population was divided into two groups: P- group when the MOAS score was < 3 and the P+ group when the MOAS score was ≥ 3. The Global Assessment of Functioning Scale and Adolescent Depression Rating Scale for clinicians (ADRSc) were also completed. Each patient completed the self-report Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (QA), the Beck Hopelessness scale and the Adolescent Depression Rating Scale for patients (ADRSp). Forty-nine adolescents with a median age of 16 years and 4 months participated. The first reason for consultation was depressive symptoms, followed by disruptive behavior. The analysis was conducted on 39 questionnaires. The demographic profile of the two groups was similar. We did not find any significant difference between the groups P+ and P- on ADRSc scores and secondary criteria. However, we found higher scores in the QA in the more depressed patient, especially a higher hostility score in this sample. In the subgroup analysis: as expected self-aggressive behavior was associated with a higher depression score, more hospitalization and a poor global functioning score. Surprisingly, the patients who showed physical aggression against others had a better prognosis and lower depression scores. The study did not conclude on the link between aggressive behavior and depression in this population. The adolescent hostility appears more characteristic of depression compared to other dimensions of aggressivity (anger, verbal aggression, physical aggression) in adolescents. Physical aggression against others appeared not only less typical in depression but was also associated with a better global functioning. Clinicians should pay particular attention to the kind of aggressive behavior in clinical evaluations of adolescents in an emergency context. Copyright © 2014 L’Encéphale, Paris. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Gender differences in trait aggression in young adults with drug and alcohol dependence compared to the general population.

PubMed

Bácskai, Erika; Czobor, Pál; Gerevich, József

2011-07-01

Data in gender differences in aggression among alcohol and drug dependent subjects are lacking, and no published data are available about gender differences among various subtypes of substance using populations. The goal of this cross-sectional study was to investigate gender differences with regard to types of trait aggression in substance dependent young populations (age: 20-35 years) compared to the general population. Subjects were selected from two clinical samples with a diagnosis of alcohol and drug dependence as well as from a representative sample of the general population. Trait aggression was measured by the four individual subscales of the Buss Perry Aggression Questionnaire (physical-PA, verbal aggression-VA, hostility-H and anger AN) whereas alcohol and drug use were characterized by the AUDIT and EuroADAD scales, respectively. Alcohol and drug dependent subjects showed higher severity on all four subscales of trait aggression compared to the general population. The male-female difference was the highest in the cannabis group. General Linear Model analysis for PA indicated a significant main effect of gender (higher PA for males, p=0.034) with no interaction between substance dependence and gender. For VA, no main effect or interaction for gender was found. Effect sizes for gender difference indicated that while males and females were similar in the control group in the severity in H and A, the level of H and AN was substantially higher in females than in males in the clinical group. These differences between the two genders reached statistical significance in the marijuana group, where female subjects showed a significantly higher severity in these two domains. Compared to the normal sample chronic substance use is associated with higher scores on certain factors of trait aggression, including hostility and anger, in females than in males. Our data suggest that aggression in substance dependent females is more provocable by chronic use of alcohol and drugs than in males. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) in Reducing Aggression of Individuals at the Juvenile Correction and Rehabilitation Center.

PubMed

Milani, Atefeh; Nikmanesh, Zahra; Farnam, Ali

2013-12-01

In the present era, delinquency in children and adolescents is undoubtedly a difficult and upsetting issue attracting the attention of many experts such as psychologists, sociologists, and criminologists. These experts often try to answer why a number of children and adolescents engage in various crimes such as aggressive and anti-social crimes. They also try to find out how these crimes can be prevented. The present study investigates the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy training (MBCT) in reducing aggression in a juvenile correction and rehabilitation center of Zahedan province during years 1991 to 1992. This experimental study included an experimental and a control group with a pretest, posttest, and follow-up approach. The Buss and Perry aggression questionnaire (1992) was used for data collection. The sample group included 22 (10 experimental and 12 control groups) adolescent males in a juvenile correction and rehabilitation center of Zahedan province who were selected through a census method. Using a matching method based on the pre-test scores of the aggression questionnaire, they were then divided into two equivalent categories and were randomly assigned to the two groups. Mindfulness-based cognitive training took the group training in 8 sessions administered on experimental group. The follow-up test was conducted two weeks after the end of the posttest sessions. The results were analyzed using ANCOVA. The results of ANCOVA showed that mindfulness-based cognitive training could significantly reduce aggression during posttest and follow-up test phases in the experimental group, compared to the control group (P < 0.01). Moreover, the results indicated the effectiveness of this method in significantly reducing anger, physical aggression, and hostility during posttest and follow-up test phases (P < 0.05). However, no significant reduction was observed in the verbal aggression subscale. According to the results of the present study, mindfulness-based cognitive training seems to be effective for reducing aggressive behaviors.

Evaluation of aggression in Australian after-hours doctor home-visit services.

PubMed

Ifediora, Chris O

2018-04-01

Minimizing the risks and distress arising from aggression in after-hours house call (AHHC) services will help improve service quality in the industry. Unfortunately, no national study has ever evaluated this in Australian AHHCs. Apart from reducing this gap, findings from this work will have global relevance given the rising popularity of the AHHC industry worldwide. A survey of all 300 doctors employed by the National Home Doctor Service, Australia's largest AHHC service provider. A validated electronic questionnaire was used to examine the doctors' experiences over a 12-month period. There were 168 valid responses (56% response rate). Aggression prevalence was 47.1%, and just over half (51.8%) of the cases came from the patients. "Verbal aggression" was the commonest (48.3%). Others are "threats" (26.6%), "vexatious complaints" (13.3%), "property damage" (4.2%), "physical violence" (4.2%), "sexual harassment" (2.8%), and "stalking" (0.7%). Majority of the respondents were concerned (90.2%) and apprehensive (75.2%) regarding the risks. Doctors who have experienced aggression were more likely to express apprehension (OR = 3.99; CI = 1.54-10.31; P = 0.004), while those that have attained Postgraduate Fellowships (Vocationally Registered) were less likely to report experiences of aggression (OR = 0.28; CI = 0.09-0.84; P = 0.02). Even though a higher proportion of females were concerned (92.3% vs 89.6%) and apprehensive (82.1% vs 73.6%) compared with males, these differences were not statistically significant (Fisher's Exact Tests: P = 1.000 and 0.469, respectively). Aggression in Australian AHHC affects nearly 1-in-2 practitioners, with high levels of concern and apprehension being expressed. Concerned companies should do more to ensure that their doctors attain PG fellowships, as this is linked to lower reports of aggression. Where possible, family and friends need to be involved in patient care, as nearly half of the reported aggressions come from them. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Weight Stigma Goes Viral on the Internet: Systematic Assessment of YouTube Comments Attacking Overweight Men and Women.

PubMed

Jeon, Yongwoog Andrew; Hale, Brent; Knackmuhs, Eric; Mackert, Michael

2018-03-20

Anonymous verbal attacks against overweight individuals on social media are common and widespread. These comments often use negative, misogynist, or derogatory words, which stigmatize the targeted individuals with obesity. These verbal attacks may cause depression in overweight individuals, which could subsequently promote unhealthy eating behavior (ie, binge eating) and further weight gain. To develop an intervention policy and strategies that tackle the anonymous, Web-based verbal attacks, a thorough understanding of the comments is necessary. This study aimed to examine how anonymous users verbally attack or defend overweight individuals in terms of 3 themes: (1) topic of verbal attack (ie, what aspects of overweight individuals are verbally attacked), (2) gender of commenters and targeted overweight individuals, and (3) intensity of derogation depending on the targeted gender (ie, the number of swear words used within comments). This study analyzed the content of YouTube comments that discuss overweight individuals or groups from 2 viral videos, titled "Fat Girl Tinder Date" and "Fat Guy Tinder Date." The twin videos provide an avenue through which to analyze discussions of obesity as they organically occurred in a contemporary setting. We randomly sampled and analyzed 320 comments based on a coding instrument developed for this study. First, there were twice as many comments verbally attacking overweight individuals (n=174) than comments defending them (n=89). Second, overweight women are attacked for their capacities (eg, laziness, maturity; 14/51, 28%), whereas overweight men are attacked for their heterosocial skills (eg, rudeness, annoyance; 24/29, 83%). Third, the majority of commenters who attacked overweight women are male (42/52, 81%). Fourth, attacking comments generated toward overweight women included more swear words (mean 0.44, SD 0.77) than those targeting men (mean 0.23, SD 0.48). Our data elucidate a worrying situation of frequent disinhibited aggressive messages against overweight individuals online. Importantly, the patterns of verbal aggression differ depending on the gender of the targeted overweight individuals. Thus, gender-tailored intervention strategies that specifically tackle Internet users' verbal aggression against overweight individuals need to be developed. ©Yongwoog Andrew Jeon, Brent Hale, Eric Knackmuhs, Michael Mackert. Originally published in the Interactive Journal of Medical Research (http://www.i-jmr.org/), 20.03.2018.

[Parenting and children's aggression: are there differences in the influence of the father and the mother?].

PubMed

Tur-Porcar, Ana; Mestre, Vicenta; Samper, Paula; Malonda, Elisabeth

2012-05-01

Child rearing provides messages and rules that mediate the children's personality. These messages have a positive or negative influence on their behaviour. The objective of this empirical study was to analyse the relationship between physical and verbal aggression of sons and daughters and parenting style practiced by the father and the mother. The sample consisted of 2,788 students, aged 10 to 15 years, studying either the third cycle of Primary Education (44%) or the first cycle of Secondary Education (56%). Of them, 1,412 were boys (50.6%) and 1,375 were girls (49.3%). The results show that children's aggressiveness is more related to factors associated with the mother's parenting. In the case of daughters, the influence of parenting factors are caused by both parents (father and mother).

Perceptions of Australasian emergency department staff of the impact of alcohol-related presentations.

PubMed

Egerton-Warburton, Diana; Gosbell, Andrew; Wadsworth, Angela; Moore, Katie; Richardson, Drew B; Fatovich, Daniel M

2016-03-07

To survey emergency department (ED) clinical staff about their perceptions of alcohol-related presentations. A mixed methods online survey of ED clinicians in Australia and New Zealand, conducted from 30 May to 7 July 2014. The frequency of aggression from alcohol-affected patients or their carers experienced by ED staff; the perceived impact of alcohol-related presentations on ED function, waiting times, other patients and staff. In total, 2002 ED clinical staff completed the survey, including 904 ED nurses (45.2%) and 1016 ED doctors (50.7%). Alcohol-related verbal aggression from patients had been experienced in the past 12 months by 97.9% of respondents, and physical aggression by 92.2%. ED nurses were the group most likely to have felt unsafe because of the behaviour of these patients (92% reported such feelings). Alcohol-related presentations were perceived to negatively or very negatively affect waiting times (noted by 85.5% of respondents), other patients in the waiting room (94.4%), and the care of other patients (88.3%). Alcohol-affected patients were perceived to have a negative or very negative impact on staff workload (94.2%), wellbeing (74.1%) and job satisfaction (80.9%). Verbal and physical aggression by alcohol-affected patients is commonly experienced by ED clinical staff. This has a negative impact on the care of other patients, as well as on staff wellbeing. Managers of health services must ensure a safe environment for staff and patients. More importantly, a comprehensive public health approach to changing the prevailing culture that tolerates alcohol-induced unacceptable behaviour is required.

Evaluation of the Problem Behavior Frequency Scale-Teacher Report Form for Assessing Behavior in a Sample of Urban Adolescents.

PubMed

Farrell, Albert D; Goncy, Elizabeth A; Sullivan, Terri N; Thompson, Erin L

2018-02-01

This study evaluated the structure and validity of the Problem Behavior Frequency Scale-Teacher Report Form (PBFS-TR) for assessing students' frequency of specific forms of aggression and victimization, and positive behavior. Analyses were conducted on two waves of data from 727 students from two urban middle schools (Sample 1) who were rated by their teachers on the PBFS-TR and the Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS), and on data collected from 1,740 students from three urban middle schools (Sample 2) for whom data on both the teacher and student report version of the PBFS were obtained. Confirmatory factor analyses supported first-order factors representing 3 forms of aggression (physical, verbal, and relational), 3 forms of victimization (physical, verbal and relational), and 2 forms of positive behavior (prosocial behavior and effective nonviolent behavior), and higher-order factors representing aggression, victimization, and positive behavior. Strong measurement invariance was established over gender, grade, intervention condition, and time. Support for convergent validity was found based on correlations between corresponding scales on the PBFS-TR and teacher ratings on the SSIS in Sample 1. Significant correlations were also found between teacher ratings on the PBFS-TR and student ratings of their behavior on the Problem Behavior Frequency Scale-Adolescent Report (PBFS-AR) and a measure of nonviolent behavioral intentions in Sample 2. Overall the findings provided support for the PBFS-TR and suggested that teachers can provide useful data on students' aggressive and prosocial behavior and victimization experiences within the school setting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

The effectiveness of massage and touch on behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia: A quantitative systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Wu, Jie; Wang, Yi; Wang, Zhiwen

2017-10-01

Many original studies have explored the effectiveness of massage and touch on behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. However, the study design, interventions, measurements and outcomes varied among studies. To systematically evaluate the effectiveness of massage and touch on the behavioural and psychological symptoms of older people with dementia. A quantitative systematic review and meta-analysis. Cochrane Library, The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Library, PubMed, CINAHL, ProQuest Health & Medical Complete, SinoMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wanfang were searched from the date the database established to January 2016. Randomized, controlled trials or quasi-experimental studies, involving massage and touch intervention for older people with dementia were considered to be included. Risk of bias assessment was performed using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool and meta-analysis was performed using Revman 5.3. A total of 11 studies, involving 526 older people were included. The results of the meta-analysis showed the total score of behavioural and psychological problems with older people with dementia and subgroup scores of physical aggressive behaviour, physical non-aggressive behaviour, verbal aggressive behaviour and verbal non-aggressive behaviour decreased significantly after receiving massage or touch, while the subgroups scores of anxiety, sadness and anger did not decreased significantly. Due to relatively small sample size and low quality of the included studies in this review, it is difficult to draw a conclusion on the effect of massage and touch on behavioural and psychological syndrome of dementia or implications for practice. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Are Adolescents Engaged in the Problematic Use of Social Networking Sites More Involved in Peer Aggression and Victimization?

PubMed Central

Martínez-Ferrer, Belén; Moreno, David; Musitu, Gonzalo

2018-01-01

The problematic use of social networking sites is becoming a major public health concern. Previous research has found that adolescents who engage in a problematic use of social networking sites are likely to show maladjustment problems. However, little is known about its links with peer aggression and victimization. The main goal of this study was to analyze the relationship between problematic use of online social networking sites, peer aggression –overt vs. relational and reactive vs. instrumental–, and peer victimization –overt physical and verbal, and relational–, taking into account gender and age (in early and mid-adolescence). Participants were selected using randomized cluster sampling considering school and class as clusters. A battery of instruments was applied to 1,952 adolescents' secondary students from Spain (Andalusia) (50.4% boys), aged 11 to 16 (M = 14.07, SD = 1.39). Results showed that girls and 14–16 adolescents were more involved in a problematic use of online social networking sites. Furthermore, adolescents with high problematic use of online social networking sites were more involved in overt—reactive and instrumental—and relational—reactive and instrumental—aggressive behaviors, and self-reported higher levels of overt—physical and verbal—and relational victimization. Even though boys indicated higher levels of all types of victimization, girls with high problematic use of online social networking sites scored the highest on relational victimization. Relating to age, early adolescents (aged 11–14) with higher problematic use of online social networking sites reported the highest levels of overt verbal and relational victimization. Overall, results suggested the co-occurrence of problematic use of online social networking sites, peer aggression and victimization. In addition, results showed the influence that gender and age had on peer victimization. This study highlights the continuity between offline and online domains with regard to maladjustment problems in adolescence. PMID:29896139

Predictors of workplace violence among ambulance personnel: a longitudinal study.

PubMed

van der Velden, Peter G; Bosmans, Mark W G; van der Meulen, Erik

2016-04-01

To examine predictors of repeated confrontations with workplace violence among ambulance personnel, the proportion of exposure to potentially traumatic events that are aggression-related and to what extent personnel was able to prevent escalations. Although previous research assessed the prevalences among this group, little is known about predictors, to what extent PTE's are WPV-related and their abilities to prevent escalations. A longitudinal study with a 6 months' time interval ( N  =   103). At T1 demographics, workplace violence and potentially traumatic events in the past year, mental health, personality, handling of rules, coping and social organizational stressors were assessed. Confrontations with aggression were also examined at T2. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that only problems with superiors independently predicted repeated verbal aggression and that only the (absence of the) ability to compromise very easily predicted repeatedly being on guard and repeatedly confronted with any form of aggression. Due to very low prevalences, we could not examine predictors of repeated confrontations with physical aggression ( N  =   5) and serious threat ( N  =   7). A large majority reported that in most workplace violence cases they could prevent further escalations. About 2% reported a potentially traumatic event in the year before T1 that was WPV related and perceived as very stressful.

Road rage: an exploratory study on aggressive driving experience on Indian roads.

PubMed

Sagar, Rajesh; Mehta, Manju; Chugh, Geetanjali

2013-06-01

Driving on Indian roads is a stressful experience. A lacuna of research on aggressive driving experiences in the Indian set-up highlights the need to address this growing concern for individuals, society and mental health professionals. To explore and compare driving-related anger triggers and anger expression among high- and low-angry Indian drivers. Two hundred randomly chosen drivers from the city of Delhi were administered a semi-structured questionnaire intended to understand driving-related aggression. Honking, overtaking from the wrong side, loud music in other cars and hot and humid climate significantly increased the risk of experiencing anger among high-angry drivers. High-angry drivers were significantly more likely to engage in direct and aggressive expression of anger, including overtaking, verbal abuse, yelling and arguing, not giving space to other drivers, fighting, and hitting and bumping other cars in protest. Passive anger expressions such as holding grudges against other drivers and eating or drinking something to cool down were significantly more likely to be used by low-angry drivers. Drivers who are high on anger have a significantly higher risk of experiencing anger triggered by a variety of individual and environmental factors on Indian roads and are more susceptible to engage in aggressive driving behaviour.

[Clinical and medico - legal aspects of sexual aggressions at Gabriel Toure teaching hospital].

PubMed

Traore, Y; Mounkoro, N; Teguete, I; Djire, M Y; Diallo, A; Bagayogo, M; Sissoko, A; Dolo, T; Dolo, A

2010-01-01

The sexual aggressions pose an important medico - legal problem. The implication of several services is often indispensable to determine the future of this aggression. Our survey objectives were to determine epidemiological and clinical characteristics of sexual aggressions and to specify the judicial continuations. We did historical cohort survey while recruiting all cases of consultation in the service for sexual aggressions. This survey spreads on a period of 60 months going from January 2004 to December 2008. A systematic health evaluation (HIV test, vaginal screeming, lever inflammatory deseases) is asked to every sexual abuse patients.Data have been recorded from patients' clinical files, cards of requisition and accounts returned of verbal suit of auditions and police custodies. khi 2 test has been used to appreciate relationship between variables, significativity doorstep P value < 5%. The sexual aggression frequency in relation to admissions to emergencies is 3.12%. The age group <15 years were the more represented with 59.18%. The police authority referred the patients with a requisition in 65.17% of cases (p<0,005). Presumed aggressor was known by the patient in 63.67% of cases (p<5%) and in 72.28% of cases the aggression has been made by night (p=0,001) It was about one aggressor in 65.54% of cases; they were 2 and 3 numbers in 17.23%. (p=0,002). We noted a sexual penetration notion in 80.52% of cases against 19.48% of sexual attouchements. The threat has been noted in any case: 40.82% by weapon and 30.71% by stroke of point. More of the half of the patients (60.30%) had had sexual intercourse before the aggression. The clinic exam was normal in 76.40% of cases (P<5%). The main types of lesions were: hymeneal injuries (13.48%), vulva injuries (7.87%). The judicial continuations have been marked by 10.48% of condemnations, 46.06% of acquittal and 40.06% of friendly regulation (P<5%). The number of sexual aggressions, although under valued, is raised in our country. The collaboration between the judicial, police and medical services should permit to reduce the frequency of these aggressions.

Adolescents as perpetrators of aggression within the family.

PubMed

Kuay, Hue San; Lee, Sarah; Centifanti, Luna C M; Parnis, Abigail C; Mrozik, Jennifer H; Tiffin, Paul A

2016-01-01

Although family violence perpetrated by juveniles has been acknowledged as a potentially serious form of violence for over 30years, scientific studies have been limited to examining the incidence and form of home violence. The present study examined the prevalence of family aggression as perpetrated by youths; we examined groups drawn from clinic-referred and forensic samples. Two audits of case files were conducted to systematically document aggression perpetrated by referred youths toward their family members. The purpose of the first audit was fourfold: i) to identify the incidence of the perpetration of family aggression among clinical and forensic samples; ii) to identify whether there were any reports of weapon use during aggressive episodes; iii) to identify the target of family aggression (parents or siblings); and iv) to identify the form of aggression perpetrated (verbal or physical). The second audit aimed to replicate the findings and to show that the results were not due to differences in multiple deprivation indices, clinical diagnosis of disruptive behavior disorders, and placement into alternative care. A sampling strategy was designed to audit the case notes of 25 recent forensic Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) cases and 25 demographically similar clinic-referred CAMHS cases in the first audit; and 35 forensic cases and 35 demographically similar clinic-referred CAMHS cases in the second audit. Using ordinal chi-square, the forensic sample (audit 1=64%; audit 2=82.9%) had greater instances of family violence than the clinical sample (audit 1=32%; audit 2=28.6%). They were more likely to use a weapon (audit 1=69%; audit 2=65.5%) compared to the clinical sample (audit 1 and 2=0%). Examining only the aggressive groups, there was more perpetration of aggression toward parents (audit 1, forensic=92%, clinical=75%; audit 2, forensic=55.17%, clinical=40%) than toward siblings (audit 1, forensic=43%, clinical=50%; audit 2, forensic=27.58%, clinical=30%). Based on these findings, we would urge professionals who work within the child mental health, particularly the forensic area, to systematically collect reports of aggression perpetrated toward family members. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ongoing postdivorce conflict and child disturbance.

PubMed

Johnston, J R; Gonzàlez, R; Campbell, L E

1987-12-01

This paper reports on the disturbed behavior of children who are subject to entrenched parental disputes over their custody and care after separation and divorce. The 56 children who varied in racial and socioeconomic origin were 4 to 12 years old at entry into the study. They were assessed at two points: at the time of the custody dispute and 2.5 years later. The extent of the child's involvement in the dispute and the amount of role reversal between parent and child predicted total behavior problems and aggression at the time of the legal dispute. These same factors, together with the rate of verbal and physical aggression between parents, predicted total behavior problems, depression, withdrawn/uncommunicative behavior, somatic complaints, and aggression at the 2-year follows-up. There were no main effects for sex and age. However, at the 2-year mark, girls in high-conflict families were more depressed and withdrawn, and older children in high-conflict situations had more somatic complaints and were more aggressive. The findings are considered in the light of a number of etiological mechanisms by which parental conflict affects children.

A randomized study of cognitive remediation for forensic and mental health patients with schizophrenia.

PubMed

Ahmed, Anthony O; Hunter, Kristin M; Goodrum, Nada M; Batten, Nancy-Jane; Birgenheir, Denis; Hardison, Erik; Dixon, Thaddeus; Buckley, Peter F

2015-09-01

Cognitive remediation has proven efficacy for improving neurocognition in people with schizophrenia. The current study evaluated the benefits of cognitive remediation on neurocognition, functioning, psychotic symptoms, and aggression in a sample of forensic and mental health patients. Care recipients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (N = 78) receiving services in the forensic and mental health units of a state hospital were randomized to participate in cognitive remediation versus computer games control activities. Participants' neurocognition, functional capacity, experiential recovery, psychotic symptoms, and aggression incidents were assessed at baseline and posttreatment. Cognitive remediation was associated with improvements in several neurocognitive domains and circumscribed domains of functional capacity. People assigned to cognitive remediation experiences greater reductions in negative symptoms, agitation/excitement, and verbal and physical aggression. In addition to improving neurocognition in long-term hospitalized forensic and mental health patients, cognitive remediation may enhance efforts at reducing negative symptoms, emotion dysregulation, and aggression incidents. Forensic settings may represent a new frontier for the clinical dissemination of cognitive remediation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Therapeutic touch and agitation in individuals with Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Hawranik, Pamela; Johnston, Pat; Deatrich, Judith

2008-06-01

Limited effective strategies exist to alleviate or treat disruptive behaviors in people with Alzheimer's disease. Fifty-one residents of a long-term care facility with Alzheimer's disease were randomly assigned to one of three intervention groups. A multiple time series, blinded, experimental design was used to compare the effectiveness of therapeutic touch, simulated therapeutic touch, and usual care on disruptive behavior. Three forms of disruptive behavior comprised the dependent variables: physical aggression, physical nonaggression, and verbal agitation. Physical nonaggressive behaviors decreased significantly in those residents who received therapeutic touch compared with those who received the simulated version and the usual care. No significant differences in physically aggressive and verbally agitated behaviors were observed across the three study groups. The study provided preliminary evidence for the potential for therapeutic touch in dealing with agitated behaviors by people with dementia. Researchers and practitioners must consider a broad array of strategies to deal with these behaviors.

The effects of changes in response-independent pay upon human masseter EMG. M.A. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Proni, T. J.

1973-01-01

Electromyographic activity of the masseter muscle was recorded in five human subjects who were presented with systematically varied rates of non-contingent pay. Rates of pay were varied between sessions in either a descending or an ascending series. The number of masseter contractions was found to be greater during the descending series than during the ascending series, especially when a descending series of pay changes followed an ascending series. Verbal physical displays of anger and aggression were noted during descending series. These data indicated a possible relation between masseter contractions and aggression.

Perceived stigma is a critical factor for interictal aggression in people with epilepsy.

PubMed

Seo, Jong-Geun; Kim, Jeong-Min; Park, Sung-Pa

2015-03-01

Aggression in people with epilepsy (PWE) is not well understood. We investigated interictal aggression in PWE and clarified predictors and the interrelationships among them. This was a case-control study. Eligible subjects who consecutively visited the epilepsy clinic completed several questionnaires including the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ), the Revised Stigma Scale (RSS), the Korean version of the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (K-NDDI-E), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). PWEs had higher overall AQ scores and anger and hostility subscale scores than controls. Patients with uncontrolled epilepsy also had higher physical and verbal aggression subscale scores than controls. Univariate analyses revealed associations between the overall AQ score and job, household income, marriage, antiepileptic drug (AED) load, seizure control, co-administration of psychiatric drugs, the RSS score, the K-NDDI-E score, and the GAD-7 score. Multivariate analyses indicated that the strongest predictor for the overall AQ score was the RSS score (β=0.346, p<0.001), followed by the GAD-7 score (β=0.244, p=0.003), and the K-NDDI-E score (β=0.172, p=0.047). The RSS score exerted a direct effect on the overall AQ score under the influences of the GAD-7 score and the K-NDDI-E score. The GAD-7 score also exerted a direct effect on the overall AQ score, but the K-NDDI-E score only had an indirect effect on the overall AQ score through the RSS score. The degree of interictal aggression is higher in PWE than controls. Perceived stigma is a critical factor for aggression under the influence of depression and anxiety. Copyright © 2015 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rates of workplace aggression in the emergency department and nurses' perceptions of this challenging behaviour: A multimethod study.

PubMed

Hyland, Simone; Watts, Joanne; Fry, Margaret

2016-08-01

Over the last 10 years, the rate of people presenting with challenging behaviour to emergency departments (EDs) has increased and is recognised as a frequent occurrence facing clinicians today. Challenging behaviour often includes verbal aggression, physical aggression, intimidation and destruction of property. The aim of this research was to (i) identify the characteristics and patterns of ED-reported incidents of challenging behaviour and (ii) explore emergency nurses' perceptions of caring for patients displaying challenging behaviour. This was a multi-method study conducted across two metropolitan Sydney district hospitals. Phase 1 involved a 12-month review of the hospital's incident management database. Phase 2 involved a survey of emergency nurses' perceptions of caring for patients displaying challenging behaviour. Over 12 months there were 34 incidents of aggression documented and the perpetrators were often male (n=18; 53.0%). The average age was 34.5 years. The majority of reported incidents (n=33; 90.1%) involved intimidation, verbal assault and threatening behaviour. The median time between patient arrival and incident was 109.5min (IQR 192min). The median length of stay for patients was 302.5min (IQR 479min). There was no statistical difference between day of arrival and time of actual incident (t-test p=0.235), length of stay (t-test p=0.963) or ED arrival to incident time (t-test p=0.337). The survey (n=53; 66.2%) identified the average ED experience was 12.2 years (SD 9.8 years). All participants surveyed had experienced verbal abuse and/or physical abuse. Participants (n=52) ranked being spat at (n=37; 71.1%) the most difficult to manage. Qualitative survey open-ended comments were analysed and organised thematically. The survey identified three themes which were (i) increasing security, (ii) open access and (iii) rostering imbalance. The study provides insight into emergency nurses' reported perceptions of patients who display challenging behaviour. All emergency nurse participants reported being regularly exposed to challenging behaviour and this involved both physical and verbal abuse. This was in contrast to a low incident hospital reporting rate. ED clinicians need to be better supported with targeted educational programmes, appropriate ED architecture and reporting mechanism that are not onerous. Copyright © 2016 College of Emergency Nursing Australasia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of patients initiated aggression on Chinese medical students' career planning.

PubMed

Xie, Zhonghui; Li, Jing; Chen, Yuhua; Cui, Kaijun

2017-12-28

Patient initiated aggression is common among Chinese health-care workers, reaching over 10,000 incidents annually (Jinyang web. http://6d.dxy.cn/article/55497 . 2013), and the tense doctor-patient relationship generates stress among medical students. Because of the paucity of data (few surveys pay attention to the effects of violence perpetrated by patients on medical students), this study aimed to characterize patient initiated aggression against medical students. In this cross-sectional survey conducted at a medical school in West China in 2015, 157 medical students completed a self-administered questionnaire and the Short Form-36, which assesses quality of life. The associations between patient initiated aggression exposure and medical students' career planning or quality of life were assessed using a chi-square test. Of the 157 medical students, 48 (30.6%) reported having suffered patient initiated aggression at least once during the previous year in the form of mental abuse (20.4%), offensive threat (14.6%), physical violence (8.3%), sexual harassment (verbal: 8.3% or physical: 1.6%), and extreme violence (physical violence leading to surgical treatment or hospitalization) (0.6%). Insufficient communication was the primary reason cited (27.2%). Emotional attack (mental abuse and offensive threat) occurrence differed among age groups (χ 2  = 9.786, P = 0.020) and was ubiquitous among those aged >30 years old. Women were more likely than men to suffer physical violence (χ 2  = 6.796, P = 0.009). Patient initiated aggression was not significantly associated with medical students' career planning or quality of life. In this study, patient initiated aggression, albeit common, as in the rest of China, did not appear to be associated with medical students' career planning or quality of life. However, the characteristics described can inform policymaking and the design of programs to minimize patient initiated aggression occurrence.

Medication and aggressiveness in real-world schizophrenia. Results from the FACE-SZ dataset.

PubMed

Fond, G; Boyer, L; Favez, M; Brunel, L; Aouizerate, B; Berna, F; Capdevielle, D; Chereau, I; Dorey, J M; Dubertret, C; Dubreucq; Faget, C; Gabayet, F; Laouamri, H; Lancon, C; Le Strat, Y; Misdrahi, D; Rey, R; Passerieux, C; Schandrin, A; Schurhoff, F; Tronche, A M; Urbach, M; Vidalhet, P; Llorca, P M; Pelissolo, A

2016-02-01

The primary objective of this study was to determine if second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) administration was associated with lower aggressiveness scores compared to first-generation (FGA) in schizophrenia (SZ). The secondary objective was to determine if antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and benzodiazepines administration were respectively associated with lower aggressiveness scores compared to patients who were not administered these medications. Three hundred thirty-one patients with schizophrenia (N = 255) or schizoaffective disorder (N = 76) (mean age = 32.5 years, 75.5 % male gender) were systematically included in the network of FondaMental Expert Center for Schizophrenia and assessed with the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV Axis I disorders and validated scales for psychotic symptomatology, insight, and compliance. Aggressiveness was measured by the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) score. Ongoing psychotropic treatment was recorded. Patients who received SGA had lower BPAQ scores than patients who did not (p = 0.01). More specifically, these patients had lower physical and verbal aggression scores. On the contrary, patients who received benzodiazepines had higher BPAQ scores than patients who did not (p = 0.04). No significant difference was found between BPAQ scores of patients respectively being administered mood stabilizers (including valproate), antidepressant, and the patients who were not. These results were found independently of socio-demographical variables, psychotic symptomatology, insight, compliance into treatment, daily-administered antipsychotic dose, the way of antipsychotic administration (oral vs long acting), current alcohol disorder, and daily cannabis consumption. The results of the present study are in favor of the choice of SGA in SZ patients with aggressiveness, but these results need further investigation in longitudinal studies. Given the potent side effects of benzodiazepines (especially dependency and cognitive impairment) and the results of the present study, their long-term prescription is not recommended in patients with schizophrenia and aggressive behavior.

Cross-sectional study on the association between frailty and violence against community-dwelling elderly people in Brazil.

PubMed

Belisário, Mariane Santos; Dias, Flavia Aparecida; Pegorari, Maycon Sousa; Paiva, Mariana Mapelli de; Ferreira, Pollyana Cristina Dos Santos; Corradini, Fabrício Anibal; Tavares, Darlene Mara Dos Santos

2018-01-01

The physical, emotional and cognitive limitations that may be present in the aging process, coupled with family unpreparedness, may lead to greater dependence among the elderly. This favors development of frailty syndrome and greater levels of violence against the elderly. The objective here was to analyze the association between violence against the elderly and frailty; and the geographic distribution of violence against the elderly according to the presence of frailty syndrome. Cross-sectional study on 705 community-dwelling elderly people in Uberaba (MG), Brazil. The Fried frailty phenotype and conflict tactics scale were used. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the chi-square test and a logistic regression model. The intensity of the events and the relationship between clusters of violence and frailty status were assessed by means of kernel estimation. The adjusted analysis indicated that pre-frailty and frailty were associated with physical and verbal aggression (odds ratio, OR = 1.51; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.04-2.19; OR = 2.12; 95% CI: 1.29-3.47), frailty was associated with physical aggression (OR = 2.48; 95% CI: 1.25-4.94) and pre-frailty and frailty were associated with verbal aggression (OR = 1.48; 95% CI: 1.03-2.15; OR = 2.15; 95% CI: 1.31-3.52), respectively. Regardless of frailty status and its relationship with violence, clusters of occurrences were larger in similar regions in the southeastern part of the municipality; but superimposition of overlays relating to aggression showed that for frail individuals the clusters were smaller than for non-frail and pre-frail individuals. The condition of frailty was associated with greater chances of violence against the elderly.

Learners' perceptions of learners regarded as having a homosexual orientation in an independent secondary school environment.

PubMed

Mostert, Hendrik P; Myburgh, Chris; Poggenpoel, Marie

2012-10-04

In schools today discrimination based on sexual orientation takes place on a regular basis. This form of discrimination leads to aggression towards learners perceived to be homosexual, as well as towards those with a homosexual orientation. For more than 15 years South Africa has been a democratic country with laws that protect learners who have a homosexual orientation. Nevertheless, aggression and discrimination towards these learners still occur in schools. Aggression often leads to verbal and physical bullying of the victims by perpetrators. The objectives of this research were to explore and describe Grade 11 learners' experiences of aggression towards learners perceived to be homosexual as well as those with a homosexual orientation in an independent secondary school environment. The research design was qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual in nature. The data for this investigation consisted of essays based on a published newspaper photograph, phenomenological group interviews, observations and field notes. Tesch's method of data analysis was used, and an independent coder assisted. Three themes were identified, discussed and supported by a literature control: that learners experience that it is right and acceptable to have a homosexual orientation; that they experience ambivalence towards homosexual orientation of learners; and experienced feelings that it is wrong to have a homosexual orientation. Recommended guidelines are provided to address aggression towards learners perceived to be homosexual and those with a homosexual orientation.

Observer Ratings of Interpersonal Behavior as Predictors of Aggression and Self-Harm in a High-Security Sample of Male Forensic Inpatients.

PubMed

Vernham, Zarah; Tapp, James; Moore, Estelle

2016-05-01

Incidents of aggression and self-harm in forensic mental health inpatient settings present a significant challenge to practitioners in terms of safely managing and reducing the harm they cause. Research has been conducted to explore the possible predictors of these incidents and has identified a range of environmental, situational, and individual risk factors. However, despite the often interpersonal nature of the majority of aggressive incidents, few studies have investigated forensic inpatient interpersonal styles as predictors of aggression and even fewer have explored the potential interpersonal function of self-harming behaviors. The current study investigated the predictive validity of the Chart of Interpersonal Reactions in Closed Living Environments (CIRCLE) for incidents of verbal and physical aggression, and self-harm recorded from 204 high-secure forensic inpatients. Means comparisons, correlations, and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) were conducted on recorded incident data at 12, 24, and 48 months following baseline assessment using the CIRCLE. Dominant and coercive interpersonal styles were significant predictors of aggression, and a coercive interpersonal style was a significant predictor of self-harm, over the recorded time periods. When categorizing the inpatients on the basis of short- and long-term admissions, these findings were only replicated for inpatients with shorter lengths of stay. The findings support previous research which has demonstrated the benefits of assessing interpersonal style for the purposes of risk planning and management of forensic inpatients. The predictive value may be time-limited in terms of stage of admission. © The Author(s) 2015.

Aggression and 5HTT polymorphism in females: study of synchronized swimming and control groups.

PubMed

Sysoeva, Olga V; Maluchenko, Natalia V; Timofeeva, Marina A; Portnova, Galina V; Kulikova, Maria A; Tonevitsky, Alexandr G; Ivanitsky, Alexey M

2009-05-01

Aggression is a heterogeneous heritable psychological trait, also influenced by environmental factors. Previous studies, mostly conducted on male population, have found some associations of the aggression with the polymorphisms of genes, regulating the activity of serotonin (5-HT) in the brain. However, psychological as well as biochemical manifestations of the aggression are different in males and females. Our study aimed to investigate the association of 5-HTT gene polymorphism with different facets of aggression (BDHI) in females. Two groups: the synchronized swimming and non-athlete control, - were examined to study the possible modulation effect of sport on the association between 5-HTT gene polymorphism and aggression. It was found that in both groups the low-active 5-HTT polymorphism (SS) was associated with increased scores on Indirect Hostility scale and decreased scores on Negativism scale, compared to LL genotype. No interaction effect between sport and 5-HTT polymorphism was found. The higher percentage of LL-carriers and lower of LS-carriers in the synchronized swimming group compared to the control one was observed. This may be the sign of the importance of LL polymorphism of 5-HTT gene, previously associated with higher resistance to stress factors, for being an athlete, although this result has to be taken cautiously keeping in mind the stratification problem. Synchronized swimmers had lower scores on Assault, Negativism, Irritability and Verbal Hostility compared to age-matched control girls (in general and for each 5-HTT genotype separately), suggesting that they may have more matured emotional system (older control group has also lower scores on these scales).

Weaponized sex: defensive pseudo-erotic aggression in the service of safety.

PubMed

Kluft, Richard P

2017-01-01

Problematic sexual behaviors are frequently encountered in the treatment of patients suffering Dissociative Identity Disorder and related forms of dissociative disorders. These may include unfortunate patterns of ready acquiescence or submission to overtly or potentially aggressive or sexual approaches/encounters, subtle and/or overt seductive signaling and behaviors, and even overt sexually provocative patterns of verbalizations and actions. This paper discusses the possibility that in some instances, sexual behavior has become weaponized; that is, deployed in circumstances under which assertiveness and/or aggression or other self-protective measures might be expected, probably because such behaviors were not within the range of the possible or were not understood as potentially successful for some victims of trauma. Clinical manifestations are described and discussed. An animal model in which sexual behaviors substitute for aggressive behaviors is described. A speculative hypothesis is offered, postulating that in some cases, such patterns in traumatized humans might represent an epigenetic response to exogenous trauma. Exploration of this model may lead to improved understandings and approaches to trauma victims who manifest such behavior, hopefully destigmatizing them further, facilitating reduction of their shame and guilt, and supporting their recoveries. Clinical interventions are suggested.

Violent patients: what Italian psychiatrists feel and how this could change their patient care.

PubMed

Catanesi, Roberto; Carabellese, Felice; Candelli, Chiara; Valerio, Antonia; Martinelli, Domenico

2010-06-01

The study takes a detailed look at psychiatric patient violence towards their psychiatrists. It takes into consideration the views and opinions of Italian psychiatrists, whether they have experienced violent behaviour first hand and, if so, which type of aggression and whether this caused them to modify their behaviour towards the patient and his or her treatment. A multiple-choice questionnaire is sent to all members of the Italian Society of Psychiatry, with 1,202 psychiatrists responding (20.23% of the sample). The data are evaluated using SPSS with chi-square test calculations for discrete and continuous variables and t-testing for independent samples (significance p < .05). Almost all psychiatrists (90.9%) have experienced verbal aggression; 72% have been threatened with dangerous objects and 64.58% have suffered physical aggression. Physical aggression experiences result in a 50% increase in the probability of modifying one's therapeutic behaviour. Significant differences emerge between the psychiatrists, according to differences in age and career experience. Psychiatrists state that they do not consider themselves to be adequately prepared to deal with the violence of patients, and almost all psychiatrists felt the need for specific training in how to manage such violence.

Appearance-related bullying and skin disorders.

PubMed

Magin, Parker

2013-01-01

Bullying encompasses verbal aggression, physical aggression, and social exclusion. It involves "harm-doing" that is carried out repeatedly, over time, and within a relationship, involving a power imbalance between the bully and the bullied. Being bullied may have considerable adverse sequelae, including psychologic or psychiatric harm. Much bullying is appearance-related, and it would be surprising if some individuals with skin disease were not bullied given the high visibility of skin diseases. The limited evidence available does suggest that individuals with skin disease, particularly those with acne, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis, are often bullied, which can adversely affect them psychologically. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bystanders' responses to offline bullying and cyberbullying: The role of empathy and normative beliefs about aggression.

PubMed

Machackova, Hana; Pfetsch, Jan

2016-04-01

Cyberbullying often takes place with the virtual presence or knowledge of bystanders. While we have some evidence about the determinants of bystanders' responses to offline bullying, we lack empirical studies concerning the variables that influence bystanders' responses to cyberbullying. The current study examines bystanders' responses to offline bullying and cyberbullying incidents. Two types of responses were captured: support toward the victims and the reinforcement of bullies' actions. Using data from 321 German adolescents (ages 12-18; M = 14.99; 44% girls), the association between bystanders' responses and normative beliefs about verbal aggression and cyberaggression, and affective and cognitive empathy, were tested in a path model. Both types of normative beliefs positively predicted the reinforcement of bullies, and normative belief about verbal aggression also predicted support for the victims of offline bullying. Both types of empathy predicted support in offline bullying, but only affective empathy predicted support in cyberbullying. There was no link between affective or cognitive empathy to the reinforcement of bullies. Moreover, bystanders' tendencies to respond supportively to the victim or to reinforce the bully were rather consistent in both cyber- and offline bullying, but there was no link between support and reinforcement. The findings are discussed with regard to implications for prevention and intervention efforts. © 2016 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Violence exposure, a chronic psychosocial stressor, and childhood lung function

PubMed Central

Suglia, Shakira Franco; Ryan, Louise; Laden, Francine; Dockery, Douglas; Wright, Rosalind J

2011-01-01

Background Chronic psychosocial stressors, including violence, have been linked to neuropsychological and behavioral development in children as well as physiologic alterations that may lead to broader health effects. Methods We examined the relationship between violence and childhood lung function in a prospective birth cohort of 313 urban children 6 and 7 years of age. Mothers reported on their child’s lifetime exposure to community violence (ETV) and interparental conflict in the home [Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS)] within one year of the lung function assessment. Results In linear regression analyses, adjusting for maternal education, child’s age, race, birthweight, tobacco smoke exposure, and medical history, girls in the highest CTS verbal aggression tertile had a 5.5% (95% CI: −9.6, −1.5) decrease in percent predicted FEV1 and a 5.4% (95% CI: −9.7, −1.1) decrease in FVC compared to girls in the lowest tertile. The CTS verbal aggression subscale was associated with lung function among boys in the same direction, albeit this was not statistically significant. Boys in the highest ETV tertile had a 3.4% (95% CI: −8.0, 1.1) lower FEV1 and 5.3% lower (95% CI: −10.2, −0.4) FVC compared to boys in the lowest tertile. The ETV score was not a significant predictor of girl’s lung function. Conclusions Interparental conflict, specifically verbal aggression, and exposure to community violence were associated with decreased childhood lung function independent of socioeconomic status, tobacco smoke exposure, birthweight and respiratory illness history. Gender differences were noted based on the type of violence exposure which may warrant further exploration. PMID:18158365

Workplace violence towards Congolese health care workers: a survey of 436 healthcare facilities in Katanga province, Democratic Republic of Congo.

PubMed

Muzembo, Basilua Andre; Mbutshu, Lukuke Hendrick; Ngatu, Nlandu Roger; Malonga, Kaj Francoise; Eitoku, Masamitsu; Hirota, Ryoji; Suganuma, Narufumi

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate workplace violence by patients or their relatives towards health-care workers in Congolese hospitals. Through the autumn of 2012, a cross-sectional survey on workplace violence was conducted in a sample of 2,210 registered health-care workers (989 males and 1,221 females, aged 33 ± 8 years) from 436 hospitals located in the province of Katanga, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Verbal aggression, harassment and physical violence perpetrated by patients or their relatives within the previous year along with factors contributing to violence, were recorded, and the response rate was 99%. About 80.1% of the health-care workers had experienced one or more types of workplace violence. Overall, the severity of workplace violence varied from verbal aggression (57.4%) and harassment (15.2%) to physical violence (7.5%). Patients were the major perpetrators of verbal aggression and harassment, whereas patients' relatives were mainly involved in physical violence. The frequency of workplace violence was similar across hospitals. Male health-care workers were more likely to be victims of physical violence, whereas female health-care workers were the prime target for harassment. Only 34.3% of the violent episodes were reported to a supervisor. Furthermore, disrespect for medical deontology was the main cause of workplace violence perceived by 68.8% of the health-care workers. Although it has not been officially recognized, there has been workplace violence towards health-care workers perpetrated by patients or their relatives despite the fact that health-care workers have traditionally been highly respected in Congolese society. Further studies on this issue may suggest opportunities for combating violence in Congolese hospitals.

Trajectories of maternal verbal aggression across the middle school years: associations with negative view of self and social problems.

PubMed

Donovan, Kera L; Brassard, Marla R

2011-10-01

The primary research objective was to explore the relationship between trajectories of maternal verbal aggression (VA) experienced by low-income, community middle school students across a three-year period and outcomes that have been found to be related to VA in previous work, including a negative view of self and social problems. Longitudinal data were collected from 421 youth (51.8% male) attending two middle schools over 3 years using a multiple-informant survey design. K-means cluster analysis was used to identify trajectories of VA using youth ratings of the Conflict Tactics Scale: Parent-Child (Straus, Hamby, Finkelhor, Moore, & Runyan, 1998). Dependent variables were self-reported depression, self-esteem, delinquency, and peer victimization as well as peer-rated aggression and sensitive-isolated reputation. Four trajectory groups of VA were identified: Low Stable, Increasing, Decreasing, and High Stable. The 3-year average occurrence of VA was: 1.31, 9.18, 10.24, and 31.14 instances, respectively. Gender-specific MANOVAs revealed dramatic differences between the High Stable and Low Stable groups. High Stable boys reported significantly more depressive symptoms, delinquency, peer overt and relational victimization, and were less likely to have a sensitive/isolated reputation than Low Stable boys. High Stable girls reported significantly more depressive symptoms, low self-esteem, delinquency, peer overt and relational victimization and were rated by peers as having more aggressive/disruptive and relationally aggressive reputations than Low Stable girls. Girls in the High Stable group were more likely than other youth to report levels of depressive symptoms and delinquency >1 SD above the mean, while boys in the High Stable group were more likely to report levels of delinquency >1 SD above the mean. The Increasing and Decreasing groups also demonstrated significantly poorer functioning than the Low Stable group on most outcomes. Growth curve analysis revealed that VA showed a contemporaneous association with self-reported delinquency suggesting these factors are closely related. Any level of VA greater than the 1-2 instances per year reported by youth in the Low Stable group was associated with less favorable outcomes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Cult of Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Senechal, Diana

2012-01-01

Success has meant wealth, virtue, excellence, wisdom, personal contentment, or any combination of these, but its definition has flattened over time, particularly in the past few decades. A combination of economic anxiety, aggressive advertising, ubiquitous ratings, and verbal vagueness has led to an emphasis on the external aspects of…

A Latent Class Approach to Examining Forms of Peer Victimization

PubMed Central

Bradshaw, Catherine P.; Waasdorp, Tracy E.; O’Brennan, Lindsey M.

2014-01-01

There is growing interest in gender differences in the experience of various forms of peer victimization; however, much of the work to date has used traditional variable-centered approaches by focusing on scales or individual forms of victimization in isolation. The current study explored whether there were discrete groups of adolescents who experience distinct forms of peer victimization by bullying (e.g., physical, verbal, relational) among middle and high school-age youth, and whether membership in a particular victimization group was associated with internalizing problems and aggression. Latent class analyses examining 10 different forms of victimization were conducted on a diverse sample of middle school (n = 11,408) and high school (n = 5,790) students. All forms of victimization were less common among high school students, except cyberbullying and sexual comments/gestures. The analyses revealed that there were 4 distinct victimization patterns for middle school students (Verbal and Physical; Verbal and Relational; High Verbal, Physical, and Relational; and Low Victimization/Normative), whereas high school students fell into a similar pattern with the exception of a Verbal and Physical class. These patterns of victimization were functionally associated with co-occurring internalizing problems and aggression. There were also some notable gender and developmental differences in the pattern of victimization and its relation with adjustment problems. These findings enhance our understanding of the complex patterns of peer victimization that are experienced by middle and high school students. Implications for educational researchers and school-based bullying interventions are discussed. PMID:25414522

Children’s Perceptions of Maternal Hostility as a Mediator of the Link between Discipline and Children’s Adjustment in Four Countries

PubMed Central

Lansford, Jennifer E.; Malone, Patrick S.; Dodge, Kenneth A.; Chang, Lei; Chaudhary, Nandita; Tapanya, Sombat; Oburu, Paul; Deater-Deckard, Kirby

2010-01-01

Using data from 195 dyads of mothers and children (age range = 8–12 years; M = 10.63) in four countries (China, India, the Philippines, and Thailand), this study examined children’s perceptions of maternal hostility as a mediator of the links between physical discipline and harsh verbal discipline and children’s adjustment. Both physical discipline and harsh verbal discipline had direct effects on mothers’ reports of children’s anxiety and aggression; three of these four links were mediated by children’s perceptions of maternal hostility. In contrast, there were no significant direct effects of physical discipline and harsh verbal discipline on children’s reports of their own anxiety and aggression. Instead, both physical discipline and harsh verbal discipline had indirect effects on the outcomes through children’s perceptions of maternal hostility. We identified a significant interaction between perceived normativeness and use of harsh verbal discipline on children’s perception of maternal hostility, but children’s perception of the normativeness of physical discipline did not moderate the relation between physical discipline and perceived maternal hostility. The effects of harsh verbal discipline were more adverse when children perceived that form of discipline as being nonnormative than when children perceived that form of discipline as being normative. Results are largely consistent with a theoretical model positing that the meaning children attach to parents’ discipline strategies is important in understanding associations between discipline and children’s adjustment, and that cultural context is associated with children’s interpretations of their parents’ behavior. PMID:20823943

The nature and extent of aggressive behaviour amongst people with learning difficulties (mental handicap) in a single health district.

PubMed

Harris, P

1993-06-01

This paper describes the method and results of a survey of aggressive behaviour amongst people with learning difficulties. The study was confined to a single health district in the South Western Region of the UK with a general population of about 370,000. At the time of the survey, the Mental Handicap Register for the district recorded 1,362 people as having a learning difficulty. The overall prevalence of aggressive behaviour amongst people with learning difficulties for whom base population data was available was 17.6%. The lowest rate was identified amongst day facilities (9.7%) and the highest in hospitals within the district (38.2%). The prevalence rate amongst those attending schools for children with severe learning difficulties was 12.6%. Proportionately more males than females were reported to present problems of aggressive behaviour. The gender difference appeared to be largely accounted for by the disproportionate number of men identified within day facilities. There was no significant evidence of an association between the person's gender and the presence aggressive behaviour within schools or hospitals. The results indicated that, although physical and verbal aggression were the most frequently reported behaviours, many of the sample were also said to engage in other forms of challenging behaviour, particularly self-injurious, ritualistic, stereotypical and withdrawn behaviour. The risk of a serious or very serious injury to another person was very low; 0.7% or six people with learning difficulties from the district were reported to be currently presenting such a risk. Similarly, only 2% of the base population (n = 18) were reported to be extremely difficult to manage. The implications of the findings are discussed.

Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder: A Window on the Emotional World of Parkinson Disease

PubMed Central

Mariotti, Paolo; Quaranta, Davide; Di Giacopo, Raffaella; Bentivoglio, Anna Rita; Mazza, Marianna; Martini, Annalisa; Canestri, Jorge; Della Marca, Giacomo

2015-01-01

Study Objectives: REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a parasomnia characterized by motor activity during sleep with dream mentation. Aggressiveness has been considered a peculiar feature of dreams associated with RBD, despite normal score in aggressiveness scales during wakefulness. We aimed to measure daytime aggressiveness and analyze dream contents in a population of patients with Parkinson disease (PD) with and without RBD. Design: This is a single-center prospective observational study; it concerns the description of the clinical features of a medical disorder in a case series. Setting: The study was performed in the Department of Neurosciences of the Catholic University in Rome, Italy. Patients: Three groups of subjects were enrolled: patients with PD plus RBD, patients with PD without RBD, and healthy controls. Interventions: The diagnosis of RBD was determined clinically and confirmed by means of overnight, laboratory-based video-polysomnography. For the evaluation of diurnal aggressiveness, the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) was used. The content of dreams was evaluated by means of the methods of Hall and Van De Castle. Measurements and Results: Patients with PD without RBD displayed higher levels of anger, and verbal and physical aggressiveness than patients with PD and RBD and controls. Patients with PD and RBD and controls did not differ in hostility. Conclusions: It can be hypothesized that a noradrenergic impairment at the level of the locus coeruleus could, at the same time, explain the presence of REM sleep behavior disorder, as well as the reduction of diurnal aggressiveness. This finding also suggests a role for REM sleep in regulating homeostasis of emotional brain function. Citation: Mariotti P, Quaranta D, Di Giacopo R, Bentivoglio AR, Mazza M, Martini A, Canestri J, Della Marca G. Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder: a window on the emotional world of Parkinson disease. SLEEP 2015;38(2):287–294. PMID:25325501

Bullying, Physical Aggression, Gender-Atypicality, and Sexual Orientation in Samoan Males.

PubMed

Semenyna, Scott W; Vasey, Paul L

2017-07-01

Bullying is characterized by the repeated attempts of a group or individual to gain social advantage by the use of relational, verbal, or physical aggression against a target, especially when there is a perceived or actual power imbalance (Espelage & Swearer, 2003). One consistent finding is that gay (i.e., androphilic) males report higher rates of victimization due to bullying in adolescence than their heterosexual (i.e., gynephilic) counterparts. Western data indicate that gender-atypical behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, is a key predictor of victimization due to bullying. Androphilic males generally display childhood gender-atypicality, including reduced levels of physical aggression, which may cause bullies to perceive them as "easy" targets. In order to test the associations between sexual orientation, childhood gender-atypicality, and recalled victimization due to bullying, a sample of Samoan gynephilic men (n = 100) were compared to a group of Samoan transgender androphilic males (n = 103), known as fa'afafine. Although the fa'afafine reported far more childhood gender-atypicality, the two groups did not differ significantly on measures of physical aggression or their reported rates of victimization due to bullying. Additionally, greater physical aggression, not gender-atypicality, was the only significant predictor of being bullied in both men and fa'afafine. These results suggest that there is nothing inherent in sexual orientation or childhood gender-atypicality that would potentiate victimization from bullying. Instead, the cultural context in which a bully functions influences the extent to which these are "acceptable" reasons to target certain individuals.

Barroom Aggression Among Australian Men: Associations With Heavy Episodic Drinking, Conformity to Masculine Norms, and Personal and Perceived Peer Approval of Barroom Aggression.

PubMed

Miller, Peter; Zinkiewicz, Lucy; Hayley, Alexa; Sonderlund, Anders; Litherland, Steven; Medew-Ewen, Tess; Wells, Samantha; Graham, Kathryn

2016-05-01

Research suggests that heavy episodic drinking (HED), perceived peer norms, and personal approval of aggression influence male barroom aggression (MBA). Qualitative research suggests that conformity to hegemonic masculine gender norms also influences MBA; however, quantitative research on the direct and indirect influence of masculinity on MBA is limited. This study tested the relationships between HED, conformity to masculine gender norms, and personal approval and peer approval of MBA on MBA perpetration, as well as the indirect effect of masculine norms on MBA via HED. A convenience sample of Australian men (N = 322; mean age = 21.05 years, SD = 1.95; 76.9% university students) completed an online questionnaire, assessing HED and MBA over the previous year, and subscales of the Beliefs and Attitudes Towards Male Alcohol-Related Aggression Inventory and Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory-46. Negative binomial regression analyses found that, overall, HED, male peer approval, and personal approval of MBA directly predicted increased risk of verbal and physical MBA perpetration. Greater conformity to specific masculine norms also increased (Power Over Women) and decreased (Emotional Control, Heterosexual Self-Presentation) risk of MBA perpetration. The masculine norms Risk Taking, Playboy, and Emotional Control were found to be indirect predictors of MBA via HED. Risk of MBA perpetration is increased primarily by HED as a direct, but also mediating, predictor. Personal and male peer approval of MBA, and specific masculine norms, further increase this risk whereas other masculine norms appear protective.

Bullying and Victimization Among Children

PubMed Central

Shetgiri, Rashmi

2013-01-01

Bullying among children is a significant public health problem world-wide. Bullying is most commonly defined as repeated, intentional aggression, perpetrated by a more powerful individual or group against a less powerful victim. Trends in victimization and moderate to frequent bullying may be decreasing slightly in the United States, but over 20% of children continue to be involved in bullying. Direct bullying consists of physical and verbal aggression, whereas indirect bullying involves relational aggression. Cyber bullying is an emerging problem which may be more difficult to identify and intervene with than traditional bullying. Bullies, victims, and bully-victims are at risk for negative short and long-term consequences such as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and delinquency. Various individual, parental, and peer factors increase the risk for involvement in bullying. Anti-bullying interventions are predominantly school-based and demonstrate variable results. Healthcare providers can intervene in bullying by identifying potential bullies or victims, screening them for co-morbidities, providing counseling and resources, and advocating for bullying prevention. PMID:24007839

The Effects of Sex-Role Taking on Children's Responses to Aggressive Conflict Situations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olson, Sheryl L.

1984-01-01

Twenty male and twenty female third graders expected boy characters to retaliate more strongly than girl characters when intervening in an attack upon a friend and girl characters to retaliate more strongly than boys when being verbally or physically assaulted. (Author/KH)

Perspective training to treat anger problems after brain injury: Two case studies.

PubMed

Winegardner, Jill; Keohane, Clare; Prince, Leyla; Neumann, Dawn

2016-06-18

People with acquired brain injury (ABI) often show increased anger and aggression. Anger has been linked to attributions of hostile intent. The more intentional and hostile the judgments of other's behaviours are, the angrier the responses tend to be. Some people with ABI tend to make harsher attributions than healthy controls (negative attribution bias). Poor perspective-taking may distort assessment of others' intentions, thereby contributing to this bias and subsequent anger responses. Examine changes in anger and perspective-taking after a Perspectives Group in two participants with ABI. This study is a case report exploring observational changes in anger, hostility, verbal and physical aggression and perspective-taking in two males with ABI and severe emotion dysregulation. Participants and their spouses also provided qualitative feedback through a semi-structured interview following perspectives training. The six-week "Perspectives Group" used hypothetical and real-life situations to teach participants to consider the perspectives of others when determining their intentions. Both participants showed post-treatment declines in aggression. Although only minimal changes occurred on the perspective-taking measure, spouses described important behavioural changes in their partners that indicated both decreased aggression and better perspective taking. These preliminary findings support further investigation of perspectives training for reducing anger after ABI.

Disappearing Discourse: Performative Texts and Identity in Legal Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trinch, Shonna

2010-01-01

This article examines how survivors of domestic violence and the institutional authorities to whom they turn for assistance represent verbal aggression in direct quotations and indirect reported speech in legal testimony. Using the theoretical framework proposed by Briggs and Bauman (1992), I suggest that direct quotations and reported speech…

Preventing Youth Violence and Aggression and Promoting Safety in Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mulhern, Sean; And Others

Increased violence in schools, represented by possession of weapons, sexual or racial harassment, bullying, verbal intimidation, gang or cult activity, arson, or corporal punishment of students, for example, is a growing concern among students, educators, and communities. Since educators alone cannot ensure safety in schools, collaboration among…

Necessary Social Skills Related to Peer Acceptance. Review of Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Yanghee A.

2003-01-01

Differentiates behaviors of peer-rejected and peer-neglected children at the early childhood level. Offers suggestions for teaching alternative behaviors to aggressive or withdrawn children, direct entry behaviors, positive responses to peers' initiation, verbal assertiveness, engagement in complex pretend play, and ways to show positive affection…

Behavioral Treatments and Pharmacotherapy: Acceptability Ratings by Elderly Individuals in Residential Settings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burgio, Louis D.; Sinnott, Jan

1990-01-01

Presented residents of life care community and nursing homes with scenarios of older woman. Client varied by cognitive capacity and behavior problem (aggression, verbal abuse, noncompliance). Participants rated three treatments: differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior (DRI), time-out, and haloperidol. All treatments were acceptable;…

On the Word Preferences of Suicidal versus Nonsuicidal College Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thurber, Steven; Torbet, David P.

1978-01-01

A word preference format was used to investigate reactions to verbal stimuli of suicidal and nonsuicidal persons. Words with aggressive or submissive denotative meanings significantly differentiated the two groups. The word "suicide" was selected at a higher frequency level by suicidal individuals when compared to their nonsuicidal counterparts.…

The Intellectual Functioning of Children with Myelomeningocele.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barron, Marcia L.; Obringer, S. John

This study compared the cognitive abilities of children with myelomeningocele born between 1975 and 1981 (and recipients of aggressive, sophisticated medical treatment) with those of children born two decades earlier. Verbal, performance, and full scale IQ scores on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (Revised) were collected on 20…

[Aggressive behavior toward nursing staff in three different health care settings. [corrected].

PubMed

Ferri, Paola; Reggiani, Francesca; Di Lorenzo, Rosaria

2011-01-01

Health providers, particularly nurses, are at high risk for aggression in the workplace. This phenomenon, constantly increasing, it can undermine the resilience of the health providers, increasing the burn-out and staff turnover. Highlight the frequency and characteristics of violence in different health areas. A questionnaire, the "Violent Incident Form" (VIF), was administered to 987 nurses belonging to various hospitals and emergency services of Modena. The data, divided into three groups related to health areas of origin, the emergency department, medical-surgical and psychiatric wards, grouped by risk of such violence and work characteristics, were compared with each other. 74% of respondents have suffered at least one episode of violence in the last 3 years, with the highest percentage in psychiatric area (84%). In the general hospital (64%) and in the emergency department (54%), violence was mostly verbal, acted out by patients and by members of their family, while, in psychiatric wards, has been frequently physical (40%) or physical and verbal (33%), made especially from patients with the highest number of physical consequences, never reported to the Court. Only 31% of nurses expected the attack. This study confirms, in accordance with the literature, that the aggression toward the nurses are a remarkable phenomenon, and it suggests that, to prevent such a violence, are necessary not only precautions and a structural organization, specific for the different health areas, but above all, great awareness and preparation from the health providers around this risk.

Haloperidol for long-term aggression in psychosis.

PubMed

Khushu, Abha; Powney, Melanie J

2016-11-27

Psychotic disorders can lead some people to become agitated. Characterised by restlessness, excitability and irritability, this can result in verbal and physically aggressive behaviour - and both can be prolonged. Aggression within the psychiatric setting imposes a significant challenge to clinicians and risk to service users; it is a frequent cause for admission to inpatient facilities. If people continue to be aggressive it can lengthen hospitalisation. Haloperidol is used to treat people with long-term aggression. To examine whether haloperidol alone, administered orally, intramuscularly or intravenously, is an effective treatment for long-term/persistent aggression in psychosis. We searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group Trials Register (July 2011 and April 2015). We included randomised controlled trials (RCT) or double blind trials (implying randomisation) with useable data comparing haloperidol with another drug or placebo for people with psychosis and long-term/persistent aggression. One review author (AK) extracted data. For dichotomous data, one review author (AK) calculated risk ratios (RR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) on an intention-to-treat basis based on a fixed-effect model. One review author (AK) assessed risk of bias for included studies and created a 'Summary of findings' table using GRADE. We have no good-quality evidence of the absolute effectiveness of haloperidol for people with long-term aggression. One study randomising 110 chronically aggressive people to three different antipsychotic drugs met the inclusion criteria. When haloperidol was compared with olanzapine or clozapine, skewed data (n=83) at high risk of bias suggested some advantage in terms of scale scores of unclear clinical meaning for olanzapine/clozapine for 'total aggression'. Data were available for only one other outcome, leaving the study early. When compared with other antipsychotic drugs, people allocated to haloperidol were no more likely to leave the study (1 RCT, n=110, RR 1.37, CI 0.84 to 2.24, low-quality evidence). Although there were some data for the outcomes listed above, there were no data on most of the binary outcomes and none on service outcomes (use of hospital/police), satisfaction with treatment, acceptance of treatment, quality of life or economics. Only one study could be included and most data were heavily skewed, almost impossible to interpret and oflow quality. There were also some limitations in the study design with unclear description of allocation concealment and high risk of bias for selective reporting, so no firm conclusions can be made. This review shows how trials in this group of people are possible - albeit difficult. Further relevant trials are needed to evaluate use of haloperidol in treatment of long-term/persistent aggression in people living with psychosis.

Differences in treatment outcome between male alcohol dependent offenders of domestic violence with and without positive drug screens.

PubMed

Easton, Caroline J; Mandel, Dolores; Babuscio, Theresa; Rounsaville, Bruce J; Carroll, Kathleen M

2007-10-01

Men who are violent toward their partners tend to have a dual problem with alcohol and drug use, yet little is known about differences between men with single rather than dual problems. This study was one of the first to evaluate differences between alcohol dependent men who were arrested for Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) with and without concurrent illicit drug use. Seventy-eight participants were randomly assigned to manual-guided group behavioral therapies (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Twelve Step Facilitation) and assessed across 12 weeks of treatment. Despite denying drug use at baseline, thirty-two clients (43%) tested positive for illicit drug use (cocaine and marijuana) during the 12 weeks of treatment. The study specifically addressed whether there were differences between clients using alcohol only versus individuals using both alcohol + drugs in terms of 1) baseline characteristics; 2) treatment compliance (e.g., attendance and substance use during treatment; and 3) treatment outcomes (alcohol, drug use, anger management, and aggression at the completion of treatment). The results showed that there were comparatively few differences between the alcohol versus the alcohol + drug using groups at baseline. Regarding treatment compliance and retention, alcohol + drug using participants attended significantly fewer sessions, had significantly fewer percent days abstinence from alcohol use, significantly more total days of positive breathalyzer results. Regarding treatment outcomes across anger management and aggression scores, the alcohol + drug using participants had significantly more impairments in anger management styles from pre- to post-treatment. However, there were no differences between the groups across verbal or physical aggression. Both groups improved in their verbal aggression from pre- to post-treatment. The findings suggest that alcohol dependent men who continue to use illicit drugs may require additional interventions to effectively control their drug use and, their anger management styles.

Aggression in low functioning children and adolescents with autistic disorder.

PubMed

Bronsard, Guillaume; Botbol, Michel; Tordjman, Sylvie

2010-12-21

Parents, caregivers and mental health professionals have often reported violence and aggression in children or adolescents with autistic disorder. However, most of these observations derived from anecdotal reports, and studies on frequency and characterization of aggression in autism remain limited. Our objective was to better characterize and understand the different types of aggressive behaviors displayed by a large group of individuals with autism in different observational situations. The study was conducted on 74 children and adolescents with autism and 115 typically developing control individuals matched for sex, age and pubertal stage. Other-Injurious Behaviors (OIB) were assessed in three observational situations (parents at home, two caregivers at day-care, a nurse and a child psychiatrist during blood drawing) using validated scales. The frequency of OIB was significantly higher in individuals with autism compared to typically developing control individuals during the blood drawing (23% vs. 0%, P<0 .01). The parents observed significantly less OIB in their children than caregivers (34% vs. 58%, P<0.05). In addition, the most frequent concurrent behaviors occurring just before the appearance of OIB in individuals with autism were anxiety-related behaviors and excitation according to the parental as well as the caregiver observation. The results suggest that in a stressful situation, such as the blood drawing, individuals with autism release their stress through behaviors such as OIB, whereas typically developing individuals regulate and express their stress through cognitive skills such as mental coping strategies, symbolization skills with representation and anticipation of the stressful situation, social interaction and verbal or non-verbal communication. The findings underline also the key role of the environment in assessing OIB and developing therapeutic perspectives, with an individual who modulates his/her behavior according to the environment, and an environment that perceives this behavior and reacts to it with different tolerance thresholds according to the observers.

Aggression in Low Functioning Children and Adolescents with Autistic Disorder

PubMed Central

Bronsard, Guillaume; Botbol, Michel; Tordjman, Sylvie

2010-01-01

Background Parents, caregivers and mental health professionals have often reported violence and aggression in children or adolescents with autistic disorder. However, most of these observations derived from anecdotal reports, and studies on frequency and characterization of aggression in autism remain limited. Our objective was to better characterize and understand the different types of aggressive behaviors displayed by a large group of individuals with autism in different observational situations. Methodology/Findings The study was conducted on 74 children and adolescents with autism and 115 typically developing control individuals matched for sex, age and pubertal stage. Other-Injurious Behaviors (OIB) were assessed in three observational situations (parents at home, two caregivers at day-care, a nurse and a child psychiatrist during blood drawing) using validated scales. The frequency of OIB was significantly higher in individuals with autism compared to typically developing control individuals during the blood drawing (23% vs. 0%, P<0 .01). The parents observed significantly less OIB in their children than caregivers (34% vs. 58%, P<0.05). In addition, the most frequent concurrent behaviors occurring just before the appearance of OIB in individuals with autism were anxiety-related behaviors and excitation according to the parental as well as the caregiver observation. Conclusions/Significance The results suggest that in a stressful situation, such as the blood drawing, individuals with autism release their stress through behaviors such as OIB, whereas typically developing individuals regulate and express their stress through cognitive skills such as mental coping strategies, symbolization skills with representation and anticipation of the stressful situation, social interaction and verbal or non-verbal communication. The findings underline also the key role of the environment in assessing OIB and developing therapeutic perspectives, with an individual who modulates his/her behavior according to the environment, and an environment that perceives this behavior and reacts to it with different tolerance thresholds according to the observers. PMID:21200441

The Influence of Media Violence on Youth.

PubMed

Anderson, Craig A; Berkowitz, Leonard; Donnerstein, Edward; Huesmann, L Rowell; Johnson, James D; Linz, Daniel; Malamuth, Neil M; Wartella, Ellen

2003-12-01

Research on violent television and films, video games, and music reveals unequivocal evidence that media violence increases the likelihood of aggressive and violent behavior in both immediate and long-term contexts. The effects appear larger for milder than for more severe forms of aggression, but the effects on severe forms of violence are also substantial (r = .13 to .32) when compared with effects of other violence risk factors or medical effects deemed important by the medical community (e.g., effect of aspirin on heart attacks). The research base is large; diverse in methods, samples, and media genres; and consistent in overall findings. The evidence is clearest within the most extensively researched domain, television and film violence. The growing body of video-game research yields essentially the same conclusions. Short-term exposure increases the likelihood of physically and verbally aggressive behavior, aggressive thoughts, and aggressive emotions. Recent large-scale longitudinal studies provide converging evidence linking frequent exposure to violent media in childhood with aggression later in life, including physical assaults and spouse abuse. Because extremely violent criminal behaviors (e.g., forcible rape, aggravated assault, homicide) are rare, new longitudinal studies with larger samples are needed to estimate accurately how much habitual childhood exposure to media violence increases the risk for extreme violence. Well-supported theory delineates why and when exposure to media violence increases aggression and violence. Media violence produces short-term increases by priming existing aggressive scripts and cognitions, increasing physiological arousal, and triggering an automatic tendency to imitate observed behaviors. Media violence produces long-term effects via several types of learning processes leading to the acquisition of lasting (and automatically accessible) aggressive scripts, interpretational schemas, and aggression-supporting beliefs about social behavior, and by reducing individuals' normal negative emotional responses to violence (i.e., desensitization). Certain characteristics of viewers (e.g., identification with aggressive characters), social environments (e.g., parental influences), and media content (e.g., attractiveness of the perpetrator) can influence the degree to which media violence affects aggression, but there are some inconsistencies in research results. This research also suggests some avenues for preventive intervention (e.g., parental supervision, interpretation, and control of children's media use). However, extant research on moderators suggests that no one is wholly immune to the effects of media violence. Recent surveys reveal an extensive presence of violence in modern media. Furthermore, many children and youth spend an inordinate amount of time consuming violent media. Although it is clear that reducing exposure to media violence will reduce aggression and violence, it is less clear what sorts of interventions will produce a reduction in exposure. The sparse research literature suggests that counterattitudinal and parental-mediation interventions are likely to yield beneficial effects, but that media literacy interventions by themselves are unsuccessful. Though the scientific debate over whether media violence increases aggression and violence is essentially over, several critical tasks remain. Additional laboratory and field studies are needed for a better understanding of underlying psychological processes, which eventually should lead to more effective interventions. Large-scale longitudinal studies would help specify the magnitude of media-violence effects on the most severe types of violence. Meeting the larger societal challenge of providing children and youth with a much healthier media diet may prove to be more difficult and costly, especially if the scientific, news, public policy, and entertainment communities fail to educate the general public about the real risks of media-violence exposure to children and youth. © 2003 Association for Psychological Science.

Babies, Dogs, Alligators, Fast Cars, and Dirty Socks: Just Another Day in Kindergarten.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Grace Gilliard

Fundamental aspects of the play behavior of kindergarten children are illustrated in five vignettes. Aspects include the function of smiles in play, sex differences in verbal and physical aggression, the simultaneous occurrence of flignt and fantasy in the play of boys, successful nonverbal participation in play, gender stereotypes, the sequencing…

Verbal and Physical Abuse toward Mothers: The Role of Family Configuration, Environment, and Coping Strategies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pagani, Linda; Larocque, Denis; Vitaro, Frank; Tremblay, Richard E.

2003-01-01

Studied factors that can increase the risk of abusive behaviors toward mothers. Findings for 6,397 French-speaking Canadian adolescents show that parental divorce is associated with a greater risk of physical aggression directed toward mothers, but family environment and parental coping strategies partially mediated that relationship. (SLD)

Nonverbal Communication and Conflict: The Effects of Attribution and Predisposition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Remland, Martin S.; And Others

A study examined the means by which inferences and emotions combine to motivate conflict escalation in response to nonverbal displays of status. Subjects, 64 male and 105 female volunteers enrolled in communication courses at a university located in the northeastern part of the United States, completed a verbal aggressiveness scale and a personal…

Potential for Suicide and Aggression in Delinquents at Juvenile Court in a Southern City.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Battile, Allen O.; And Others

1993-01-01

Questioned 263 Juvenile Court offenders about whether they wished to be dead, kill themselves, or kill others and about their existential experiences, thoughts, and feelings. Used stepwise multiple logistic regression to pinpoint experiences associated with high likelihood of verbalizing wish for destructive behavior. Found sexual abuse as risk…

Questions about Behavioral Function (QABF): Adaptation and Validation of the Spanish Version

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simo-Pinatella, David; Alomar-Kurz, Elisabeth; Font-Roura, Josep; Gine, Climent; Matson, Johnny L.; Cifre, Ignacio

2013-01-01

People with intellectual disabilities (ID) often engage in problem behaviors, such as verbal or physical aggression, property destruction, or self-injury. These behaviors become a challenge for the families and for professionals. Functional behavioral assessment (FBA) is a method used to identify variables that influence or maintain challenging…

Gender Differences in Intended Escalatory Tendencies among Marital Partners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winstok, Zeev; Straus, Murray A.

2011-01-01

This study addresses the intended escalatory tendency in eight hypothetical situations in which the provocator's identity (partner or stranger, male or female) and the provocation form (verbal or physical aggression) were manipulated. The research question is "how does the identity of the provocator and the form of his or her provocation…

Pubertal Development and Parent-Child Conflict in Low-Income, Urban, African American Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sagrestano, Lynda M.; McCormick, Sheila H.; Paikoff, Roberta L.; Holmbeck, Grayson N.

1999-01-01

Examined associations between pubertal development and parent-adolescent conflict in urban, low-income African-American adolescents. Found that parents reported more verbal aggression with sons during midpuberty than early or late puberty, more violent tactics with younger than older daughters, and more "hot" discussions with early-…

The Effect of Classroom Structure on Verbal and Physical Aggression among Peers: A Short-Term Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bergsmann, Evelyn M.; Van De Schoot, Rens; Schober, Barbara; Finsterwald, Monika; Spiel, Christiane

2013-01-01

Teachers promote student learning and well-being in school by establishing a supportive classroom structure. The term "classroom structure" refers to how teachers design tasks, maintain authority, and evaluate student achievement. Although empirical studies have shown the relation of classroom structure to student motivation, achievement, and…

The role of appraisal distortion, contempt, and morality in couple conflict: a grounded theory.

PubMed

Whiting, Jason B

2008-01-01

A common goal of couples' therapy is to help individuals modify their view of each other and the relationship. Distorted views and appraisals contribute to conflict, and these can be manifest by use of rationalization or denial. This study explored appraisal distortion as an evaluative and moral process that occurs during partner conflict, particularly when it becomes contemptuous and aggressive. Using a philosophical base that is grounded in the ethical relationship, a model of appraisal distortion and couple conflict was created using constructivist grounded theory methods. The theoretical concepts derived from the data show relationships between one's relational stance, appraisal distortion, and verbal and physical aggression. This model implies that helping individuals take responsibility for appraisals is important in treating conflict.

Percentage prevalence of patient and visitor violence against staff in high-risk UK medical wards.

PubMed

Lepping, Peter; Lanka, Srinivas Vn; Turner, Jim; Stanaway, Stephen Ers; Krishna, Murali

2013-12-01

Patient and visitor violence adversely affects staff and organisations; however, there are few UK data about patient and visitor violence on medical wards. Therefore, we conducted a cross-sectional study using a validated tool (Survey of Violence Experienced by Staff) in six medical wards in three North Wales district general hospitals to assess the prevalence of violence against healthcare staff. A total of 158 staff responded (12 men, 144 women, two not stated). We found that, within the previous 4 weeks, 83% of staff had experienced verbal aggression, 50% had been threatened and 63% had been physically assaulted. Of those assaulted, 56% sustained an injury, with three requiring medical assessment or treatment. Length of experience in the workplace correlated negatively with verbal abuse, but not with threats or assaults. Direct patient contact positively correlated with more overall incidents. There was no correlation between training in aggression management and the experience of incidents. Healthcare support workers and nurses reported a higher prevalence of patient and visitor violence compared with other groups of health worker.

The effects of single-sex versus coeducational schools on adolescent peer victimization and perpetration.

PubMed

Gee, Kevin A; Cho, Rosa Minhyo

2014-12-01

Bullying is a growing public health concern for South Korean adolescents. In our quantitative investigation, we analyze the frequency with which Korean adolescents in single-sex versus coeducational schools are targets of or engage in three peer aggressive behaviors (verbal, relational (social exclusion), and physical (including theft)). We use two nationally representative datasets, the 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the 2005 Korea Education Longitudinal Study (KELS), and rely on propensity score matching (PSM). For adolescent girls, we find that being in all-girls schools mitigates both their exposure to and engagement in peer victimization. For adolescent boys, we find that boys in all-boys schools have significantly higher odds of experiencing more frequent verbal and physical attacks versus their counterparts in coeducational schools. Our findings strongly suggest that interventions to mitigate peer victimization and aggression in Korea should consider the gendered schooling contexts in which they are implemented. Copyright © 2014 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The role of aggressions suffered by healthcare workers as predictors of burnout.

PubMed

Gascon, Santiago; Leiter, Michael P; Andrés, Eva; Santed, Miguel A; Pereira, Joao P; Cunha, María J; Albesa, Agustín; Montero-Marín, Jesus; García-Campayo, Javier; Martínez-Jarreta, Begoña

2013-11-01

To examine the prevalence of aggression against healthcare professionals and to determine the possible impact that violent episodes have on healthcare professionals in terms of loss of enthusiasm and involvement towards work. The objective was to analyse the percentage of occupational assault against professionals' aggression in different types of healthcare services, differentiating between physical and verbal aggression as a possible variable in detecting burnout in doctors and nursing professionals. Leiter and Maslach have explored a double process model of burnout not only based on exhaustion by overload, but also based on personal and organisational value conflicts (community, rewards or values). Moreover, Whittington has obtained conclusive results about the possible relationship between violence and burnout in mental health nurses. A retrospective study was performed in three hospitals and 22 primary care centres in Spain (n = 1·826). Through different questionnaires, we have explored the relationship between aggression suffered by healthcare workers and burnout. Eleven percent of respondents had been physically assaulted on at least one occasion, whilst 34·4% had suffered threats and intimidation on at least one occasion and 36·6% had been subjected to insults. Both forms of violence, physical and non-physical aggression, showed significant correlations with symptoms of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and inefficacy). The survey showed evidence of a double process: (1) by which excess workload helps predict burnout, and (2) by which a mismatch in the congruence of values, or interpersonal conflict, contributes in a meaningful way to each of the dimensions of burnout, adding overhead to the process of exhaustion-cynicism-lack of realisation. Relevance to clinical practice.  Studies indicate that health professionals are some of the most exposed to disorders steaming from psychosocial risks and a high comorbidity: anxiety, depression, etc. There is a clear need for accurate instruments of evaluation to detect not only the burnout but also the areas that cause it. Professional exhaustion caused by aggression or other factors can reflect a deterioration in the healthcare relationship. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Young children's representations of conflict and distress: a longitudinal study of boys and girls with disruptive behavior problems.

PubMed

Zahn-Waxler, Carolyn; Park, Jong-Hyo; Usher, Barbara; Belouad, Francesca; Cole, Pamela; Gruber, Reut

2008-01-01

We investigated narratives, symbolic play, and emotions in children who varied in severity of disruptive behavior problems. Children's representations of hypothetical situations of conflict and distress were assessed at 4-5 and 7 years. Behavior problems also were assessed then and again at 9 years. Children's aggressive and caring themes differentiated nonproblem children, children whose problems remained or worsened with age, and those whose problems improved over time. Differences in boys and girls whose problems continued sometimes reflected exaggerations of prototypic gender differences seen across the groups. Boys with problems showed more hostile themes (physical aggression and anger), whereas girls with problems showed more caring (prosocial) themes relative to the other groups. Modulated (verbal) aggression, more common in girls than boys, showed developmentally appropriate increases with age. However, this was true only for children without problems and those whose problems improved. We consider how these findings contribute to an understanding the inner worlds of boys and girls who differ in their early developmental trajectories for behavior problems.

Workplace violence against homecare workers and its relationship with workers health outcomes: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Hanson, Ginger C; Perrin, Nancy A; Moss, Helen; Laharnar, Naima; Glass, Nancy

2015-01-17

Consumer-driven homecare models support aging and disabled individuals to live independently through the services of homecare workers. Although these models have benefits, including autonomy and control over services, little evidence exists about challenges homecare workers may face when providing services, including workplace violence and the negative outcomes associated with workplace violence. This study investigates the prevalence of workplace violence among homecare workers and examines the relationship between these experiences and homecare worker stress, burnout, depression, and sleep. We recruited female homecare workers in Oregon, the first US state to implement a consumer driven homecare model, to complete an on-line or telephone survey with peer interviewers. The survey asked about demographics and included measures to assess workplace violence, fear, stress, burnout, depression and sleep problems. Homecare workers (n = 1,214) reported past-year incidents of verbal aggression (50.3% of respondents), workplace aggression (26.9%), workplace violence (23.6%), sexual harassment (25.7%), and sexual aggression (12.8%). Exposure was associated with greater stress (p < .001), depression (p < .001), sleep problems (p < .001), and burnout (p < .001). Confidence in addressing workplace aggression buffered homecare workers against negative work and health outcomes. To ensure homecare worker safety and positive health outcomes in the provision of services, it is critical to develop and implement preventive safety training programs with policies and procedures that support homecare workers who experience harassment and violence.

Father absence and gendered traits in sons and daughters.

PubMed

Boothroyd, Lynda G; Cross, Catharine P

2017-01-01

Research has previously found a number of apparently contradictory patterns in the relationship between 'father absence' (having a non-resident father during childhood) and the expression of gender roles, as well as other sexually dimorphic traits such as aggression. In the current study we measured a battery of sexually differentiated traits in relation to family background. 133 men and 558 women from the United States and Australia completed the Bem Sex Role Inventory, the Barrett Impulsivity Scale, the Fear Survey Schedule and the Buss & Perry Aggression Questionnaire. Principal components analysis found two main axes of variation in these traits. Firstly, a general 'reactivity' factor, on which aggression, impulsivity, and fear all loaded positively, was weakly associated with father absence in women. Secondly, 'masculinity' (consisting of high scores on masculine traits, low fear, and physical and verbal aggression) was not associated with father absence. Participants (except American males) reporting a poor childhood relationship with their parents also had high 'reactivity' but not higher 'masculinity'. We found some evidence of a link between father absence and earlier age of first coitus in American females (although not in Australia), but there was no link with age of menarche in either country. Overall, the current results suggest that previous findings linking gender development with father absence in girls may have arisen from a tendency towards greater externalising and reactive behaviour rather than a change in gender development per se.

The Role of Adolescent Physical Abuse in Adult Intimate Partner Violence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sunday, Suzanne; Kline, Myriam; Labruna, Victor; Pelcovitz, David; Salzinger, Suzanne; Kaplan, Sandra

2011-01-01

This study's primary aims were to examine whether a sample of young adults, aged 23 to 31, who had been documented as physically abused by their parent(s) during adolescence would be more likely to aggress, both physically and verbally, against their intimate partners compared with nonabused young adults and whether abuse history was (along with…

Ethical Principles and Character Traits in Children's Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardwick, Shirley Ann

2017-01-01

This study was initiated to explore the decline in the demonstration of moral and ethical behavior among young people in many public school settings. Media reports of verbal and physical aggression, bullying, and defiance of adults in authority have been reported in some of the larger urban school districts. Several research studies have provided…

Coping Strategies and Perceived Effectiveness in Fourth through Eighth Grade Victims of Bullying

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tenenbaum, Laura S.; Varjas, Kris; Meyers, Joel; Parris, Leandra

2011-01-01

Victimization resulting from bullying affects millions of school children worldwide each year (e.g. Nansel et al., 2001; Sapouna, 2008; Smokowski & Kopasz, 2005). These children face the fear and humiliation of verbal, physical, and relational aggression and as a result, often suffer psychological ill effects (e.g. Kochenderfer-Ladd, & Skinner,…

Bullying Victimization among Music Ensemble and Theatre Students in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elpus, Kenneth; Carter, Bruce Allen

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze the prevalence of reported school victimization through physical, verbal, social/relational, and cyberbullying aggression among music ensemble and theatre students in the middle and high schools of the United States as compared to their peers involved in other school-based activities. We analyzed nationally…

The Role of Causal and Intentional Judgments in Moral Reasoning in Individuals with High Functioning Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buon, Marine; Dupoux, Emmanuel; Jacob, Pierre; Chaste, Pauline; Leboyer, Marion; Zalla, Tiziana

2013-01-01

In the present study, we investigated the ability to assign moral responsibility and punishment in adults with high functioning autism or Asperger Syndrome (HFA/AS), using non-verbal cartoons depicting an aggression, an accidental harm or a mere coincidence. Participants were asked to evaluate the agent's causal and intentional roles, his…

Why Do Students Bully? An Analysis of Motives behind Violence in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fluck, Julia

2017-01-01

Research on school bullying and violence has always been working with taxonomies of bullying to categorize aggressive acts. Researchers distinguish between direct and indirect or between physical, verbal, and relational bullying. Cyberbullying is categorized either by type of action or by type of medium. In this article, we propose another kind of…

Students' Perceived Understanding: An Alternative Measure and Its Associations with Perceived Teacher Confirmation, Verbal Aggressiveness, and Credibility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schrodt, Paul; Finn, Amber N.

2011-01-01

Given recent questions regarding the construct validity of Cahn and Shulman's Feelings of Understanding/Misunderstanding scale, two studies were conducted to develop a low-inference, behavioral measure of students' perceived understanding in the college classroom. In Study One (N = 265), a pilot inventory was developed to measure students'…

Identification of the "minimal triangle" and other common event-to-event transitions in conflict and containment incidents.

PubMed

Bowers, Len; James, Karen; Quirk, Alan; Wright, Steve; Williams, Hilary; Stewart, Duncan

2013-07-01

Although individual conflict and containment events among acute psychiatric inpatients have been studied in some detail, the relationship of these events to each other has not. In particular, little is known about the temporal order of events for individual patients. This study aimed to identify the most common pathways from event to event. A sample of 522 patients was recruited from 84 acute psychiatric wards in 31 hospital locations in London and the surrounding areas during 2009-2010. Data on the order of conflict and containment events were collected for the first two weeks of admission from patients' case notes. Event-to-event transitions were tabulated and depicted diagrammatically. Event types were tested for their most common temporal placing in sequences of events. Most conflict and containment occurs within and between events of the minimal triangle (verbal aggression, de-escalation, and PRN medication), and the majority of these event sequences conclude in no further events; a minority transition to other, more severe, events. Verbal abuse and medication refusal were more likely to start sequences of disturbed behaviour. Training in the prevention and management of violence needs to acknowledge that a gradual escalation of patient behaviour does not always occur. Verbal aggression is a critical initiator of conflict events, and requires more detailed and sustained research on optimal management and prevention strategies. Similar research is required into medication refusal by inpatients.

Prevalence and risk factors of violence among elementary school children in Cairo.

PubMed

Ez-Elarab, Hanan S; Sabbour, Sahar M; Gadallah, Mohsen A; Asaad, Tarek A

2007-01-01

School violence is a growing problem that has received widespread attention. Violent behavior for elementary school children is primarily expressed as physical or verbal aggression. Various factors contribute to violent and aggression by children at homes, schools or individual risk factors. The aim of the present study is to measure the prevalence of violence, risk factors, and different forms among elementary school children, to identify consequence of violent exposure and children with abnormal behavior score. A cross-sectional study was done enrolling a total of 500 elementary students from two mixed schools (private and public) 250 from each in North Cairo Educational Zone. Data collected from students, parents and teachers were: violence behavior, home and family atmosphere, peer relation, exposure to violence at school; being victimized, witness, or initiator, and other risk factors. Standardized questionnaires were used as Achenback Child Behavior checklist, parent and teacher forms of Strength and Difficulty questionnaires (SDQ), and developmental history of child. Monthly grades of students, IQ assessment, physical examination of students were recorded. Prevalence of different forms of violence was higher in public school than private; physical violence 76%, 62% respectively. All forms of violence were higher among boys. Living with a single parent (OR = 2.3), absence of an attachment figure (OR = 13.6), instrumental delivery or cesarean section (OR = 1.9), corporal punishment (OR = 3), violent video games preference (OR = 2.5), exposure to verbal aggression (OR = 3), relations with aggressive peers (OR = 3) were risk factors for violence. Teacher's report of SDQ revealed abnormal score of student's behavior in (32.4%) and (22%) students of public and private schools respectively. The most frequent problems revealed by SDQ among victimized students of both schools was conduct problems (64.7%) in teacher's report and peer relation problems 93.6% in parent's report. Abnormal and borderline scores of SDQ are high among studied students, Follow up and supervision is needed to prevent violence among them. An effective role model to direct student's behavior should receive more concern at the school and home level.

Staff's attitudes and reactions towards aggressive behaviour of clients with intellectual disabilities: a multi-level study.

PubMed

Knotter, Maartje H; Wissink, Inge B; Moonen, Xavier M H; Stams, Geert-Jan J M; Jansen, Gerard J

2013-05-01

Data were collected from 121 staff members (20 direct support staff teams) on background characteristics of the individual staff members and their teams (gender, age, years of work experience, position and education), the frequency and form of aggression of clients with an intellectual disability (verbal or physical), staff members' attitudes towards aggression, and the types of behavioural interventions they executed (providing personal space and behavioural boundary-setting, restricting freedom and the use of coercive measures). Additionally, client group characteristics (age of clients, type of care and client's level of intellectual disability) were assessed. Multilevel analyses (individual and contextual level) were performed to examine the relations between all studied variables and the behavioural interventions. The results showed that for providing personal space and behavioural boundary-setting as well as for restricting freedom, the proportion of variance explained by the context (staff team and client group characteristics) was three times larger than the proportion of variance explained by individual staff member characteristics. For using coercive measures, the context even accounted for 66% of the variance, whereas only 8% was explained by individual staff member characteristics. A negative attitude towards aggression of the direct support team as a whole proved to be an especially strong predictor of using coercive measures. To diminish the use of coercive measures, interventions should therefore be directed towards influencing the attitude of direct support teams instead of individual staff members. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Father absence and gendered traits in sons and daughters

PubMed Central

Boothroyd, Lynda G.

2017-01-01

Research has previously found a number of apparently contradictory patterns in the relationship between ‘father absence’ (having a non-resident father during childhood) and the expression of gender roles, as well as other sexually dimorphic traits such as aggression. In the current study we measured a battery of sexually differentiated traits in relation to family background. 133 men and 558 women from the United States and Australia completed the Bem Sex Role Inventory, the Barrett Impulsivity Scale, the Fear Survey Schedule and the Buss & Perry Aggression Questionnaire. Principal components analysis found two main axes of variation in these traits. Firstly, a general ‘reactivity’ factor, on which aggression, impulsivity, and fear all loaded positively, was weakly associated with father absence in women. Secondly, ‘masculinity’ (consisting of high scores on masculine traits, low fear, and physical and verbal aggression) was not associated with father absence. Participants (except American males) reporting a poor childhood relationship with their parents also had high ‘reactivity’ but not higher ‘masculinity’. We found some evidence of a link between father absence and earlier age of first coitus in American females (although not in Australia), but there was no link with age of menarche in either country. Overall, the current results suggest that previous findings linking gender development with father absence in girls may have arisen from a tendency towards greater externalising and reactive behaviour rather than a change in gender development per se. PMID:28678822

Nature and frequency of aggressive behaviours among long-term inpatients with schizophrenia: a 6-month report using the modified overt aggression scale.

PubMed

Joyal, Christian C; Gendron, Catherine; Côté, Gilles

2008-07-01

Previous reports of violence rates in psychiatric settings varied substantially. The main goal of this preliminary study was to prospectively record all violent incidents committed by chronic inpatients with schizophrenia (Sz) using a validated instrument. A secondary objective was to confirm that a majority of violent inward incidents were not commonly serious and committed by a minority of recidivistic individuals suffering from neurological damage (ND). The French version of the Modified Overt Aggression Scale was introduced in all wards of a maximum security hospital to describe every violent incident committed by patients (n = 116) with diagnoses of Sz, Sz and ND, or Sz and mental retardation (MR) during a 6-month period (24 hours a day, 7 days a week). Fifty-seven percent of aggressive acts were committed by 15% of patients who were more likely to receive additional diagnoses of ND or MR. Violent patients with Sz and ND were involved in 6 incidents for each individual on average, although most of the incidents were verbal in nature (68%). A high rate (28%) of patients with Sz, without evidence of ND or MR, had assaulted someone at least once during the study period. These results explain in part the high diversity of previous violent rate reviews and support the notion that inward repetitive violence might be more closely related with ND and impulsivity than psychopathology.

Easing the Teasing[R]: Helping Your Child Cope with Name-Calling, Ridicule, and Verbal Bullying.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freedman, Judy S.

Noting that teasing can have damaging and lasting effects on children, including low self-esteem, chronic stress, anxiety, dislike of school, and aggressive behavior, and that children need concrete ways to cope with teasers and the emotional turmoil teasing can cause, this book presents a program to teach children and parents how to deal…

Promoting Sisterhood: The Impact of a Culturally Focused Program to Address Verbally Aggressive Behaviors in Black Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aston, Candice; Graves, Scott L., Jr.; McGoey, Kara; Lovelace, Temple; Townsend, Tiffany

2018-01-01

New estimates report that Black girls are facing an educational crisis with regard to disproportionate disciplinary practices and academics. To date, there has been very limited research with regard to school-based interventions that have been designed to help Black girls explore both their cultural and gender identity. This is problematic because…

The Effects of a Bibliotherapy Intervention Compared to a Psycho-Educational Intervention to Improve Awareness of Self for Students with Emotional Disturbance in a Special Day School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kerr, Rhonda Moore

2017-01-01

Students with emotional disturbances often present with internalizing behaviors, such as anxiety, and externalizing behaviors, such as verbally or physically aggressive behaviors, which lead to challenges establishing and maintaining satisfactory relationships with peers and adults. These challenging relationships also present unique disciplinary…

Teacher Verbal Aggressiveness and Credibility Mediate the Relationship between Teacher Technology Policies and Perceived Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finn, Amber N.; Ledbetter, Andrew M.

2014-01-01

In this study, we extend previous work on teacher technology policies by refining the teacher technology policies instrument to account for the technology purpose (social, academic) and type (cell phone, laptop/tablet), and examine a model of teacher technology policies and perceived learning. We found that students are more sensitive to policies…

Work-related violence against security guards--who is most at risk?

PubMed

Leino, Tuula; Selin, Risto; Summala, Heikki; Virtanen, Marianna

2011-01-01

Studies on violence in the work of security guards are largely lacking. This study is unique in that it focuses on security guards (n=1,010) in Finland, and assesses the different forms, prevalence, and risk factors of the work-related violence they often face. Information to a survey instrument was obtained by first interviewing 30 volunteers. Then we made a cross-sectional mailed survey that was sent to a randomized group of 2,000 security guards. The response rate was 52. We found the prevalence of verbal aggression, threats of assault, and physical acts against security guards at least once a month to be 39%, 19%, and 15% respectively. As regards risk factors and who is most at risk, our results show that male gender, young age, low work experience, late working hours, and time pressure were associated with all three forms of work-related violence. Unlike other forms of violence, verbal aggression was highly prevalent outside the metropolitan area and directed towards both more and less experienced security guards. In prevention policies for violence, it is important to identify high-risk groups such as those who have less work experience.

A study of psychiatric nurses' beliefs and attitudes about work safety and assaults in Turkey.

PubMed

Bilgin, Hülya; Buzlu, Sevim

2006-01-01

In Turkey, the cultural structure effects the gender roles in the society, and women are subject to violence in an intense manner both inside the family and in their workplaces. In nursing, which is still defined as a woman's job in our country, it is possible to encounter many aggressive and threatening behaviours. Knowing no geographical borders, aggression leads to dissatisfaction and alienation with the profession for the nurses working at the psychiatric institutions in Turkey, thus aggression is a significant health risk in physical, psychological and social dimensions. The research was carried out with 162 randomly selected nurses working in the psychiatric institutions in Istanbul using the Attitudes Toward Patient Physical Assault Questionnaire. It has been determined that nurses' rate of exposure to verbal/physical assault by the patients and their relatives is high and that they experience an intense uncertainty and conflict, especially in legal issues, and that the duration of working in the psychiatry clinics effects attitudes toward the assaults. It is concluded that the nurses working at the psychiatry clinics in Turkey are under risk in regards to safety and they need protection and support, both in emotional and in legal terms.

Development of the Multidimensional Peer Victimization Scale-Revised (MPVS-R) and the Multidimensional Peer Bullying Scale (MPVS-RB).

PubMed

Betts, Lucy R; Houston, James E; Steer, Oonagh L

2015-01-01

Peer victimization is a frequent occurrence for many adolescents; however, some of the psychometric properties of self-report scales assessing these experiences remain unclear. Furthermore, with an increase in access to technology, electronic aggression should also be considered. The authors examined the psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Peer Victimization Scale (MPVS; Mynard & Joseph, 2000), and developed versions to include the assessment of electronic aggression according to whether the adolescent was the target or perpetrator of peer victimization. A total of 371 (191 girls and 180 boys; Mage = 13 years 4 months, SDage = 1 year 2 months) adolescents in the United Kingdom completed the MPVS including five newly developed items assessing electronic aggression, a version of the MPVS designed to assess victimization perpetration, and a measure of self-esteem. Confirmatory factor analyses yielded a five-factor structure comprising: Physical, social manipulation, verbal, attacks on property, and electronic for both scales. Convergent validity was established through negative associations between the victimization scales and self-esteem. Sex differences also emerged. One revised scale and one new scale are subsequently proposed: The MPVS-Revised and the Multidimensional Peer Bullying Scale.

Childhood Abuse and Current Family Conflict: The Role of Shame

PubMed Central

Kim, Jungmeen; Talbot, Nancy L.; Cicchetti, Dante

2014-01-01

Objective To examine whether shame-proneness mediates the relationship between women's histories of childhood sexual abuse and their current partner and family conflict and child maltreatment. Previous research has found that women with childhood sexual abuse histories experience heightened shame and interpersonal conflict. However, research examining the relationship of shame to interpersonal conflict is lacking. Method Participants were 129 mothers of children enrolled in a summer camp program for at-risk children from financially disadvantaged families. Data were collected on women's childhood abuse histories, shame in daily life, and current interpersonal conflict involving family conflict, intimate partner conflict (verbal and physical aggression), and child maltreatment. Results Consistent with our hypothesis, the results of hierarchical regressions and logistic regression indicated that shame significantly mediated the association between childhood sexual abuse and interpersonal conflict. Women with sexual abuse histories reported more shame in their daily lives, which in turn was associated with higher levels of conflicts with intimate partners (self-verbal aggression and partner-physical aggression) and in the family. Shame did not mediate the relationship between mothers' histories of sexual abuse and child maltreatment. Conclusion The role of shame in the intimate partner and family conflicts of women with sexual abuse histories has not been examined. The current findings indicate that childhood sexual abuse was related to interpersonal conflicts indirectly through the emotion of shame. Practical Implications These findings highlight the importance of investigating the role of shame in the interpersonal conflicts of women with histories of childhood sexual abuse. Healthcare professionals in medical and mental health settings frequently treat women with abuse histories who are involved in family and partner conflicts. Assessing and addressing the links of abused women's shame to interpersonal conflicts could be important in clinical interventions. PMID:19457556

Periodontal Examination Profiles and Treatment Approaches of a Group of Turkish General Dentists.

PubMed

Ercan, Esra; Uysal, Cihan; Uzun, Cansu; Yılmaz, Mümün

2015-01-01

To investigate the periodontal examination profiles and treatment approaches of a group of Turkish general dentists. 457 general dentists were called and 173 dentists agreed to participate in the study. The questionnaire comprised 10 questions including gender, years of experience, periodontal probing during examination, oral hygiene motivation methods (do you perform, yes/no; the oral hygiene motivation method; verbal expression or using visual materials), periodontal treatments (supragingival scaling, subgingival scaling and planing or surgery) and knowledge about diagnosis and treatment for aggressive and chronic periodontitis. The participants were grouped according to their years of clinical experience: group 1: 0 to 10 years of clinical practice (n = 58); group 2: 10 to 20 years (n = 68); group 3: >20 years (n = 47). The 'periodontal probing' performance percentages were 70.69%, 26.47% and 40.43% in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The oral hygiene motivation rate was high in the first 10 years of clinical practice (60.3%). In addition, 72.4% of the dentists in group 1 used visual materials in addition to verbal expression during oral hygiene motivation. 72.25% of the general dentists performed supragingival scaling. The knowledge of diagnosis and treatment of chronic periodontitis was present in >90% of the dentists surveyed. In contrast, >50% of the general dentists were not knowledgeable in the diagnosis and treatment of aggressive periodontitis. Periodontal probing is a gold standard for periodontal diagnosis, but as the dentists' clinical experience increases, the frequency of its performance decreases. The percentage of the knowledge and treatment of chronic periodontitis is higher than that of aggressive periodontitis. Postgraduate education in periodontology is important to keep general dentists up to date on current periodontal practice and improve awareness of periodontal diseases.

Childhood abuse and current interpersonal conflict: the role of shame.

PubMed

Kim, Jungmeen; Talbot, Nancy L; Cicchetti, Dante

2009-06-01

To examine whether shame-proneness mediates the relationship between women's histories of childhood sexual abuse and their current partner and family conflict and child maltreatment. Previous research has found that women with childhood sexual abuse histories experience heightened shame and interpersonal conflict. However, research examining the relationship of shame to interpersonal conflict is lacking. Participants were 129 mothers of children enrolled in a summer camp program for at-risk children from financially disadvantaged families. Data were collected on women's childhood abuse histories, shame in daily life, and current interpersonal conflict involving family conflict, intimate partner conflict (verbal and physical aggression), and child maltreatment. Consistent with our hypothesis, the results of hierarchical regressions and logistic regression indicated that shame significantly mediated the association between childhood sexual abuse and interpersonal conflict. Women with sexual abuse histories reported more shame in their daily lives, which in turn was associated with higher levels of conflicts with intimate partners (self-verbal aggression and partner-physical aggression) and in the family. Shame did not mediate the relationship between mothers' histories of sexual abuse and child maltreatment. The role of shame in the intimate partner and family conflicts of women with sexual abuse histories has not been examined. The current findings indicate that childhood sexual abuse was related to interpersonal conflicts indirectly through the emotion of shame. These findings highlight the importance of investigating the role of shame in the interpersonal conflicts of women with histories of childhood sexual abuse. Healthcare professionals in medical and mental health settings frequently treat women with abuse histories who are involved in family and partner conflicts. Assessing and addressing the links of abused women's shame to interpersonal conflicts could be important in clinical interventions.

On Chomsky's Appraisal of Skinner's Verbal Behavior: A Half Century of Misunderstanding

PubMed Central

Palmer, David C

2006-01-01

The history of the writing of Verbal Behavior (Skinner, 1957), Chomsky's review (1959), and MacCorquodale's rebuttal (1970) are briefly summarized. Chomsky's recent reflections on his review are analyzed: Chomsky's refusal to acknowledge the review's errors or its aggressive tone is consistent with his polemical style but comes at a minor cost in consistency and plausibility. However, his remarks about the place of Skinner's work in science reveal misunderstandings so great that they undercut the credibility of the review substantially. The gradual growth in the influence of Skinner's book suggests that its legacy will endure. PMID:22478467

Cruel intentions on television and in real life: can viewing indirect aggression increase viewers' subsequent indirect aggression?

PubMed

Coyne, Sarah M; Archer, John; Eslea, Mike

2004-07-01

Numerous studies have shown that viewing violence in the media can influence an individual's subsequent aggression, but none have examined the effect of viewing indirect aggression. This study examines the immediate effect of viewing indirect and direct aggression on subsequent indirect aggression among 199 children ages 11 to 14 years. They were shown an indirect, direct, or no-aggression video and their subsequent indirect aggression was measured by negative evaluation of a confederate and responses to a vignette. Participants viewing indirect or direct aggression gave a more negative evaluation of and less money to a confederate than participants viewing no-aggression. Participants viewing indirect aggression gave less money to the confederate than those viewing direct aggression. Participants viewing indirect aggression gave more indirectly aggressive responses to an ambiguous situation and participants viewing direct aggression gave more directly aggressive responses. This study provides the first evidence that viewing indirect aggression in the media can have an immediate impact on subsequent aggression.

Identifying cognitive predictors of reactive and proactive aggression.

PubMed

Brugman, Suzanne; Lobbestael, Jill; Arntz, Arnoud; Cima, Maaike; Schuhmann, Teresa; Dambacher, Franziska; Sack, Alexander T

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify implicit cognitive predictors of aggressive behavior. Specifically, the predictive value of an attentional bias for aggressive stimuli and automatic association of the self and aggression was examined for reactive and proactive aggressive behavior in a non-clinical sample (N = 90). An Emotional Stroop Task was used to measure an attentional bias. With an idiographic Single-Target Implicit Association Test, automatic associations were assessed between words referring to the self (e.g., the participants' name) and words referring to aggression (e.g., fighting). The Taylor Aggression Paradigm (TAP) was used to measure reactive and proactive aggressive behavior. Furthermore, self-reported aggressiveness was assessed with the Reactive Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ). Results showed that heightened attentional interference for aggressive words significantly predicted more reactive aggression, while lower attentional bias towards aggressive words predicted higher levels of proactive aggression. A stronger self-aggression association resulted in more proactive aggression, but not reactive aggression. Self-reports on aggression did not additionally predict behavioral aggression. This implies that the cognitive tests employed in our study have the potential to discriminate between reactive and proactive aggression. Aggr. Behav. 41:51-64 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Preliminary Investigation of the Abuse of Girls in Zimbabwean Junior Secondary Schools. Education Research Paper. Knowledge & Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leach, Fiona; Machakanja, Pamela

This study found that the abuse of girls in the coeducational schools where the research took place was widespread and took the form of aggressive sexual behavior, intimidation and physical assault by older boys, sexual advances by male teachers, and corporal punishment and verbal abuse by both female and male teachers (on boys as well as girls).…

Interpersonal, Nonverbal, and Small Group Communication: Abstracts of Doctoral Dissertations Published in "Dissertation Abstracts International," July through December 1982 (Vol. 43 Nos. 1 through 6).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading and Communication Skills, Urbana, IL.

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 20 titles discuss a variety of topics, including the following: (1) caregiver talk to toddlers in dyadic and polyadic care; (2) communication tactics for neutralizing verbal aggression; (3) physical attractiveness and nonverbal…

Inbound Call Centers and Emotional Dissonance in the Job Demands – Resources Model

PubMed Central

Molino, Monica; Emanuel, Federica; Zito, Margherita; Ghislieri, Chiara; Colombo, Lara; Cortese, Claudio G.

2016-01-01

Background: Emotional labor, defined as the process of regulating feelings and expressions as part of the work role, is a major characteristic in call centers. In particular, interacting with customers, agents are required to show certain emotions that are considered acceptable by the organization, even though these emotions may be different from their true feelings. This kind of experience is defined as emotional dissonance and represents a feature of the job especially for call center inbound activities. Aim: The present study was aimed at investigating whether emotional dissonance mediates the relationship between job demands (workload and customer verbal aggression) and job resources (supervisor support, colleague support, and job autonomy) on the one hand, and, on the other, affective discomfort, using the job demands-resources model as a framework. The study also observed differences between two different types of inbound activities: customer assistance service (CA) and information service. Method: The study involved agents of an Italian Telecommunication Company, 352 of whom worked in the CA and 179 in the information service. The hypothesized model was tested across the two groups through multi-group structural equation modeling. Results: Analyses showed that CA agents experience greater customer verbal aggression and emotional dissonance than information service agents. Results also showed, only for the CA group, a full mediation of emotional dissonance between workload and affective discomfort, and a partial mediation of customer verbal aggression and job autonomy, and affective discomfort. Conclusion: This study’s findings contributed both to the emotional labor literature, investigating the mediational role of emotional dissonance in the job demands-resources model, and to call center literature, considering differences between two specific kinds of inbound activities. Suggestions for organizations and practitioners emerged in order to identify practical implications useful both to support employees in coping with emotional labor and to promote well-being in inbound call centers. In detail, results showed the need to improve training programs in order to enhance employees’ emotion regulation skills, and to introduce human resource practices aimed at clarifying emotional requirements of the job. PMID:27516752

Inbound Call Centers and Emotional Dissonance in the Job Demands - Resources Model.

PubMed

Molino, Monica; Emanuel, Federica; Zito, Margherita; Ghislieri, Chiara; Colombo, Lara; Cortese, Claudio G

2016-01-01

Emotional labor, defined as the process of regulating feelings and expressions as part of the work role, is a major characteristic in call centers. In particular, interacting with customers, agents are required to show certain emotions that are considered acceptable by the organization, even though these emotions may be different from their true feelings. This kind of experience is defined as emotional dissonance and represents a feature of the job especially for call center inbound activities. The present study was aimed at investigating whether emotional dissonance mediates the relationship between job demands (workload and customer verbal aggression) and job resources (supervisor support, colleague support, and job autonomy) on the one hand, and, on the other, affective discomfort, using the job demands-resources model as a framework. The study also observed differences between two different types of inbound activities: customer assistance service (CA) and information service. The study involved agents of an Italian Telecommunication Company, 352 of whom worked in the CA and 179 in the information service. The hypothesized model was tested across the two groups through multi-group structural equation modeling. Analyses showed that CA agents experience greater customer verbal aggression and emotional dissonance than information service agents. RESULTS also showed, only for the CA group, a full mediation of emotional dissonance between workload and affective discomfort, and a partial mediation of customer verbal aggression and job autonomy, and affective discomfort. This study's findings contributed both to the emotional labor literature, investigating the mediational role of emotional dissonance in the job demands-resources model, and to call center literature, considering differences between two specific kinds of inbound activities. Suggestions for organizations and practitioners emerged in order to identify practical implications useful both to support employees in coping with emotional labor and to promote well-being in inbound call centers. In detail, results showed the need to improve training programs in order to enhance employees' emotion regulation skills, and to introduce human resource practices aimed at clarifying emotional requirements of the job.

Subjective aggression during alcohol and cannabis intoxication before and after aggression exposure.

PubMed

De Sousa Fernandes Perna, E B; Theunissen, E L; Kuypers, K P C; Toennes, S W; Ramaekers, J G

2016-09-01

Alcohol and cannabis use have been implicated in aggression. Alcohol consumption is known to facilitate aggression, whereas a causal link between cannabis and aggression has not been clearly demonstrated. This study investigated the acute effects of alcohol and cannabis on subjective aggression in alcohol and cannabis users, respectively, following aggression exposure. Drug-free controls served as a reference. It was hypothesized that aggression exposure would increase subjective aggression in alcohol users during alcohol intoxication, whereas it was expected to decrease subjective aggression in cannabis users during cannabis intoxication. Heavy alcohol (n = 20) and regular cannabis users (n = 21), and controls (n = 20) were included in a mixed factorial study. Alcohol and cannabis users received single doses of alcohol and placebo or cannabis and placebo, respectively. Subjective aggression was assessed before and after aggression exposure consisting of administrations of the point-subtraction aggression paradigm (PSAP) and the single category implicit association test (SC-IAT). Testosterone and cortisol levels in response to alcohol/cannabis treatment and aggression exposure were recorded as secondary outcome measures. Subjective aggression significantly increased following aggression exposure in all groups while being sober. Alcohol intoxication increased subjective aggression whereas cannabis decreased the subjective aggression following aggression exposure. Aggressive responses during the PSAP increased following alcohol and decreased following cannabis relative to placebo. Changes in aggressive feeling or response were not correlated to the neuroendocrine response to treatments. It is concluded that alcohol facilitates feelings of aggression whereas cannabis diminishes aggressive feelings in heavy alcohol and regular cannabis users, respectively.

Effects of viewing relational aggression on television on aggressive behavior in adolescents: A three-year longitudinal study.

PubMed

Coyne, Sarah M

2016-02-01

Most researchers on media and aggression have examined the behavioral effects of viewing physical aggression in the media. Conversely, in the current study, I examined longitudinal associations between viewing relational aggression on TV and subsequent aggressive behavior. Participants included 467 adolescents who completed a number of different questionnaires involving media and aggression at 3 different time points. Results revealed that viewing relational aggression on TV was longitudinally associated with future relational aggression. However, early levels of relational aggression did not predict future exposure to televised relational aggression. Conversely, there was a bidirectional relationship between TV violence and physical aggression over time. No longitudinal evidence was found for a general effect of viewing TV, as all significant media effects were specific to the type of aggression viewed. These results support the general aggression model and suggest that viewing relational aggression in the media can have a long-term effect on aggressive behavior during adolescence. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved.

Implicit cognitive aggression among young male prisoners: Association with dispositional and current aggression.

PubMed

Ireland, Jane L; Adams, Christine

2015-01-01

The current study explores associations between implicit and explicit aggression in young adult male prisoners, seeking to apply the Reflection-Impulsive Model and indicate parity with elements of the General Aggression Model and social cognition. Implicit cognitive aggressive processing is not an area that has been examined among prisoners. Two hundred and sixty two prisoners completed an implicit cognitive aggression measure (Puzzle Test) and explicit aggression measures, covering current behaviour (DIPC-R) and aggression disposition (AQ). It was predicted that dispositional aggression would be predicted by implicit cognitive aggression, and that implicit cognitive aggression would predict current engagement in aggressive behaviour. It was also predicted that more impulsive implicit cognitive processing would associate with aggressive behaviour whereas cognitively effortful implicit cognitive processing would not. Implicit aggressive cognitive processing was associated with increased dispositional aggression but not current reports of aggressive behaviour. Impulsive implicit cognitive processing of an aggressive nature predicted increased dispositional aggression whereas more cognitively effortful implicit cognitive aggression did not. The article concludes by outlining the importance of accounting for implicit cognitive processing among prisoners and the need to separate such processing into facets (i.e. impulsive vs. cognitively effortful). Implications for future research and practice in this novel area of study are indicated. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Toward a refined view of aggressive fantasy as a risk factor for aggression: interaction effects involving cognitive and situational variables.

PubMed

Smith, Craig E; Fischer, Kurt W; Watson, Malcolm W

2009-01-01

Over three decades of research have established a positive connection between fantasizing about aggression and enacting aggression. Such findings have provided strong evidence against the catharsis view of aggressive fantasy. However, little attention has been paid to the potentially nuanced nature of the link between fantasy aggression and actual aggression. In the present article, we examined the influence of four variables in the aggressive fantasy-aggressive behavior link: gender, exposure to violence, fantasy absorption, and level of fantasy about harm befalling loved ones and the self (dysphoric fantasy). Using data from a diverse, community-based sample of 7-14-year olds and their mothers, we replicated the general finding that aggressive fantasy is positively associated with real-world aggressive behavior. However, we also found that the interaction of aggressive fantasy and exposure to violence related significantly to aggression, as did the relation between aggressive fantasy and dysphoric fantasy. When exposure to violence was low, even high levels of aggressive fantasizing did not predict aggressive behavior, and, when aggressive fantasizing was low, even high levels of exposure to violence did not predict aggressive behavior. Similarly, when dysphoric fantasy was high, the connection between fantasy aggression and real aggression was markedly attenuated. The implications of these findings for intervention efforts and future research are considered. Copyright 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Healthcare Managers' Perceptions of Patient Perpetrated Aggression and Prevention Strategies: A Cross Sectional Survey.

PubMed

Baby, Maria; Swain, Nicola; Gale, Christopher

2016-07-01

Patient or client aggression towards staff is a risk in healthcare. Healthcare takes place in a variety of settings, including hospitals, community, and Aged Care facilities. A minimal amount is known regarding the existence of safety and training measures available throughout the broad range of hospital and community healthcare services. A web-based survey of the type and frequency of violence experienced by healthcare staff was sent to unit managers working in mental health and older peoples' services of District Health Boards, Non-Governmental Organisations, and Aged Care facilities across New Zealand. One hundred and forty-one managers responded to the survey with a response rate of 79.21%. Managers reported high rates of verbal aggression and assaults against staff within their services. A total of 60% of respondents stated that an increase in assaults against staff was due to an increase in violent events and 43.1% related this to increased staff awareness and reporting of violent events to management. Communication skills and de-escalation training were provided across approximately 95% of organisations. The availability of safety measures including panic buttons, personal alarms, use of security personnel, and police assistance were more widely available and accessible within hospital settings and the community sector was found to mostly rely on police for assistance when violence occurs. The perception of violence is high in healthcare. Prevention and management training is provided in public hospital and aged care setting but not so much in NGOs. All areas of healthcare provision could benefit from increased evidence based aggression prevention programmes.

Violence witnessing, perpetrating and victimization in medellin, Colombia: a random population survey

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The burden of injury from violence and the costs attributable to violence are extremely high in Colombia. Despite a dramatic decline in homicides over the last ten years, homicide rate in Medellin, Colombia second largest city continues to rank among the highest of cities in Latin America. This study aims to estimate the prevalence and distribution of witnesses, victims and perpetrators of different forms of interpersonal violence in a representative sample of the general population in Medellin in 2007. Methods A face-to-face survey was carried out on a random selected, non-institutionalized population aged 12 to 60 years, with a response rate of 91% yielding 2,095 interview responses. Results We present the rates of prevalence for having been a witness, victim, or perpetrator for different forms of violence standardized using the WHO truncated population pyramid to allow for cross-national comparison. We also present data on verbal aggression, fraud and deception, yelling and heavy pranks, unarmed aggression during last year, and armed threat, other severe threats, robbery, armed physical aggression, and sexual aggression during the lifetime, by age, sex, marital and socioeconomic status, and education. Men reported the highest prevalence of being victims, perpetrators and witnesses in all forms of violence, except for robbery and sexual violence. The number of victims per perpetrator was positively correlated with the severity of the type of violence. The highest victimization proportions over the previous twelve months occurred among minors. Perpetrators are typically young unmarried males from lower socio-economic strata. Conclusions Due to very low proportion of victimization report to authorities, periodic surveys should be included in systems for epidemiological monitoring of violence, not only of victimization but also for perpetrators. Victimization information allows quantifying the magnitude of different forms of violence, while data on factors associated with aggression and perpetrators are necessary to estimate risk and protective factors that are essential to sound policies for violence prevention formulation. PMID:21819565

Parents’ Aggressive Influences and Children's Aggressive Problem Solutions with Peers

PubMed Central

Duman, Sarah; Margolin, Gayla

2009-01-01

This study examined children's aggressive and assertive solutions to hypothetical peer scenarios in relation to parents’ responses to similar hypothetical social scenarios and parents’ actual marital aggression. The study included 118 9−10 year old children, and their mothers and fathers. Children's aggressive solutions correlated with same-sex parents’ actual marital aggression. For children with mothers who exhibit low actual marital aggression, mothers’ aggressive solutions to hypothetical situations corresponded with children's tendencies to propose aggressive but not assertive solutions. In a 3-way interaction, fathers’ aggressive solutions to peer scenarios and marital aggression, combined, exacerbated girls’ aggressive problem solving, but had the opposite effect for boys. Discussion addresses the complexity, particularly with respect to parent and child gender combinations, in understanding parents’ aggressive influences on children's peer relationships. PMID:17206880

Aggressive Marital Conflict, Maternal Harsh Punishment, and Child Aggressive-Disruptive Behavior: Evidence for Direct and Mediated Relations

PubMed Central

Erath, Stephen A.; Bierman, Karen L.

2009-01-01

Direct associations between aggressive marital conflict and child aggressive-disruptive behavior at home and school were explored in this cross-sectional study of 360 kindergarten children. In addition, mediated pathways linking aggressive marital conflict to maternal harsh punishment to child aggressive-disruptive behavior were examined. Moderation analyses explored how the overall frequency of marital disagreement might buffer or exacerbate the impact of aggressive marital conflict on maternal harsh punishment and child aggressive-disruptive behavior. Hierarchical regressions revealed direct pathways linking aggressive marital conflict to child aggressive-disruptive behavior at home and school and a partially mediated pathway linking aggressive marital conflict to child aggressive-disruptive behavior at home. Further analyses revealed that rates of marital disagreement moderated the association between aggressive marital conflict and child aggressive-disruptive behavior at home, with an attenuated association at high rates of marital disagreement as compared with low rates of marital disagreement. PMID:16756397

Interplay of normative beliefs and behavior in developmental patterns of physical and relational aggression in adolescence: a four-wave longitudinal study

PubMed Central

Krahé, Barbara; Busching, Robert

2014-01-01

In a longitudinal study with N = 1,854 adolescents from Germany, we investigated patterns of change and gender differences in physical and relational aggression in relation to normative beliefs about these two forms of aggression. Participants, whose mean age was 13 years at T1, completed self-report measures of physically and relationally aggressive behavior and indicated their normative approval of both forms of aggression at four data waves separated by 12-month intervals. Boys scored higher than did girls on both forms of aggression, but the gender difference was more pronounced for physical aggression. Physical aggression decreased and relational aggression increased over the four data waves in both gender groups. The normative acceptance of both forms of aggression decreased over time, with a greater decrease for the approval of physical aggression. In both gender groups, normative approval of relational aggression prospectively predicted relational aggression across all data waves, and the normative approval of physical aggression predicted physically aggressive behavior at the second and third data waves. A reciprocal reinforcement of aggressive norms and behavior was found for both forms of aggression. The findings are discussed as supporting a social information processing perspective on developmental patterns of change in physical and relational aggression in adolescence. PMID:25360124

Interplay of normative beliefs and behavior in developmental patterns of physical and relational aggression in adolescence: a four-wave longitudinal study.

PubMed

Krahé, Barbara; Busching, Robert

2014-01-01

In a longitudinal study with N = 1,854 adolescents from Germany, we investigated patterns of change and gender differences in physical and relational aggression in relation to normative beliefs about these two forms of aggression. Participants, whose mean age was 13 years at T1, completed self-report measures of physically and relationally aggressive behavior and indicated their normative approval of both forms of aggression at four data waves separated by 12-month intervals. Boys scored higher than did girls on both forms of aggression, but the gender difference was more pronounced for physical aggression. Physical aggression decreased and relational aggression increased over the four data waves in both gender groups. The normative acceptance of both forms of aggression decreased over time, with a greater decrease for the approval of physical aggression. In both gender groups, normative approval of relational aggression prospectively predicted relational aggression across all data waves, and the normative approval of physical aggression predicted physically aggressive behavior at the second and third data waves. A reciprocal reinforcement of aggressive norms and behavior was found for both forms of aggression. The findings are discussed as supporting a social information processing perspective on developmental patterns of change in physical and relational aggression in adolescence.

Cases of violence involving transvestites and transsexuals in a northeastern Brazilian city.

PubMed

Silva, Glauber Weder Dos Santos; Souza, Emanoel Fhilipe Leite; Sena, Romeika Carla Ferreira de; Moura, Izabella Bezerra de Lima; Sobreira, Maura Vanessa Silva; Miranda, Francisco Arnoldo Nunes de

2016-06-01

Objective To analyze cases of violence against transvestites and transsexuals based on their sociodemographic profile. Method Cross-sectional, descriptive research performed in Cajazeiras / Paraíba, consisting of 16 transvestites and transsexuals. Data collection took place in April 2014 and was analyzed descriptively. Results The typology of violence that victimized transvestites and transsexuals were: verbal (91.96%), psychological (58.33%) and physical (33.33%), often between 24 hours and six months preceding the survey. Regarding the spatiality: the street, school and health services were all scenarios of aggression. With respect to the offending agent, the findings point towards neighbors, family members and health professionals. All forms of violence happened between agents and spaces of aggression. Conclusions Violence among this population, silence around the situations of abuse became more pronounced as did its invisibility in the social and institutional context, reflecting the inhibition of human rights and concealment of reality.

Poverty, household chaos, and interparental aggression predict children’s ability to recognize and modulate negative emotions

PubMed Central

Raver, C. Cybele; Blair, Clancy; Garrett-Peters, Patricia

2015-01-01

The following prospective longitudinal study considers the ways that protracted exposure to verbal and physical aggression between parents may take a substantial toll on emotional adjustment for 1,025 children followed from 6 to 58 months of age. Exposure to chronic poverty from infancy to early childhood as well as multiple measures of household chaos were also included as predictors of children’s ability to recognize and modulate negative emotions in order to disentangle the role of interparental conflict from the socioeconomic forces that sometimes accompany it. Analyses revealed that exposure to greater levels of interparental conflict, more chaos in the household, and a higher number of years in poverty can be empirically distinguished as key contributors to 58-month-olds’ ability to recognize and modulate negative emotion. Implications for models of experiential canalization of emotional processes within the context of adversity are discussed. PMID:25215541

Poverty, household chaos, and interparental aggression predict children's ability to recognize and modulate negative emotions.

PubMed

Raver, C Cybele; Blair, Clancy; Garrett-Peters, Patricia

2015-08-01

The following prospective longitudinal study considers the ways that protracted exposure to verbal and physical aggression between parents may take a substantial toll on emotional adjustment for 1,025 children followed from 6 to 58 months of age. Exposure to chronic poverty from infancy to early childhood as well as multiple measures of household chaos were also included as predictors of children's ability to recognize and modulate negative emotions in order to disentangle the role of interparental conflict from the socioeconomic forces that sometimes accompany it. Analyses revealed that exposure to greater levels of interparental conflict, more chaos in the household, and a higher number of years in poverty can be empirically distinguished as key contributors to 58-month-olds' ability to recognize and modulate negative emotion. Implications for models of experiential canalization of emotional processes within the context of adversity are discussed.

Associations between personality traits and CCK-4-induced panic attacks in healthy volunteers.

PubMed

Tõru, Innar; Aluoja, Anu; Võhma, Ulle; Raag, Mait; Vasar, Veiko; Maron, Eduard; Shlik, Jakov

2010-07-30

In this study we examined how personality disposition may affect the response to cholecystokinin tetrapeptide (CCK-4; 50 microg) challenge in healthy volunteers (n=105). Personality traits were assessed with the Swedish universities Scales of Personality (SSP). Statistical methods employed were correlation analysis and logistic regression. The results showed that the occurrence of CCK-4-induced panic attacks was best predicted by baseline diastolic blood pressure, preceding anxiety and SSP-defined traits of lack of assertiveness, detachment, embitterment and verbal aggression. Significant interactions were noted between the above mentioned variables, modifying their individual effects. For different subsets of CCK-4-induced symptoms, the traits of physical aggression, irritability, somatic anxiety and stress susceptibility also appeared related to panic manifestations. These findings suggest that some personality traits and their interactions may influence vulnerability to CCK-4-induced panic attacks in healthy volunteers. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Preventing violence in schizophrenia with cognitive remediation].

PubMed

Darmedru, C; Demily, C; Franck, N

2018-04-01

The association between schizophrenia and violence represents an important issue in psychiatry. Often highly publicized, violent acts raise the question of their detection, prevention, management and treatment. There is no single, direct and exclusive link between aggressiveness and the underlying psychiatric disorder. On the contrary, the processes underlying this violence are multiple and interlinked. In addition to static and dynamic risk factors, cognitive deficits play an important role in the genesis and maintenance of violent and aggressive behavior. Using recent data from the international literature and the main databases, we first clarify the role played by cognitive deficits in the violence of patients with schizophrenia. We then evaluate the place of psychosocial interventions such as cognitive remediation and social cognitive training in managing the violent and aggressive behavior of these patients. Executive functions and working memory are the most studied neurocognitive functions in the field of violence in schizophrenia. Impulsivity, lack of cognitive flexibility, lack of adaptation and inhibition of automatic motor responses, and altered anger regulation may explain this relationship. Three main components of social cognition are associated with violent behaviors in schizophrenia: (1) the recognition of facial emotions through the inoperability of systems of "emotional monitoring", violent inhibition and recognition of informative facial zones; (2) the theory of the mind through the erroneous interpretation of the intentions of others; (3) the attributional style through the preferentially aggressive over interpretation of social situations and weak capacities of introspection. Overall, cognitive biases inhibit response in a socially acceptable manner and increase the risk of responding impulsively and aggressively to a stressful or provocative situation. In this context, we studied the place held by psychosocial interventions in the management of the violent and aggressive behaviors of these patients. Various cognitive remediation programs have shown their feasibility in people with schizophrenia and neurocognitive deficits with a history of violence as well as their effectiveness in reducing violence, mainly by reducing impulsivity. Similarly, specific programs dedicated to social cognitive training such as Social Cognition and Interaction Training (SCIT), Reasoning and Rehabilitation Mental Health Program (R&R2 MHP) and Metacognitive Training (MCT) have shown their positive impact on the control and reduction of global aggressive attitudes and on the numbers of physical and verbal aggressive incidents in schizophrenia. The improvement of social cognition would be achieved through the amendment of interpersonal relationships and social functioning. These interventions are effective at different stages of disease progression, in patients with varied profiles, on violent attitudes in general and on the number of verbal and physical attacks, whether for in-patients or out-patients. Beneficial effects can last up to 12months after termination of the study program. The interest of these interventions is preventive if the subject never entered in a violent register or curative in case of a personal history of violence. This type of care can be considered from a symptomatic point of view by limiting downstream the heavy consequences of such acts, but also etiologically by acting on one of the causes of violent behavior. Compliance with the eligibility criteria, carrying out a prior functional analysis and confirmation of the major impulsive part of the patient's violence are prerequisites for the use of these programs. Similarly, the early introduction of such therapies, their repetition over time and the integration of the patient into a comprehensive process of psychosocial rehabilitation will ensure the best chance of success. Some cognitive impairments appear to have their place in the genesis, progression and maintenance of violent acts of individuals with schizophrenia. Their management thus opens new therapeutic perspectives such as cognitive remediation, still rarely used in this aim, to complement the action of the traditional care tools. However, further therapeutic trials are needed before considering cognitive remediation and social cognitive training as central care modalities in the therapeutic control of violence in schizophrenia. Copyright © 2017 L'Encéphale, Paris. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Buffering Effect of Job Resources in the Relationship between Job Demands and Work-to-Private-Life Interference: A Study among Health-Care Workers.

PubMed

Viotti, Sara; Converso, Daniela

2016-12-01

The present study aims at investigating whether and how (1) job demands and job resources are associated with work-to-private-life interference (WLI) and (2) job resources moderate the relationship between job demands and WLI. Data were collected by a self-report questionnaire from three hospitals in Italy. The sample consisted of 889 health-care workers. All job demands (i.e., quantitative demands, disproportionate patient expectations, and verbal aggression) and job resources (i.e., job autonomy, support from superiors and colleagues, fairness, and organizational support), with the exception of skill discretion, were related to WLI. The effects of quantitative demands on WLI were moderated by support from superiors; fairness and organizational support moderate the effects of all job demands considered. Support from colleagues moderated only verbal aggression. Job autonomy did not buffer any job demands. The present study suggests that the work context has a central importance in relation to the experience of WLI among health-care workers. The results indicated that intervention in the work context may help to contain WLI. Such interventions would especially be aimed at improving the social climate within the unit and quality of the organizational process.

Callous-Unemotional Traits, Proactive Aggression, and Treatment Outcomes of Aggressive Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

PubMed Central

Blader, Joseph C.; Pliszka, Steven R.; Kafantaris, Vivian; Foley, Carmel A.; Crowell, Judith A.; Carlson, Gabrielle A.; Sauder, Colin; Margulies, David M.; Sinha, Christa; Sverd, Jeffrey; Matthews, Thomas L.; Bailey, Brigitte Y.; Daviss, W. Burleson

2013-01-01

Objective Stimulant treatment improves impulse control among children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Decreased aggression often accompanies stimulant pharmacotherapy, suggesting that impulsiveness is integral to their aggressive behavior. However, children with high callous-unemotional (CU) traits and proactive aggression may benefit less from ADHD pharmacotherapy because their aggressive behavior seems more purposeful and deliberate. This study’s objective was to determine if pretreatment CU traits and proactive aggression affect treatment outcomes among aggressive children with ADHD receiving stimulant monotherapy. Method We implemented a stimulant optimization protocol with 160 6- to 13-year-olds (mean [SD] age of 9.31 [2.02] years; 78.75% males) with ADHD, oppositional defiant or conduct disorder, and significant aggressive behavior. Family-focused behavioral intervention was provided concurrently. Primary outcome was the Retrospective Modified Overt Aggression Scale. The Antisocial Process Screening Device and the Aggression Scale, also completed by parents, measured CU traits and proactive aggression, respectively. Analyses examined moderating effects of CU traits and proactive aggression on outcomes. Results 82 children (51%) experienced remission of aggressive behavior. Neither CU traits nor proactive aggression predicted remission (CU traits: odds ratio=0.94, 95% CI=0.80–1.11; proactive aggression, odds ratio=1.05, 95% CI=0.86–1.29). Children whose overall aggression remitted showed decreases in CU traits (effect size=−0.379, 95% CI=−0.60 to −0.16) and proactive aggression (effect size=−0.463, 95% CI=−0.69 to −0.23). Conclusions Findings suggest that pretreatment CU traits and proactive aggression do not forecast worse outcomes for aggressive children with ADHD receiving optimized stimulant pharmacotherapy. With such treatment, CU traits and proactive aggression may decline alongside other behavioral improvements. PMID:24290461

Caffeinated and Non-caffeinated Alcohol Use and Indirect Aggression: The Impact of Self-regulation

PubMed Central

Sheehan, Brynn E.; Linden-Carmichael, Ashley N.; Lau-Barraco, Cathy

2016-01-01

Research shows that heavier alcohol use is associated with physical aggression. Scant research has examined the way in which alcohol relates to other forms of aggression, such as indirect aggression (e.g., malicious humor, social exclusion). Given the possible negative consequences of indirect aggression and the limited evidence suggesting alcohol use can elicit indirectly aggressive responses, research is needed to further investigate the association between drinking behavior and indirect aggression. Additionally, specific alcoholic beverages, such as caffeinated alcoholic beverages (CABs; e.g., Red Bull and vodka), may potentiate aggression above the influence of typical use, thus warrant examination with regard to indirect aggression. One factor that may impact the strength of the alcohol-indirect aggression and CAB-indirect aggression relationships is one's level of self-regulation. Consequently, our study examined the relationships between (1) alcohol use and indirect aggression, (2) CAB use and indirect aggression, and (3) self-regulation as a moderator. Participants were 733 (67.6% female) undergraduate students who reported their CAB and alcohol use, self-regulation, and aggressive behaviors. Results revealed that heavier alcohol use was associated with more frequent indirect aggression after controlling for dispositional aggression. Heavier CAB use was related to more frequent indirect aggression after accounting for typical use and dispositional aggression. Self-regulation moderated these associations such that for those with lower self-regulation, greater alcohol and CAB consumption was associated with greater indirect aggression. Our findings suggest that heavier alcohol and CAB consumption may be risk factors for engaging in indirect aggression and this risk is impacted by one's regulatory control. PMID:26905765

The emergence of gender differences in physical aggression in the context of conflict between young peers.

PubMed

Hay, Dale F; Nash, Alison; Caplan, Marlene; Swartzentruber, Jan; Ishikawa, Fumiko; Vespo, Jo Ellen

2011-06-01

It is well known that a gender difference in physical aggression emerges by the preschool years. We tested the hypothesis that the gender difference is partly due to changing tactics in peer interaction. Observations of girls' and boys' social initiatives and reactions to opportunities for conflict were made, using the Peer Interaction Coding System (PICS) in four independent samples of children between 9 and 36 months of age, which were aggregated to form a summary data set (N= 323), divided into two age bands (below or above 24 months of age). Linear mixed-model analyses revealed significant age by gender interactions in the use of bodily force in response to peers' initiatives and in the tendency to use bodily force at later stages of conflicts with peers. The gender difference in use of force was not explained by differences in the use of verbal tactics. These cross-sectional findings suggest that girls are initially more likely than boys to use reactive aggression, but then desist, whereas boys increase their use of force to defend their territory and possessions. The difference between older and younger girls likely reflects girls' abilities to regulate their behaviour in response to social challenges and the fact that girls are explicitly socialized to yield to peers' demands.

Propranolol for treating emotional, behavioural, autonomic dysregulation in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Sagar-Ouriaghli, Ilyas; Lievesley, Kate; Santosh, Paramala J

2018-06-01

To date, there is no single medication prescribed to alleviate all the core symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD; National Institute of Health and Care Excellence, 2016). Both serotonin reuptake inhibitors and drugs for psychosis possess therapeutic drawbacks when managing anxiety and aggression in ASD. This review sought to appraise the use of propranolol as a pharmacological alternative when managing emotional, behavioural and autonomic dysregulation (EBAD) and other symptoms. Sixteen reports examined the administration of propranolol in the context of ASD. Sixteen reports broadly covered cognitive domains, neural correlates, and behavioural domains. From the eight single-dose clinical trials, propranolol led to significant improvements in cognitive performance - verbal problem solving, social skills, mouth fixation, and conversation reciprocity; and changes in neural correlates - improvement in semantic networks and functional connectivity. The remaining eight case series and single case reports showed improvements in EBAD, anxiety, aggressive, self-injurious and hypersexual behaviours. Additionally, propranolol significantly improved similar behavioural domains (aggression and self-injury) for those with acquired brain injury. This review indicates that propranolol holds promise for EBAD and cognitive performance in ASD. Given the lack of good quality clinical trials, randomised controlled trials are warranted to explore the efficacy of propranolol in managing EBAD in ASD.

Longitudinal Relations between Beliefs Supporting Aggression,Anger Regulation, and Dating Aggression among Early Adolescents.

PubMed

Sullivan, Terri N; Garthe, Rachel C; Goncy, Elizabeth A; Carlson, Megan M; Behrhorst, Kathryn L

2017-05-01

Dating aggression occurs frequently in early to mid-adolescence and has negative repercussions for psychosocial adjustment and physical health. The patterns of behavior learned during this developmental timeframe may persist in future dating relationships, underscoring the need to identify risk factors for this outcome. The current study examined longitudinal relations between beliefs supporting aggression, anger regulation, and dating aggression. Participants were 176 middle school students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade (50 % female; 82 % African American). No direct effects were found between beliefs supporting reactive or proactive aggression and dating aggression. Beliefs supporting reactive aggression predicted increased rates of anger dysregulation, and beliefs supporting proactive aggression led to subsequent increases in anger inhibition. Anger dysregulation and inhibition were associated with higher frequencies of dating aggression. An indirect effect was found for the relation between beliefs supporting reactive aggression and dating aggression via anger dysregulation. Another indirect effect emerged for the relation between beliefs supporting proactive aggression and dating aggression through anger inhibition. The study's findings suggested that beliefs supporting proactive and reactive aggression were differentially related to emotion regulation processes, and identified anger dysregulation and inhibition as risk factors for dating aggression among adolescents.

Motives in Sexual Aggression: The Chinese Context.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tang, Catherine So-Kum; And Others

1993-01-01

Compared sexual and aggressive motives for sexual aggression in Chinese college students. Male undergraduates (N=146) completed self-report measures. Results suggest that sex guilt and aggressive guilt acted as inhibitors for their respective drives and sexual aggression resulted from aggressive, rather than sexual, motives. Sexual aggression may…

Aggress to impress: hostility as an evolved context-dependent strategy.

PubMed

Griskevicius, Vladas; Tybur, Joshua M; Gangestad, Steven W; Perea, Elaine F; Shapiro, Jenessa R; Kenrick, Douglas T

2009-05-01

Given the high costs of aggression, why have people evolved to act aggressively? Comparative biologists have frequently observed links between aggression, status, and mating in nonhuman animals. In this series of experiments, the authors examined the effects of status, competition, and mating motives on men's and women's aggression. For men, status motives increased direct aggression (face-to-face confrontation). Men's aggression was also boosted by mating motives, but only when observers were other men. For women, both status and mating motives increased indirect aggression (e.g., socially excluding the perpetrator). Although neither status nor mating motives increased women's direct aggression, women did become more directly aggressive when motivated to compete for scarce resources. These context- and sex-specific effects on human aggression contribute to a broader understanding of the functional nature of aggressive behavior. Copyright (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

The Effects of Alcohol Problems, PTSD, and Combat Exposure on Nonphysical and Physical Aggression Among Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans

PubMed Central

Stappenbeck, Cynthia A.; Hellmuth, Julianne C.; Simpson, Tracy; Jakupcak, Matthew

2014-01-01

Aggression among combat veterans is of great concern. Although some studies have found an association between combat exposure and aggressive behavior following deployment, others conclude that aggression is more strongly associated with symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and that alcohol misuse may influence this association. Many of these studies have assessed aggression as a single construct, whereas the current study explored both nonphysical aggression only and physical aggression in a sample of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans (N = 337; 91% male). We found that alcohol problems interacted with PTSD symptom severity to predict nonphysical aggression only. At low levels of PTSD symptoms, veterans with alcohol problems were more likely to perpetrate nonphysical aggression only, as compared with no aggression, than veterans without an alcohol problem. There was no difference in the likelihood of nonphysical aggression only between those with and without alcohol problems at high levels of PTSD symptoms. The likelihood of nonphysical aggression only, as compared with no aggression, was also greater among younger veterans. Greater combat exposure and PTSD symptom severity were associated with an increased likelihood of perpetrating physical aggression, as compared with no aggression. Ethnic minority status and younger age were also associated with physical aggression, as compared with no aggression. Findings suggest that a more detailed assessment of veterans’ aggressive behavior, as well as their alcohol problems and PTSD symptoms, by researchers and clinicians is needed in order to determine how best to intervene. PMID:25225593

Digit ratio (2D:4D), aggression, and testosterone in men exposed to an aggressive video stimulus.

PubMed

Kilduff, Liam P; Hopp, Renato N; Cook, Christian J; Crewther, Blair T; Manning, John T

2013-10-10

The relative lengths of the 2(nd) and 4(th) digits (2D:4D) is a negative biomarker for prenatal testosterone, and low 2D:4D may be associated with aggression. However, the evidence for a 2D:4D-aggression association is mixed. Here we test the hypothesis that 2D:4D is robustly linked to aggression in "challenge" situations in which testosterone is increased. Participants were exposed to an aggressive video and a control video. Aggression was measured after each video and salivary free testosterone levels before and after each video. Compared to the control video, the aggressive video was associated with raised aggression responses and a marginally significant increase in testosterone. Left 2D:4D was negatively correlated with aggression after the aggressive video and the strength of the correlation was higher in those participants who showed the greatest increases in testosterone. Left 2D:4D was also negatively correlated to the difference between aggression scores in the aggressive and control conditions. The control video did not influence testosterone concentrations and there were no associations between 2D:4D and aggression. We conclude that 2D:4D moderates the impact of an aggressive stimulus on aggression, such that an increase in testosterone resulting from a "challenge" is associated with a negative correlation between 2D:4D and aggression.

The effects of reward and punishment in violent video games on aggressive affect, cognition, and behavior.

PubMed

Carnagey, Nicholas L; Anderson, Craig A

2005-11-01

Three experiments examined the effects of rewarding and punishing violent actions in video games on later aggression-related variables. Participants played one of three versions of the same race-car video game: (a) a version in which all violence was rewarded, (b) a version in which all violence was punished, and (c) a nonviolent version. Participants were then measured for aggressive affect (Experiment 1), aggressive cognition (Experiment 2), and aggressive behavior (Experiment 3). Rewarding violent game actions increased hostile emotion, aggressive thinking, and aggressive behavior. Punishing violent actions increased hostile emotion, but did not increase aggressive thinking or aggressive behavior. Results suggest that games that reward violent actions can increase aggressive behavior by increasing aggressive thinking.

Moderating effects of family environment on the association between children's aggressive beliefs and their aggression trajectories from childhood to adolescence.

PubMed

Andreas, Jasmina Burdzovic; Watson, Malcolm W

2009-01-01

This study explored how children's aggressive beliefs and their family environments combine to influence the development of child aggression from middle childhood into adolescence. We utilized a "variable-centered" empirical approach, specifically examining whether children's aggressive beliefs represent a risk factor for their aggressive behaviors and whether this risk can be moderated by children's family environment. These questions were tested with individual growth modeling, using the data from a community-representative sample of 440 mother-child dyads, interviewed four times over a 6-year study period. The accelerated longitudinal design of the study enabled examination of children's aggression trajectories from age 7 to age 19. The results supported the hypothesis that elevated aggressive beliefs in children represent a risk factor for aggression, as higher aggressive beliefs were associated with greater aggression at the youngest age, as well as with increased aggression over time. However, as hypothesized, family environment moderated this association, such that changes in children's aggression over time were contingent upon the interaction of their aggressive beliefs with family environment. Specifically, aggression was reduced in children with high aggressive beliefs if they experienced better than average family environment, which included less family conflict and more family cohesion.

Moderating effects of family environment on the association between children’s aggressive beliefs and their aggression trajectories from childhood to adolescence

PubMed Central

ANDREAS, JASMINA BURDZOVIC; WATSON, MALCOLM W.

2009-01-01

This study explored how children’s aggressive beliefs and their family environments combine to influence the development of child aggression from middle childhood into adolescence. We utilized a “variable-centered” empirical approach, specifically examining whether children’s aggressive beliefs represent a risk factor for their aggressive behaviors and whether this risk can be moderated by children’s family environment. These questions were tested with individual growth modeling, using the data from a community-representative sample of 440 mother–child dyads, interviewed four times over a 6-year study period. The accelerated longitudinal design of the study enabled examination of children’s aggression trajectories from age 7 to age 19. The results supported the hypothesis that elevated aggressive beliefs in children represent a risk factor for aggression, as higher aggressive beliefs were associated with greater aggression at the youngest age, as well as with increased aggression over time. However, as hypothesized, family environment moderated this association, such that changes in children’s aggression over time were contingent upon the interaction of their aggressive beliefs with family environment. Specifically, aggression was reduced in children with high aggressive beliefs if they experienced better than average family environment, which included less family conflict and more family cohesion. PMID:19144230

Sense of control and adolescents' aggression: The role of aggressive cues.

PubMed

Guo, Xucheng; Egan, Vincent; Zhang, Jianxin

2016-12-01

The misperception of aggressive cues is considered a risk factor for inducing adolescent aggression. Poor coping with life stress is also considered a major influence on aggression. The current study examined the relationship between subjective sense of control and adolescent aggression, considering influences upon the perception of these aggressive cues. In Study 1, 60 participants took part in a 2 (sense of control: high sense of control vs. low sense of control) × 2 (aggressive cue: aggressive vs. neutral) between-subjects contextual experiment. The result found that a lower sense of control led to an increase in adolescents' aggression; only in the low-sense-of-control condition did exposure to aggressive cues boost aggression. In Study 2, the catalytic effect of aggressive cues was further explored by an experiment in which 40 adolescents were randomly assigned to a low- or high-sense-of-control condition to test the importance of aggressive cues. The results suggest that adolescents in the low-sense-of-control condition show a higher salience for aggressive cues. © 2016 The Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Boys’ and Girls’ Relational and Physical Aggression in Nine Countries

PubMed Central

Lansford, Jennifer E.; Skinner, Ann T.; Sorbring, Emma; Di Giunta, Laura; Deater-Deckard, Kirby; Dodge, Kenneth A.; Malone, Patrick S.; Oburu, Paul; Pastorelli, Concetta; Tapanya, Sombat; Tirado, Liliana Maria Uribe; Zelli, Arnaldo; Al-Hassan, Suha M.; Alampay, Liane Peña; Bacchini, Dario; Bombi, Anna Silvia; Bornstein, Marc H.; Chang, Lei

2012-01-01

Distinguishing between relational and physical aggression has become a key feature of many developmental studies in North America and Western Europe, but very little information is available on relational aggression in more diverse cultural contexts. This study examined the factor structure of, gender differences in, and associations between relational and physical aggression in China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States. Children ages 7 to 10 years (N = 1410) reported on their relationally and physically aggressive behavior. Relational and physical aggression shared a common factor structure across countries. Unsurprisingly, boys reported being more physically aggressive than girls across all nine countries; surprisingly, there were no significant gender differences in relational aggression. In all nine countries, relational and physical aggression were significantly correlated (average r = .49). The countries differed significantly in the mean levels of both relational and physical aggression that children reported using and with respect to whether children reported using more physical than relational aggression or more relational than physical aggression. Despite mean level differences in relational and physical aggression across countries, the findings provided support for cross-country similarities in associations between relational and physical aggression, as well as links between gender and aggression. PMID:23935227

A latent class analysis of bullies, victims and aggressive victims in Chinese adolescence: relations with social and school adjustments.

PubMed

Shao, Aihui; Liang, Lichan; Yuan, Chunyong; Bian, Yufang

2014-01-01

This study used the latent class analysis (LCA) to identify and classify Chinese adolescent children's aggressive behaviors. It was found that (1) Adolescent children could be divided into four categories: general children, aggressive children, victimized children and aggressive victimized children. (2) There were significant gender differences among the aggressive victimized children, the aggressive children and the general children. Specifically, aggressive victimized children and aggressive children had greater probabilities of being boys; victimized children had equal probabilities of being boys or girls. (3) Significant differences in loneliness, depression, anxiety and academic achievement existed among the aggressive victims, the aggressor, the victims and the general children, in which the aggressive victims scored the worst in all questionnaires. (4) As protective factors, peer and teacher supports had important influences on children's aggressive and victimized behaviors. Relative to general children, aggressive victims, aggressive children and victimized children had lower probabilities of receiving peer supports. On the other hand, compared to general children, aggressive victims had lower probabilities of receiving teacher supports; while significant differences in the probability of receiving teacher supports did not exist between aggressive children and victimized children.

A Latent Class Analysis of Bullies, Victims and Aggressive Victims in Chinese Adolescence: Relations with Social and School Adjustments

PubMed Central

Shao, Aihui; Liang, Lichan; Yuan, Chunyong; Bian, Yufang

2014-01-01

This study used the latent class analysis (LCA) to identify and classify Chinese adolescent children's aggressive behaviors. It was found that (1) Adolescent children could be divided into four categories: general children, aggressive children, victimized children and aggressive victimized children. (2) There were significant gender differences among the aggressive victimized children, the aggressive children and the general children. Specifically, aggressive victimized children and aggressive children had greater probabilities of being boys; victimized children had equal probabilities of being boys or girls. (3) Significant differences in loneliness, depression, anxiety and academic achievement existed among the aggressive victims, the aggressor, the victims and the general children, in which the aggressive victims scored the worst in all questionaires. (4) As protective factors, peer and teacher supports had important influences on children's aggressive and victimized behaviors. Relative to general children, aggressive victims, aggressive children and victimized children had lower probabilities of receiving peer supports. On the other hand, compared to general children, aggressive victims had lower probabilities of receiving teacher supports; while significant differences in the probability of receiving teacher supports did not exist between aggressive children and victimized children. PMID:24740096

Characterizing Aggressive Behavior with the Impulsive/Premeditated Aggression Scale among Adolescents with Conduct Disorder

PubMed Central

Mathias, Charles W.; Stanford, Matthew S.; Marsh, Dawn M.; Frick, Paul J.; Moeller, F. Gerard; Swann, Alan C.; Dougherty, Donald M.

2007-01-01

This study extends the use of the Impulsive/Premeditated Aggression Scale for subtyping aggressive behavior among adolescents with Conduct Disorder. Of the Conduct Disorder symptoms, aggression has the strongest prognostic and treatment implications. While aggression is a complex construct, convergent evidence supports a dichotomy of impulsive and premeditated aggressive subtypes that are qualitatively different from one another in terms of phenomenology and neurobiology. Previous attempts at measuring subtypes of aggression in children and adults are not clearly generalizable to adolescents. Sixty-six adolescents completed a questionnaire for characterizing aggression (Impulsive/Premeditated Aggression Scale), along with standard measures of personality and general functioning. Principal components analysis demonstrated two stable factors of aggression with good internal consistency and construct validity. Compared to the premeditated aggression factor, the impulsive aggression factor was associated with a broader range of personality, thought, emotional, and social problems. As in the adult and child literature, characterization of aggressive behavior into two subtypes appears to be relevant to understanding individual differences among adolescents with Conduct Disorder. PMID:17383014

Aggression Norms in the Classroom Social Network: Contexts of Aggressive Behavior and Social Preference in Middle Childhood.

PubMed

Jackson, Daisy R; Cappella, Elise; Neal, Jennifer Watling

2015-12-01

In a cross-sectional sample of African-American 2nd-4th grade students (N = 681), we examine the moderating effects of classroom overt and relational aggression norms on peers' social acceptance of classmates who exhibit overt and relational aggression in urban schools. Extending theory and research on classroom norms, we integrate social network data to adjust aggression norms based on children's direct and indirect connections in the classroom. Results of multilevel models indicate that network-based classroom aggression norms moderated relations between children's aggressive behavior and their social preference. Specifically, children benefited socially when their form of aggressive behavior fit with what was normative in the classroom social context. The moderating effect of classroom aggression norms was stronger for the association between overt aggression and social preference than relational aggression and social preference. Relationally aggressive youth were socially preferred by peers regardless of the classroom norm, although this positive association was magnified in classrooms with higher levels of relational aggression. Future research focused on aggression norms within classroom social networks are discussed and implications for school prevention efforts are considered.

Callous-unemotional traits, proactive aggression, and treatment outcomes of aggressive children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Blader, Joseph C; Pliszka, Steven R; Kafantaris, Vivian; Foley, Carmel A; Crowell, Judith A; Carlson, Gabrielle A; Sauder, Colin L; Margulies, David M; Sinha, Christa; Sverd, Jeffrey; Matthews, Thomas L; Bailey, Brigitte Y; Daviss, W Burleson

2013-12-01

Stimulant treatment improves impulse control among children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Decreased aggression often accompanies stimulant pharmacotherapy, suggesting that impulsiveness is integral to aggressive behavior in these children. However, children with high callous-unemotional (CU) traits and proactive aggression may benefit less from ADHD pharmacotherapy, because their aggressive behavior seems more purposeful and deliberate. This study's objective was to determine whether pretreatment CU traits and proactive aggression affect treatment outcomes among aggressive children with ADHD receiving stimulant monotherapy. We implemented a stimulant optimization protocol with 160 children 6 to 13 years of age (mean [SD] age of 9.31 [2.02] years; 78.75% male) with ADHD, oppositional defiant or conduct disorder, and significant aggressive behavior. Family-focused behavioral intervention was provided concurrently. The primary outcome was the Retrospective Modified Overt Aggression Scale. The Antisocial Process Screening Device and the Aggression Scale, also completed by parents, measured CU traits and proactive aggression, respectively. Analyses examined moderating effects of CU traits and proactive aggression on outcomes. In all, 82 children (51%) experienced remission of aggressive behavior. Neither CU traits nor proactive aggression predicted remission (CU traits: odds ratio [OR] = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.80-1.11; proactive aggression, OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 0.86-1.29). Children whose overall aggression remitted showed decreases in CU traits (effect size = -0.379, 95% CI = -0.60 to -0.16) and proactive aggression (effect size = -0.463, 95% CI = -0.69 to -0.23). Findings suggest that pretreatment CU traits and proactive aggression do not forecast worse outcomes for aggressive children with ADHD receiving optimized stimulant pharmacotherapy. With such treatment, CU traits and proactive aggression may decline alongside other behavioral improvements. Clinical trial registration information--Medication Strategies for Treating Aggressive Behavior in Youth With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; http://clinicaltrials.gov/; NCT00228046; and Effectiveness of Combined Medication Treatment for Aggression in Children With Attention Deficit With Hyperactivity Disorder (The SPICY Study); http://clinicaltrials.gov/; NCT00794625. Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

CONCEPT ANALYSIS: AGGRESSION

PubMed Central

Liu, Jianghong

2006-01-01

The concept of aggression is important to nursing because further knowledge of aggression can help generate a better theoretical model to drive more effective intervention and prevention approaches. This paper outlines a conceptual analysis of aggression. First, the different forms of aggression are reviewed, including the clinical classification and the stimulus-based classification. Then the manifestations and measurement of aggression are described. Finally, the causes and consequences of aggression are outlined. It is argued that a better understanding of aggression and the causal factors underlying it are essential for learning how to prevent negative aggression in the future. PMID:15371137

Impulsive versus premeditated aggression in the prediction of violent criminal recidivism.

PubMed

Swogger, Marc T; Walsh, Zach; Christie, Michael; Priddy, Brittany M; Conner, Kenneth R

2015-01-01

Past aggression is a potent predictor of future aggression and informs the prediction of violent criminal recidivism. However, aggression is a heterogeneous construct and different types of aggression may confer different levels of risk for future violence. In this prospective study of 91 adults in a pretrial diversion program, we examined (a) premeditated versus impulsive aggression in the prediction of violent recidivism during a one-year follow-up period, and (b) whether either type of aggression would have incremental validity in the prediction of violent recidivism after taking into account frequency of past general aggression. Findings indicate that premeditated, but not impulsive, aggression predicts violent recidivism. Moreover, premeditated aggression remained a predictor of recidivism even with general aggression frequency in the model. Results provide preliminary evidence that the assessment of premeditated aggression provides relevant information for the management of violent offenders. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Impulsive versus Premeditated Aggression in the Prediction of Violent Criminal Recidivism

PubMed Central

Swogger, Marc T.; Walsh, Zach; Christie, Michael; Priddy, Brittany M.; Conner, Kenneth R.

2015-01-01

Past aggression is a potent predictor of future aggression and informs the prediction of violent criminal recidivism. However, aggression is a heterogeneous construct and different types of aggression may confer different levels of risk for future violence. In this prospective study of 91 adults in a pretrial diversion program, we examined a) premeditated versus impulsive aggression in the prediction of violent recidivism during a one-year follow-up period, and b) whether either type of aggression would have incremental validity in the prediction of violent recidivism after taking into account frequency of past general aggression. Findings indicate that premeditated, but not impulsive, aggression predicts violent recidivism. Moreover, premeditated aggression remained a predictor of recidivism even with general aggression frequency in the model. Results provide preliminary evidence that the assessment of premeditated aggression provides relevant information for the management of violent offenders. PMID:25043811

Self-Control and Emotional and Verbal Aggression in Dating Relationships: A Dyadic Understanding.

PubMed

Baker, Elizabeth A; Klipfel, Katherine M; van Dulmen, Manfred H M

2016-08-01

Guided by the dynamic developmental systems perspective, this study extends past research by examining the association between self-control and emotional and verbal aggression (EVA) using a dyadic multi-method design. Guided by empirical research and the dynamic developmental systems perspective, we hypothesized that (a) there would be a negative association between one's own self-control and one's own perpetration of EVA and (b) there would also be a negative association between one's partner's self-control and one's own perpetration of EVA. One hundred twenty heterosexual dating couples (ages 18-25 years) provided data on self-control (Grasmick et al.'s Low Self-Control Scale; reverse scored for ease of interpretation), self-reported perpetration of EVA (Emotional and Verbal Abuse subscale of the Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory), and observationally assessed perpetration of EVA. Data were analyzed using path analyses within the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) framework. Consistent with previous findings, we found that self-control was negatively associated with the perpetration of EVA. Furthermore, we found partner effects, such that female-but not male-self-control predicted partner-observed perpetration of EVA. These findings highlight the importance of examining risk factors for EVA of both partners. Our findings also suggest that the association between self-control and EVA is partially a function of whether EVA is assessed through self-report or observational methodology. This highlights the need to conduct multi-method assessments in future research. As discussed in the article, our findings have implications for theories on intimate partner violence, study designs, and couple interventions.

Normative influences on aggression in urban elementary school classrooms.

PubMed

Henry, D; Guerra, N; Huesmann, R; Tolan, P; VanAcker, R; Eron, L

2000-02-01

We report a study aimed at understanding the effects of classroom normative influences on individual aggressive behavior, using samples of 614 and 427 urban elementary school children. Participants were assessed with measures of aggressive behavior and normative beliefs about aggression. We tested hypotheses related to the effects of personal normative beliefs, descriptive classroom norms (the central tendency of classmates' aggressive behavior), injunctive classroom normative beliefs (classmates' beliefs about the acceptability of aggression), and norm salience (student and teacher sanctions against aggression) on longitudinal changes in aggressive behavior and beliefs. injunctive norms affected individual normative beliefs and aggression, but descriptive norms had no effect on either. In classrooms where students and teachers made norms against aggression salient, aggressive behavior diminished over time. Implications for classroom behavior management and further research are discussed.

Behavioral characterization of escalated aggression induced by GABAB receptor activation in the dorsal raphé nucleus

PubMed Central

Takahashi, Aki; Schilit, Arielle N.; Kim, Jisoo; DeBold, Joseph F.; Koide, Tsuyoshi; Miczek, Klaus A.

2013-01-01

Rationale Pharmacological activation of GABAB receptors in the dorsal raphé nucleus (DRN) can escalate territorial aggression in male mice. Objectives We characterized this escalated aggression in terms of its behavioral and environmental determinants. Methods Aggressive behavior of resident male (CFW or ICR mouse) was assessed in confrontations with a group-housed intruder. Either baclofen (0.06 nmol/0.2 μl) or vehicle (saline) was microinjected into the DRN ten minutes before the confrontation. We examined baclofen-heightened aggression in five situations: aggression in a neutral arena and after social instigation (experiment 1), aggression during the light phase of the cycle (experiment 2), aggression without prior fighting experience (experiment 3), aggression toward a female (experiment 4), and aggression after defeat experiences (experiment 5). In addition, we examined the body targets towards which bites are directed and the duration of aggressive bursts after baclofen treatment. Results Regardless of the past social experience, baclofen escalated aggressive behaviors. Even in the neutral arena and after defeat experiences, where aggressive behaviors were inhibited, baclofen significantly increased aggression. Baclofen increased attack bites directed at vulnerable body areas of male intruders but not toward a female and only in the dark. Also, baclofen prolonged the duration of aggressive bursts. Conclusions For baclofen to escalate aggression, specific stimulation (male intruder) and tonic level of serotonin (dark cycle) are required. Once aggressive behavior is triggered, intra-DRN baclofen escalates the level of aggression to abnormal levels and renders it difficult to terminate. Also, baclofen counteracts the effects of novelty or past experiences of defeat. PMID:22395428

Symposium on Understanding Human Behavior and Experience -- Traits, States, and Situations -- Perspectives from Research on Aggression and Violent Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eron, L. D.

This paper analyzes precursors of aggressive behavior and discusses the trait characteristics of aggression. The accumulating evidence for the heritability of aggression, the consistent physiological differences found between aggressive and non-aggressive subjects, the fact that males exhibit more aggression than females, and the belief that…

Kindergarten Children's Genetic Vulnerabilities Interact with Friends' Aggression to Promote Children's Own Aggression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Lier, Pol; Boivin, Michel; Dionne, Ginette; Vitaro, Frank; Brendgen, Mara; Koot, Hans; Tremblay, Richard E.; Perusse, Daniel

2007-01-01

Objective: To examine whether kindergarten children's genetic liability to physically aggress moderates the contribution of friends' aggression to their aggressive behaviors. Method: Teacher and peer reports of aggression were available for 359 6-year-old twin pairs (145 MZ, 212 DZ) as well as teacher and peer reports of aggression of the two best…

Marijuana withdrawal and aggression among a representative sample of U.S. marijuana users

PubMed Central

Smith, Philip H.; Homish, Gregory G.; Leonard, Kenneth E.; Collins, R. Lorraine

2013-01-01

Background Previous laboratory-based research suggests that withdrawal from marijuana may cause increased aggression. It is unclear whether this finding extends beyond the laboratory setting to the general population of marijuana users. The purpose of this study was to test a cross-sectional association between marijuana withdrawal symptoms and aggression among a representative sample of U.S. adult marijuana users, and to test whether this association was moderated by previous history of aggression. Methods Data were analyzed from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Wave Two data (2004–2005) were used for all variables except for history of aggression, which was assessed during the Wave One interview (2001–2002). Two outcomes were examined: self-report general aggression and relationship aggression. Odds ratios for aggression based on withdrawal symptoms and the interaction between withdrawal symptoms and history of aggression were calculated using logistic regression, adjusting for covariates and accounting for the complex survey design. Results Among marijuana users with a history of aggression, marijuana withdrawal was associated with approximately 60% higher odds of past year relationship aggression (p < 0.05). There was no association between withdrawal symptoms and relationship aggression among those without a history of aggression, and no association with general aggression regardless of history of aggression. Conclusions The findings from this study support the notion that laboratory-based increases in aggression due to marijuana withdrawal extend to the general population of marijuana users who have a previous history of aggression. PMID:23380439

A survey of verbal and physical assaults towards psychiatrists in Turkey.

PubMed

Altinbaş, Kürşat; Altinbaş, Gülçin; Türkcan, Ahmet; Oral, E Timuçin; Walters, James

2011-11-01

Assaults on health professionals have been an area of burgeoning clinical and political interest in recent years. There is now a body of literature suggesting that violence towards psychiatrists is more common than to other doctors. Thus far the vast majority of research in this area has been conducted in Western European and North American clinical settings. For the first time, this study examines this issue in the context of Turkish psychiatric settings. (i) The study aims to detect the prevalence of verbal and physical assaults towards psychiatrists in Turkey. (ii) It aims to compare the experience of verbal and physical assaults according to the gender and training experience of psychiatrists. (iii) The paper intends to investigate how psychiatrists reacted to and appraised the experience of violence. A questionnaire was prepared to evaluate violence towards psychiatrists (adapted from the Overt Agression Scale). The questionaire was administered to psychiatric specialists and residents working in state hospitals, research and training hospitals, mental health hospitals and university psychiatry clinics. A response rate of 93% was achieved with 186 out of 200 psychiatrsits approached completing the study questionnaire. Of all the psychiatrists who responded, 71% reported having experienced verbal or physical assaults during their professional life (verbal assaults only (19.9%), physical assaults only (2.7%) and both (48.4%)). Of these, 26% suffered injury to at least a mild degree. There was no statistically significant difference in terms of gender and workplace. In spite of the extremely high rates of aggression and violence towards psychiatrists, roughly 50% perceived these acts a normal part of their job and only 5% formally reported the violent incident. The majority of psychiatrists described having been victims of verbal and physical assaults although half perceived aggression and violence as a normal part of their job. Levels of reporting of violence were very low in the context of this study. Studies such as this provide evidence to inform the development of improved management of violence and may encourage psychiatrists to report violence.

Neuromodulation can reduce aggressive behavior elicited by violent video games.

PubMed

Riva, Paolo; Gabbiadini, Alessandro; Romero Lauro, Leonor J; Andrighetto, Luca; Volpato, Chiara; Bushman, Brad J

2017-04-01

Research has shown that exposure to violent media increases aggression. However, the neural underpinnings of violent-media-related aggression are poorly understood. Additionally, few experiments have tested hypotheses concerning how to reduce violent-media-related aggression. In this experiment, we focused on a brain area involved in the regulation of aggressive impulses-the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (rVLPFC). We tested the hypothesis that brain polarization through anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over rVLPFC reduces aggression related to violent video games. Participants (N = 79) were randomly assigned to play a violent or a nonviolent video game while receiving anodal or sham stimulation. Afterward, participants aggressed against an ostensible partner using the Taylor aggression paradigm (Taylor Journal of Personality, 35, 297-310, 1967), which measures both unprovoked and provoked aggression. Among those who received sham stimulation, unprovoked aggression was significantly higher for violent-game players than for nonviolent-game players. Among those who received anodal stimulation, unprovoked aggression did not differ for violent- and nonviolent-game players. Thus, anodal stimulation reduced unprovoked aggression in violent-game players. No significant effects were found for provoked aggression, suggesting tit-for-tat responding. This experiment sheds light on one possible neural underpinning of violent-media-related aggression-the rVLPFC, a brain area involved in regulating negative feelings and aggressive impulses.

Fight for your breeding right: hierarchy re-establishment predicts aggression in a social queue

PubMed Central

Wong, Marian; Balshine, Sigal

2011-01-01

Social aggression is one of the most conspicuous features of animal societies, yet little is known about the causes of individual variation in aggression within social hierarchies. Recent theory suggests that when individuals form queues for breeding, variation in social aggression by non-breeding group members is related to their probability of inheriting breeding status. However, levels of aggression could also vary as a temporary response to changes in the hierarchy, with individuals becoming more aggressive as they ascend in rank, in order to re-establish dominance relationships. Using the group-living fish, Neolamprologus pulcher, we show that subordinates became more aggressive after they ascended in rank. Female ascenders exhibited more rapid increases in aggression than males, and the increased aggression was primarily directed towards group members of adjacent rather than non-adjacent rank, suggesting that social aggression was related to conflict over rank. Elevated aggression by ascenders was not sustained over time, there was no relationship between rank and aggression in stable groups, and aggression given by ascenders was not sex-biased. Together, these results suggest that the need to re-establish dominance relationships following rank ascension is an important determinant of variation in aggression in animal societies. PMID:20880857

Fight for your breeding right: hierarchy re-establishment predicts aggression in a social queue.

PubMed

Wong, Marian; Balshine, Sigal

2011-04-23

Social aggression is one of the most conspicuous features of animal societies, yet little is known about the causes of individual variation in aggression within social hierarchies. Recent theory suggests that when individuals form queues for breeding, variation in social aggression by non-breeding group members is related to their probability of inheriting breeding status. However, levels of aggression could also vary as a temporary response to changes in the hierarchy, with individuals becoming more aggressive as they ascend in rank, in order to re-establish dominance relationships. Using the group-living fish, Neolamprologus pulcher, we show that subordinates became more aggressive after they ascended in rank. Female ascenders exhibited more rapid increases in aggression than males, and the increased aggression was primarily directed towards group members of adjacent rather than non-adjacent rank, suggesting that social aggression was related to conflict over rank. Elevated aggression by ascenders was not sustained over time, there was no relationship between rank and aggression in stable groups, and aggression given by ascenders was not sex-biased. Together, these results suggest that the need to re-establish dominance relationships following rank ascension is an important determinant of variation in aggression in animal societies.

Limbic system seizures and aggressive behavior (superkindling effects).

PubMed

Andy, O J; Velamati, S

1978-01-01

This study was done to further analyze the neural mechanisms underlying aggressive behavior associated with psychomotor or temporal lobe seizures. The studies revealed that superkindling the aggressive system by sequential stimulations at seizure-inducing thresholds, of two or more sites in the limbic, hypothalamic, and basal ganglia structures facilitated the production of aggressive seizures. Aggressive behavior in the freely moving cat was evaluated in relation to the occurrence of hissing and growling during stimulation, after-discharge and postictal period. The behavior was correlated with the frequency of the elicited seizures and the seizure durations. Aggression did develop as a component behavioral manifestation of the limbic (psychomotor) seizure. Development of aggressive seizures was facilitated by "priming" the aggressive system. Optimum levels of aggressive behavior occurred with seizures of medium duration. Catecholamine blockers tended to attentuate the occurrence of aggression, whereas the agonist tended to facilitate it. Once the aggressive system was rendered hyperexcitable, exteroceptive stimuli also evoked aggressive attack behavior. It was concluded that repeatedly recurring limbic system seizures through superkindling mechanisms can eventually render the limbic-basal ganglia-preoptico-hypothalamic aggressive system hyper-responsive to both recurring seizures and to exteroceptive stimuli with resulting aggressive behavior with or without an accompanying seizure.

The role of emotions in depression and aggression

PubMed Central

Malonda, Elisabeth; Samper, Paula

2016-01-01

Background Depression is a broad and heterogeneous diagnostic grouping, central to which is depressed mood or inability to enjoy most activities. Depressive symptoms are frequently accompanied by conduct problems stemming from anger. It is very important to know the interrelation of these emotions very well to be able to help adolescents to manage them more easily. The main aim of this article is to present the problem of interaction between negative affects (emotional instability, anger state and trait, physical and verbal aggression and depression) analyzing the different relationship through the time in spanish sample. Material and Methods The sample included 470 adolescents (192 boys and 225 girls) in a three-wave longitudinal study in Valencia (Spain). The mean age was 14.70 in the first wave. Structural equations modelling was employed to explore two longitudinal models. Results The results show differences based on sex, and that an internalised variable, like emotional instability, is relevant to prevent the appearance of depression directly in girls and also the later appearance of aggression as long as anger mediates, in both boys and girls, so the control of anger becomes an important goal to control the rest of the negative affects. Conclusions This results has consequences in the preparation of all programmes that try to establish an emotional control on adolescents, as not only has to be taken into account as a direct goal the control of externalised emotions like anger, but internalised emotions like emotional instability have to be taken into account also. Furthermore, it is also made apparent that not only the punctual explosions and externalisation of anger have to be worked on, but the temperamental aspects which are the base of anger trait have to be worked on too. Key words:Emotional instability, anger, depression, aggression, negative emotions, adolescence. PMID:27545395

Gender, personality, and serotonin-2A receptor binding in healthy subjects

PubMed Central

Soloff, Paul H.; Price, Julie C.; Mason, Neale Scott; Becker, Carl; Meltzer, Carolyn C.

2009-01-01

The vulnerability to mood disorders, impulsive-aggression, eating disorders, and suicidal behavior varies greatly with gender, and may reflect gender differences in central serotonergic function. We investigated the relationships of gender, mood, impulsivity, aggression and temperament to 5HT2A receptor binding in 21 healthy subjects using [18F]altanserin and PET neuro-imaging. Binding potentials in pre-defined Regions of Interest (ROI) were calculated using the Logan graphical method, corrected for partial volume effects, and compared by gender with age co-varied. SPM analysis was used for voxel level comparisons. Altanserin binding (BPp) was greater in male than female subjects in 9 ROIs: hippocampus (HIP) and Lt. HIP, lateral orbital frontal cortex (LOF) and Lt.LOF, left medial frontal cortex (Lt.MFC), left medial temporal cortex (Lt. MTC), left occipital cortex (Lt. OCC), thalamus (THL) and Lt. THL. Differences in Lt. HIP and Lt. MTL remained significant after Bonferroni correction. Gender differences were noted in the co-variation of psychological traits with BPp values in specific ROIs. Among males alone, aggression was negatively correlated with BPp values in Lt. LOF and Lt. MFC, and Suspiciousness positively correlated in LOF, Lt. LOF and Lt. MFC. Among female subjects alone, Negativism was positively correlated with BPp values in HIP, and Verbal Hostility in Lt. HIP. Altanserin binding in Lt. MTC was positively correlated with Persistence, with no significant gender effect. Gender differences in 5HT2A receptor function in specific ROIs may mediate expression of psychological characteristics such as aggression, suspiciousness and negativism. Future studies of 5HT2A receptor function and its relationship to behavior should control for gender. PMID:19959344

Understanding maladaptive responses to rejection: Aggression with an audience.

PubMed

DeBono, Amber; Layton, Rebekah L; Freeman, Nicholas; Muraven, Mark

2017-01-01

Logically, responding aggressively to rejection is maladaptive because one is unlikely to seek a relationship with an aggressor. We predict that when concealed, the illogical aggressive response to rejection is more likely, whereas when the rejected individuals' aggressive responses are perceived as public, the aggressive acts may be reduced. Participants were rejected by others (Experiment 1) or were either accepted or rejected during an online ball-tossing game (Experiment 2) and were then given an opportunity to aggress publicly or privately. Across experiments, when the opportunity to aggress was made public, rejected participants exhibited less aggressive behavior. When concerned about the perception of their public aggressive responses by others, rejected individuals' aggressive responses diminished compared with those whose actions were private. Crucially, this extended to aggression visible only to neutral others, suggesting that effects cannot solely be due to fear of retribution.

[Lorenz was right, or does aggressive energy accumulate?].

PubMed

Kudriavtseva, N N

2004-06-01

Evidence supporting the fact that inherited mechanisms of regulation of aggressive behavior as a result of a repeated experience of aggression ending in victories are transformed into pathological mechanisms based on accumulation of neurochemical shifts in the brain, enhancing aggressiveness, and forming aggressive motivation in aggressive winners. This confirms the concept by Lorenz on the existence of a mechanism (but not instinct) of a spontaneous accumulation of aggressive energy that needs a discharge and formation of permanent attraction to manifestation of aggression.

Children's aggressive responses to neutral peer behavior: a form of unprovoked reactive aggression.

PubMed

Kempes, Maaike; Matthys, Walter; de Vries, Han; van Engeland, Herman

2010-04-30

Previous studies that operationalized reactive aggression using behavioral observations in general populations have not taken into account the type of stimulus that elicits reactive aggression. In the present study we define a specific form of reactive aggression, i.e., reactive aggression in response to neutral behavior of a peer, which we will call unprovoked reactive aggression. We were specifically interested in children with severe aggressive behavior problems, since they may respond with reactive aggression even though the opponent did not clearly provoke them, but instead showed neutral behavior. Children with a disruptive behavior disorder (DBD) and normal control (NC) children participated in separate play sessions in which they played with a normal peer (NP). Children with DBD showed more unprovoked reactive aggression than NC children, during a cooperative game. Moreover, for children with DBD, unprovoked reactive aggressive behavior in this game correlated with parent-rated reactive aggression. Results of this study suggest that an unprovoked reactive form of aggression can be identified in children with DBD. Copyright (c) 2008. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Poststroke agitation and aggression and social quality of life: a case control study.

PubMed

Lau, Chieh Grace; Tang, Wai Kwong; Liu, Xiang Xin; Liang, Hua Jun; Liang, Yan; Wong, Adrian; Mok, Vincent; Ungvari, Gabor S; Wong, Ka Sing; Kim, Jong S; Paradiso, Sergio

2017-03-01

Aggression and agitation are common after a stroke. The association between agitation/aggression following stroke and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in stroke survivors is unknown. This study aimed to examine the association between agitation/aggression and HRQoL in Chinese stroke survivors. Three hundred and twenty-four stroke patients entered this cross-sectional study. Agitation/aggression was assessed using the Chinese version of Neuropsychiatric Inventory (CNPI). HRQoL was measured with the Stroke Specific Quality of Life (SSQoL). Three months after the index stroke, agitation/aggression was found in 60 (18.5%) patients. In the agitation/aggression group, 44 patients (73.3%) showed passive agitation/aggression, whereas 16 (26.7%) displayed passive and active agitation/aggression. No patients showed only active agitation/aggression. Patients with agitation/aggression were more likely to have history of diabetes and greater severity of depression, as well as lower SSQoL total score and Personality Changes and Social Role scores. Controlling for diabetes and depression severity did not alter the above results. The Energy and Thinking scores of the SSQoL were significantly lower in the passive/active agitation/aggression group relative to the passive agitation/aggression group (adjusted for CNPI aggression/agitation score). In this study sample, agitation/aggression was preponderantly of the passive type and was associated with poorer HRQoL independently from depression or medical conditions. Patients with both passive and active agitation/aggression had lower Quality of Life (QoL) than patients with only passive agitation/aggression. The causality of the association between low QoL and agitation/aggression needs to be explored in future studies.

Early development of physical aggression and early risk factors for chronic physical aggression in humans.

PubMed

Tremblay, Richard E

2014-01-01

This chapter describes the state of knowledge on the development of physical aggression from early childhood to adulthood, the long term outcomes of chronic physical aggression during childhood and the risk factors for chronic physical aggression. Unraveling the development of physical aggression is important to understand when and why humans start using physical aggression, to understand why some humans suffer from chronic physical aggression and to understand how to prevent the development of this disorder which causes much distress to the aggressors and their victims. The study of the developmental origins of aggression also sheds light on the reasons why situational prevention of aggression is important at all ages and in all cultures.

The socializing effect of classroom aggression on the development of aggression and social rejection: A two-wave multilevel analysis.

PubMed

Rohlf, Helena; Krahé, Barbara; Busching, Robert

2016-10-01

The current study examined the moderating effect of classroom aggression on the development of individual aggression and on the path from individual aggression to social rejection over time. The study included 1,284 elementary school children and consisted of two data waves 10months apart. At both time points, teachers assessed the children's physical and relational aggression and their social rejection status. Multi-level analyses revealed that the classroom level of relational aggression moderated the link between individual relational aggression at T1 and T2 (b=-0.18, 95% CI [-0.32, -0.05], p<.01) and the link between T1 relational aggression and T2 social rejection (b=-0.12, 95% CI [-0.23, -0.003], p<.01). Being in a classroom where relational aggression was prevalent increased relational aggression among children with a low level of relational aggression at T1. Furthermore, a high individual level of relational aggression predicted greater social rejection in classrooms with a low level of relational aggression. Children were mainly influenced by their same-gender peers. Boys as a group had a greater influence than girls on their peers of either gender in the domain of relational aggression, whereas girls as a group had a greater influence in the domain of physical aggression. The contributions of analyzing cross-level interaction to understanding the developmental patterns of aggression and social rejection in middle childhood are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reciprocal influences between maternal discipline techniques and aggression in children and adolescents.

PubMed

Sheehan, Michael J; Watson, Malcolm W

2008-01-01

Most studies assessing the link between parental discipline and child aggression have focused primarily on discipline as a cause and aggression as an outcome. In addition to the pathway from discipline to aggression, however, aggressive behavior on the part of the child may lead to future use of discipline by the parent. In this study, structural equation modeling was used to assess reciprocal influences over time between a mothers' use of discipline and aggression in children. Data were drawn from the Springfield Child Development Project, a longitudinal study of middle childhood and adolescence, focusing on antecedents of aggression. The original sample consisted of 440 mother-child dyads living in the city of Springfield, MA. Children in the sample were between 7 and 14 years of age at the first data collection period and between 12 and 19 years of age at the final data collection period. Four hypotheses were tested: (1) a mother's use of aggressive discipline predicts an increase in later child aggression, (2) child aggression predicts an increase in later use of aggressive discipline, (3) the use of reasoning predicts a decrease in later child aggression, and (4) child aggression predicts an increase in later use of reasoning. All hypotheses except number 3 were supported to some degree. Results suggest that children's early aggressive behavior leads to an increase in their mothers' use of both reasoning and aggressive discipline; in turn, increased use of aggressive discipline leads to an increase in aggression during both childhood and adolescence. Copyright 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Agreeableness and alcohol-related aggression: the mediating effect of trait aggressivity.

PubMed

Miller, Cameron A; Parrott, Dominic J; Giancola, Peter R

2009-12-01

This study investigated the mediating effect of trait aggressivity on the relation between agreeableness and alcohol-related aggression in a laboratory setting. Participants were 116 healthy male social drinkers between 21 and 30 years of age. Agreeableness and trait aggressivity were measured using the Big Five Inventory and the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, respectively. Following the consumption of an alcohol or no-alcohol control beverage, participants completed a modified version of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm, in which electric shocks were received from and administered to a fictitious opponent during a competitive task. Aggression was operationalized as the proportion of the most extreme shocks delivered to the fictitious opponent under conditions of low and high provocation. Results indicated that lower levels of agreeableness were associated with higher levels of trait aggressivity. In turn, higher levels of trait aggressivity predicted extreme aggression in intoxicated, but not sober, participants under low, but not high, provocation. Findings highlight the importance of examining determinants of intoxicated aggression within a broader theoretical framework of personality.

The Multifaceted Impact of Peer Relations on Aggressive-Disruptive Behavior in Early Elementary School

PubMed Central

Powers, Christopher J.; Bierman, Karen L.

2013-01-01

Following a large, diverse sample of 4096 children in 27 schools, this study evaluated the impact of three aspects of peer relations, measured concurrently, on subsequent child aggressive-disruptive behavior during early elementary school – peer-dislike, reciprocated friends' aggressiveness, and classroom levels of aggressive-disruptive behavior. Teachers rated child aggressive-disruptive behavior in first and third grade, and peer relations were assessed during second grade. Results indicated that heightened classroom aggressive-disruptive behavior levels were related to proximal peer relations, including an increased likelihood of having aggressive friends and lower levels of peer-dislike of aggressive-disruptive children. Controlling for first grade aggressive-disruptive behavior, the three second grade peer experiences each made unique contributions to third grade child aggressive-disruptive behavior. These findings replicate and extend a growing body of research documenting the multifaceted nature of peer influence on aggressive-disruptive behavior in early elementary school. They highlight the importance of the classroom ecology and proximal peer relations in the socialization of aggressive-disruptive behavior. PMID:22545840

Aggression in Women: Behavior, Brain and Hormones

PubMed Central

Denson, Thomas F.; O’Dean, Siobhan M.; Blake, Khandis R.; Beames, Joanne R.

2018-01-01

We review the literature on aggression in women with an emphasis on laboratory experimentation and hormonal and brain mechanisms. Women tend to engage in more indirect forms of aggression (e.g., spreading rumors) than other types of aggression. In laboratory studies, women are less aggressive than men, but provocation attenuates this difference. In the real world, women are just as likely to aggress against their romantic partner as men are, but men cause more serious physical and psychological harm. A very small minority of women are also sexually violent. Women are susceptible to alcohol-related aggression, but this type of aggression may be limited to women high in trait aggression. Fear of being harmed is a robust inhibitor of direct aggression in women. There are too few studies and most are underpowered to detect unique neural mechanisms associated with aggression in women. Testosterone shows the same small, positive relationship with aggression in women as in men. The role of cortisol is unclear, although some evidence suggests that women who are high in testosterone and low in cortisol show heightened aggression. Under some circumstances, oxytocin may increase aggression by enhancing reactivity to provocation and simultaneously lowering perceptions of danger that normally inhibit many women from retaliating. There is some evidence that high levels of estradiol and progesterone are associated with low levels of aggression. We highlight that more gender-specific theory-driven hypothesis testing is needed with larger samples of women and aggression paradigms relevant to women. PMID:29770113

Analysis of Associations between Behavioral Traits and Four Types of Aggression in Shiba Inu

PubMed Central

KANEKO, Fumihiro; ARATA, Sayaka; TAKEUCHI, Yukari; MORI, Yuji

2013-01-01

ABSTRACT Canine aggression is one of the behavioral problems for which veterinary behaviorists are most frequently consulted. Despite this, the classification of canine aggression is controversial, and there are several classification methodologies. While the etiology of canine aggression differs among the types of aggression, the behavioral background underlying aggression is not well understood. Behavior trait-based evaluation of canine aggression would improve the effectiveness and efficiency of managing canine aggression problems. We developed a questionnaire addressing 14 behavioral items and items related to four types of canine aggression (owner-, child-, stranger- and dog-directed aggression) in order to examine the associations between behavioral traits and aggression in Shiba Inu. A total of 400 Shiba Inu owners recruited through dog events (n=134) and veterinary hospitals (n=266) completed the questionnaire. Factor analysis sorted the behavioral items from both the event and clinic samples into four factors: “sociability with humans,” “reactivity to stimuli,” “chase proneness” and “fear of sounds.” While “reactivity to stimuli” correlated significantly positively with all of the four types of aggression (P=0.007 to <0.001), “sociability with humans” correlated significantly negatively with child- and stranger-directed aggression (P<0.001). These results suggest that the behavioral traits involved in canine aggression differ among the types of aggression and that specific behavioral traits are frequently simultaneously involved in several types of aggression. PMID:23719752

Aggression in Women: Behavior, Brain and Hormones.

PubMed

Denson, Thomas F; O'Dean, Siobhan M; Blake, Khandis R; Beames, Joanne R

2018-01-01

We review the literature on aggression in women with an emphasis on laboratory experimentation and hormonal and brain mechanisms. Women tend to engage in more indirect forms of aggression (e.g., spreading rumors) than other types of aggression. In laboratory studies, women are less aggressive than men, but provocation attenuates this difference. In the real world, women are just as likely to aggress against their romantic partner as men are, but men cause more serious physical and psychological harm. A very small minority of women are also sexually violent. Women are susceptible to alcohol-related aggression, but this type of aggression may be limited to women high in trait aggression. Fear of being harmed is a robust inhibitor of direct aggression in women. There are too few studies and most are underpowered to detect unique neural mechanisms associated with aggression in women. Testosterone shows the same small, positive relationship with aggression in women as in men. The role of cortisol is unclear, although some evidence suggests that women who are high in testosterone and low in cortisol show heightened aggression. Under some circumstances, oxytocin may increase aggression by enhancing reactivity to provocation and simultaneously lowering perceptions of danger that normally inhibit many women from retaliating. There is some evidence that high levels of estradiol and progesterone are associated with low levels of aggression. We highlight that more gender-specific theory-driven hypothesis testing is needed with larger samples of women and aggression paradigms relevant to women.

Aggressive and nonaggressive children's moral judgments and moral emotion attributions in situations involving retaliation and unprovoked aggression.

PubMed

Gasser, Luciano; Malti, Tina; Gutzwiller-Helfenfinger, Eveline

2012-01-01

The authors investigated 7- and 9-year-old children's moral understanding of retaliation as compared to unprovoked aggression with regard to their aggressive behavior status. Based on peer ratings, 48 children were selected as overtly aggressive and 91 as nonaggressive. Their moral understanding of retaliation and unprovoked aggression was assessed by an interview including questions about their moral judgments and emotion attributions. Aggressive children judged retaliations as less serious than did nonaggressive children. They also referred less often to the harmful consequences of retaliation and were more likely to excuse the retaliation because of the provocation. In unprovoked aggressive situations younger aggressive children, compared with the younger nonaggressive children, attributed more happiness to transgressors, more anger to victims, and less sadness to transgressors and victims. The results are discussed in terms of previous research on aggressive children's moral understanding of retaliation and unprovoked aggression.

Hostile Attribution Bias as a Mediator of the Relationships of Psychopathy and Narcissism With Aggression.

PubMed

Law, Helen; Falkenbach, Diana M

2017-11-01

Hostile attribution bias (HAB), the tendency to perceive hostility in ambiguous situations, has been linked to aggressive outcomes, such as reactive aggression. HAB has been connected to personality types involving hostile beliefs and reactive aggression, including narcissism and psychopathy. Specifically, secondary psychopathy is associated with HAB and reactive aggression. Despite research and theory connecting these constructs, few studies have examined if HAB mediates the relationships among psychopathy, narcissism, and aggression. The current study explores this possible mediation in an urban college sample. Narcissism was associated with aggression but not hostile aggression or HAB. Reactive aggression and HAB were both associated with psychopathy, but there were no mediation relationships. The associations with aggression may be, therefore, due to underlying traits of secondary psychopathy rather than the hostile attributions to which the traits contribute; consequently, treatments focused on reducing aggressive responses by correcting interpretations of social situations may not be successful.

Muscarine- and carbachol-induced aggressions: fear and irritable kinds of aggressions.

PubMed

Beleslin, D B; Samardzić, R

1977-12-28

In unaneasthetized and unrestrained cats, muscarine and carbachol were injected into the cerebral ventricles. The kind of aggressive behaviour depended on the cholinomimetic drug and was classified as fear and an irritable kind of aggression. Muscarine induced the fear kind of aggression. The aggressive behaviour was usually preceded by attempts to escape and the attack was relevant to the situation. For the attack the presence of some threatening agent was needed. The aggression was accompanied by intense motor but less autonomic activation. On the other hand, carbachol induced an irritable kind of aggression and had the following characteristics: for the attack the presence of some threatening agent was not needed; the attack was not relevant to the situation; the aggression was not preceded by attempts to escape; and the aggressive behaviour was accompanied by intense motor and autonomic activation. It is concluded that cholinoceptive mechanisms are involved in the control of aggressive behaviour.

Reduction of Aggressive Behavior in the School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petermann, Ulrike

1988-01-01

Discusses what may be considered aggressive behavior, what motivates aggressive students, and possible teacher responses to aggressive behavior. Describes four points on which teachers can focus to diminish the attractiveness of aggression and ensure that it is not rewarded. Identifies learning activities which provide aggressive students with the…

Cognitive Tempo, Violent Video Games, and Aggressive Behavior in Young Boys.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irwin, A. Roland; Gross, Alan M.

1995-01-01

Assesses interpersonal aggression and aggression toward inanimate objects in a free-play setting where children played video games. Results indicated that subjects who played video games with aggressive content exhibited more object aggression during free-play and more interpersonal aggression during the frustrating situation than youngsters who…

Intimate Partner and General Aggression Perpetration among Combat Veterans Presenting to a Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Clinic

PubMed Central

Taft, Casey T.; Weatherill, Robin P.; Woodward, Halley E.; Pinto, Lavinia A.; Watkins, Laura E.; Miller, Mark W.; Dekel, Rachel

2013-01-01

This study examined rates and correlates of intimate partner and general aggression perpetration among 236 male combat veterans seeking services in a VA PTSD clinic. Approximately 33% of those in an intimate relationship reported perpetrating partner physical aggression in the previous year, and 91% reported partner psychological aggression. Comparable rates were found for general aggression perpetration among partnered and non-partnered veterans. PTSD symptoms as well as symptoms of depression were associated with aggression across subgroups and forms of aggression, and PTSD symptoms reflecting arousal and lack of control were generally the strongest predictor of aggression. Findings indicate a need for additional aggression screening and intervention development for this population, and highlight the targeting of heightened arousal and lack of behavioral control in aggression interventions. PMID:20099937

The effect of social and situational factors on the intended response to aggression among adolescents.

PubMed

Winstok, Zeev

2010-01-01

In this study, I explored intended response to aggression among adolescents. I drew hypotheses from social identity theory, cost/benefit considerations, and social information processing model. I asked 217 Jewish and Muslim male adolescents in this study to assess their intended use of aggression in 12 hypothetical conflict situations (vignettes), in which I manipulated the opponent's religion, gender, acquaintance, and severity of aggression. I mainly found that male adolescents respond to aggression by same-religion opponents more moderately than to cross-religion aggression; their response is more moderate to cross-gender aggression than to same-gender aggression; response is more moderate to the aggression of familiar opponents than to that of unfamiliar ones; and response is less severe toward moderate than toward severe aggression.

Direct and indirect effects of parenting practices on socio-moral approval of aggression in Polish young adults. Do all practices matter?

PubMed

Dominiak-Kochanek, Monika; Konopka, Karolina; Rutkowska, Marta; Frączek, Adam; Ramirez, J Martin

2018-06-01

The purpose of this article was to determine the socialisation antecedents of socio-moral approval of aggression (SMAA). In Study 1, we assessed factorial structure and reliability of the SMAA with a sample of 355 students who reported on the extent to which they approved of six forms of aggressive behaviour and six justifications of aggression. Two-factor solutions were obtained with regard to forms and justifications of aggressive acts. Thus, approval of extreme and minor aggression was distinguished as well as legitimate and illegitimate justifications of aggression. In Study 2, we tested the path models of the socialisation antecedents that contributed to the high approval of minor and extreme aggressive acts as well as legitimate and illegitimate justifications of aggression. Data were collected from 173 undergraduate students. Path analyses showed that high levels of approval of extremely aggressive acts and of illegitimate justifications of aggression were preceded by a sequence of negative life events, beginning with frequent misbehaviour in childhood, corporal punishment used by parents and ending with delinquency in adolescence. The approval of minor aggression had little relation to socialisation factors apart from a detrimental effect of psychological aggression while approval of legitimate justifications of aggression had no socialisation antecedents. © 2016 International Union of Psychological Science.

Desensitization to media violence: links with habitual media violence exposure, aggressive cognitions, and aggressive behavior.

PubMed

Krahé, Barbara; Möller, Ingrid; Huesmann, L Rowell; Kirwil, Lucyna; Felber, Juliane; Berger, Anja

2011-04-01

This study examined the links between desensitization to violent media stimuli and habitual media violence exposure as a predictor and aggressive cognitions and behavior as outcome variables. Two weeks after completing measures of habitual media violence exposure, trait aggression, trait arousability, and normative beliefs about aggression, undergraduates (N = 303) saw a violent film clip and a sad or a funny comparison clip. Skin conductance level (SCL) was measured continuously, and ratings of anxious and pleasant arousal were obtained after each clip. Following the clips, participants completed a lexical decision task to measure accessibility of aggressive cognitions and a competitive reaction time task to measure aggressive behavior. Habitual media violence exposure correlated negatively with SCL during violent clips and positively with pleasant arousal, response times for aggressive words, and trait aggression, but it was unrelated to anxious arousal and aggressive responding during the reaction time task. In path analyses controlling for trait aggression, normative beliefs, and trait arousability, habitual media violence exposure predicted faster accessibility of aggressive cognitions, partly mediated by higher pleasant arousal. Unprovoked aggression during the reaction time task was predicted by lower anxious arousal. Neither habitual media violence usage nor anxious or pleasant arousal predicted provoked aggression during the laboratory task, and SCL was unrelated to aggressive cognitions and behavior. No relations were found between habitual media violence viewing and arousal in response to the sad and funny film clips, and arousal in response to the sad and funny clips did not predict aggressive cognitions or aggressive behavior on the laboratory task. This suggests that the observed desensitization effects are specific to violent content.

Desensitization to Media Violence: Links With Habitual Media Violence Exposure, Aggressive Cognitions, and Aggressive Behavior

PubMed Central

Krahé, Barbara; Möller, Ingrid; Huesmann, L. Rowell; Kirwil, Lucyna; Felber, Juliane; Berger, Anja

2015-01-01

This study examined the links between desensitization to violent media stimuli and habitual media violence exposure as a predictor and aggressive cognitions and behavior as outcome variables. Two weeks after completing measures of habitual media violence exposure, trait aggression, trait arousability, and normative beliefs about aggression, undergraduates (N = 303) saw a violent film clip and a sad or a funny comparison clip. Skin conductance level (SCL) was measured continuously, and ratings of anxious and pleasant arousal were obtained after each clip. Following the clips, participants completed a lexical decision task to measure accessibility of aggressive cognitions and a competitive reaction time task to measure aggressive behavior. Habitual media violence exposure correlated negatively with SCL during violent clips and positively with pleasant arousal, response times for aggressive words, and trait aggression, but it was unrelated to anxious arousal and aggressive responding during the reaction time task. In path analyses controlling for trait aggression, normative beliefs, and trait arousability, habitual media violence exposure predicted faster accessibility of aggressive cognitions, partly mediated by higher pleasant arousal. Unprovoked aggression during the reaction time task was predicted by lower anxious arousal. Neither habitual media violence usage nor anxious or pleasant arousal predicted provoked aggression during the laboratory task, and SCL was unrelated to aggressive cognitions and behavior. No relations were found between habitual media violence viewing and arousal in response to the sad and funny film clips, and arousal in response to the sad and funny clips did not predict aggressive cognitions or aggressive behavior on the laboratory task. This suggests that the observed desensitization effects are specific to violent content. PMID:21186935

Developmental effects of aggressive behavior in male adolescents assessed with structural and functional brain imaging

PubMed Central

Strenziok, Maren; Krueger, Frank; Heinecke, Armin; Lenroot, Rhoshel K.; Knutson, Kristine M.; van der Meer, Elke

2011-01-01

Aggressive behavior is common during adolescence. Although aggression-related functional changes in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and frontopolar cortex (FPC) have been reported in adults, the neural correlates of aggressive behavior in adolescents, particularly in the context of structural neurodevelopment, are obscure. We used functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure the blood oxygenation level-depended signal and cortical thickness. In a block-designed experiment, 14–17-year old adolescents imagined aggressive and non-aggressive interactions with a peer. We show reduced vmPFC activation associated with imagined aggressive behavior as well as enhanced aggression-related activation and cortical thinning in the FPC with increasing age. Changes in FPC activation were also associated with judgments of the severity of aggressive acts. Reduced vmPFC activation was associated with greater aggression indicating its normal function is to exert inhibitory control over aggressive impulses. Concurrent FPC activation likely reflects foresight of harmful consequences that result from aggressive acts. The correlation of age-dependent activation changes and cortical thinning demonstrates ongoing maturation of the FPC during adolescence towards a refinement of social and cognitive information processing that can potentially facilitate mature social behavior in aggressive contexts. PMID:19770220

P3 and provoked aggressive behavior.

PubMed

Fanning, Jennifer R; Berman, Mitchell E; Long, James M

2014-01-01

Cognitive and biological processes play a role in human aggression. However, relatively little is known about the neural correlates of cognitive processes in aggressive individuals, particularly as they unfold during an aggressive encounter. We investigated whether the P3 event-related potential (ERP) discriminates aggressive versus nonaggressive individuals during a provocative, aggressive encounter. Forty-eight participants (23 men and 25 women) were classified as aggressive or nonaggressive based on self-reported life history of aggression. Aggressive behavior was assessed using a modification of a well-validated laboratory task during which the participant and a fictitious opponent ostensibly delivered and received noise blasts of low, medium, and high intensity. Provocation was manipulated by altering the level of noise set by the opponent. Aggression was defined as the number of high-intensity noise blasts the participant set for the opponent. As predicted, P3 amplitude in response to provocation differed as a function of aggressive history. Nonaggressive individuals showed enhanced P3 when provoked by the opponent relative to low provocation, but this effect was absent in aggressive individuals. The results suggest that aggressive individuals engage fewer neural processing resources in response to provoking social cues, which may reflect aberrant cognitive and emotional processes.

Patterns of change in early childhood aggressive-disruptive behavior: gender differences in predictions from early coercive and affectionate mother-child interactions.

PubMed

McFadyen-Ketchum, S A; Bates, J E; Dodge, K A; Pettit, G S

1996-10-01

The present study focused on mother-child interaction predictors of initial levels and change in child aggressive and disruptive behavior at school from kindergarten to third grade. Aggression-disruption was measured via annual reports from teachers and peers. Ordinary least-squares regression was used to identify 8 separate child aggression trajectories, 4 for each gender: high initial levels with increases in aggression, high initial levels with decrease in aggression, low initial levels with increases in aggression, and low initial levels with decreases in aggression. Mother-child interaction measures of coercion and nonaffection collected prior to kindergarten were predictive of initial levels of aggression-disruption in kindergarten in both boys and girls. However, boys and girls differed in how coercion and nonaffection predicted change in aggression-disruption across elementary school years. For boys, high coercion and nonaffection were particularly associated with the high-increasing-aggression trajectory, but for girls, high levels of coercion and nonaffection were associated with the high-decreasing-aggression trajectory. This difference is discussed in the context of Patterson et al.'s coercion training theory, and the need for gender-specific theories of aggressive development is noted.

“Bad Romance”: Links between Psychological and Physical Aggression and Relationship Functioning in Adolescent Couples

PubMed Central

Seiffge-Krenke, Inge; Burk, William J.

2015-01-01

Assortative mating is an important issue in explaining antisocial, aggressive behavior. It is yet unclear, whether the similarity paradigm fully explains frequent displays of aggression in adolescents’ romantic relationships. In a sample of 194 romantic partner dyads, differences between female and male partners’ reports of aggression (psychological and physical) and different measures of relationship functioning (e.g., jealousy, conflicts, and the affiliative and romantic quality of the relationship) were assessed. A hierarchical cluster analysis identified five distinct subgroups of dyads based on male and female reports of psychological and physical aggression: nonaggressive couples, couples with higher perceived aggressiveness (both physical and psychological) by females, couples with higher aggressiveness perceived by males and mutually aggressive couples. A substantial number of non-aggressive dyads emerged. Of note was the high number of females showing one-sided aggression, which was, however, not countered by their partner. The mutually aggressive couples showed the least adaptive relationship functioning, with a lack of supportive, trusting relationship qualities, high conflict rates and high jealousy. The discussion focuses on the different functions of aggression in these early romantic relations, and the aggravating impact of mutual aggression on relationship functioning and its potential antisocial outcomes. PMID:26067515

Neurochemical Correlates of Accumbal Dopamine D2 and Amygdaloid 5-HT1B Receptor Densities on Observational Learning of Aggression

PubMed Central

Suzuki, Hideo; Lucas, Louis R.

2015-01-01

Social learning theory postulates that individuals learn to engage in aggressive behavior through observing an aggressive social model. Prior studies have shown that repeatedly observing aggression, also called “chronic passive exposure to aggression,” changes accumbal dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) and amygdaloid 5-HT1B receptor (5-HT1BR) densities in observers. But, the association between these outcomes remains unknown. Thus, our study used a rat paradigm to comprehensively examine the linkage between aggression, D2R density in the nucleus accumbens core (AcbC) and shell (AcbSh), and 5-HT1BR density in the medial (MeA), basomedial (BMA), and basolateral (BLA) amygdala following chronic passive exposure to aggression. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (N = 72) were passively exposed to either aggression or non-aggression acutely (1 day) or chronically (23 days). When observer rats were exposed to aggression chronically, they showed increased aggressive behavior and reduced D2R density in the bilateral AcbSh. On the other hand, exposure to aggression, regardless of exposure length, increased 5-HT1BR density in the bilateral BLA. Finally, low D2R in the AcbSh significantly interacted with high 5-HT1BR density in the BLA in predicting high levels of aggression in observer rats. Our results advance our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms for observational learning of aggression, highlighting that dopamine-serotonin interaction, or AcbSh-BLA interaction, may contribute to a risk factor for aggression in observers who chronically witness aggressive interactions. PMID:25650085

Pervasive, hard-wired and male: Qualitative study of how UK adolescents view alcohol-related aggression.

PubMed

Whitaker, Lydia; Brown, Stephen L; Young, Bridget; Fereday, Richard; Coyne, Sarah M; Qualter, Pamela

2018-01-01

Laboratory studies of alcohol-inexperienced adolescents show that aggression can be primed by alcohol-related stimuli, suggesting that alcohol-related aggression is partly socially learned. Script theory proposes that alcohol-related aggression 'scripts' for social behaviors are culturally-available and learned by individuals. The purpose of the study was to understand the content and origins of alcohol-related aggression scripts learned by adolescents. This qualitative focus group study of 40 adolescents (ages 14-16 years) examined alcohol-related aggression scripts. Participants believed aggression and severe injury to be pervasive when young people drink. Viewed through a biological lens, participants described aggression as an 'instinctive' and 'hard-wired' male trait facilitated by intoxication. As such, alcohol-related aggression was not seen as intended or personally controllable and participants did not see it in moral terms. Females were largely viewed as either bystanders of inter-male aggression or potential victims of male sexual aggression. Participants attributed their views on the frequency and nature of alcohol-related aggression to current affairs and reality television, which they felt portrayed a reality of which they had little experience. The origins of the explicitly biological frameworks that participants used seemed to lie in pre-existing beliefs about the nature of gender differences. Perceptions of the pervasiveness of male alcohol-related aggression, and the consequent failure to view alcohol-related aggression in moral terms, could dispose some young people to alcohol-related aggression. Interventions could target (1) the beliefs that alcohol-related aggression is pervasive and uncontrollable in males, and (2) participants' dysfunctional views of masculinity that underpin those beliefs.

MAOA-uVNTR genotype predicts interindividual differences in experimental aggressiveness as a function of the degree of provocation.

PubMed

Kuepper, Yvonne; Grant, Phillip; Wielpuetz, Catrin; Hennig, Juergen

2013-06-15

The MAOA-uVNTR has been suggested to play a role regarding aggression, however, results are inconsistent. We aimed at further elucidating potential effects of the MAOA-uVNTR on aggressiveness with respect to potential modulators: sex, experimental vs. trait aggressiveness and type of aggressiveness (proactive vs. reactive aggressiveness). We tested 239 healthy young adults (88 men/151 women). Participants were genotyped for the MAOA-uVNTR and performed a modified version of a competitive reaction time task - a commonly used and well established tool to elicit and measure aggressiveness. Furthermore, they completed a self-report scale measuring trait aggressiveness. We found a main effect of MAOA-uVNTR on a measure of reactive aggressiveness for both men and women, whereby the low-activity alleles of the MAOA-uVNTR were associated with substantially increased aggressive reactions (p<.05). This effect was unique for reactive aggressiveness. Measures of proactive aggressiveness or self reports were not associated with the MAOA-uVNTR-genotype. Our data are in line with earlier studies and indicate the MAOA-uVNTR-genotype to be specifically associated with measures of reactive impulsive experimental aggressiveness in healthy men and women. Furthermore the association between the MAOA-uVNTR genotype and aggressive responses increases in a fashion linear to the degree of provocation. This indicates that the low-functional alleles of the MAOA-uVNTR are not associated with increased aggressive behavior per se, but rather with an increased aggressive reactivity to provocation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Normative Beliefs and Relational Aggression: An Investigation of the Cognitive Bases of Adolescent Aggressive Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Werner, Nicole E.; Nixon, Charisse L.

2005-01-01

The relations between normative beliefs about different forms of aggression and corresponding aggressive behaviors were investigated in 2 studies of adolescents. In Study 1, we revised an instrument designed to assess normative beliefs about aggression to include beliefs about the acceptability of relational aggression, and we examined the…

School Aggression and Dispositional Aggression among Middle School Boys

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ballard, Mary E.; Rattley, Kelvin T.; Fleming, Willie C.; Kidder-Ashley, Pamela

2004-01-01

We examined the relationship between dispositional (trait) aggression and administrative reports of school aggression among 100 adolescent male participants from an urban middle school. Aggression was fairly common among the sample; 58 boys had a record of school aggression, and many of those were repeat offenders. Our hypothesis that those higher…

Effects of Viewing Relational Aggression on Television on Aggressive Behavior in Adolescents: A Three-Year Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coyne, Sarah M.

2016-01-01

Most researchers on media and aggression have examined the behavioral effects of viewing physical aggression in the media. Conversely, in the current study, I examined longitudinal associations between viewing "relational aggression" on TV and subsequent aggressive behavior. Participants included 467 adolescents who completed a number of…

Students' and teachers' perceptions of aggressive behaviour in adolescents with intellectual disability and typically developing adolescents.

PubMed

Pavlović, Miroslav; Zunić-Pavlović, Vesna; Glumbić, Nenad

2013-11-01

This study investigated aggressive behaviour in Serbian adolescents with intellectual disability (ID) compared to typically developing peers. The sample consisted of both male and female adolescents aged 12-18 years. One hundred of the adolescents had ID, and 348 adolescents did not have ID. The adolescents were asked to complete the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ), and their teachers provided ratings of aggression for the adolescents using the Children's Scale of Hostility and Aggression: Reactive-Proactive (C-SHARP). Results indicated that adolescents reported a higher prevalence of aggressive behaviour than their teachers. Reactive aggression was more prevalent than proactive aggression in both subsamples. In the subsample of adolescents with ID, there were no sex or age differences for aggression. However, in the normative subsample, boys and older adolescents scored significantly higher on aggression. According to adolescent self-reports the prevalence of aggression was higher in adolescents without ID, while teachers perceived aggressive behaviour to be more prevalent in adolescents with ID. Scientific and practical implications are discussed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aggressive challenging behaviour and intellectual disability.

PubMed

Benson, Betsey A; Brooks, Whitney T

2008-09-01

The aim of this article is to review reports of aggressive challenging behaviour in individuals with intellectual disability from September 2006 to March 2008. Studies continued to demonstrate the prevalence and significance of aggressive challenging behaviour in persons with intellectual disability. Over half of the population engages in some form of aggression, but only a small number is responsible for frequent or severe acts. A publication that identified aggression profiles offered a promising new approach. Aggressive behaviour in adults often has multiple functions. The most frequently studied interventions were either behavioural or somatic. Parents learned skills to effectively intervene with their aggressive preschool child. Reviews of medication efficacy studies concluded that there was insufficient evidence to recommend a single medication. Psychiatrists agreed that medication should not be the first treatment option. In one study, a class of medication was found to reduce aggression, but not aggression with self-injury, or self-injury alone. Research on aggressive challenging behaviour requires assessment instruments that address the topography and severity of aggression. Identifying aggression types may clarify mixed results of previous research and improve treatment effectiveness. Greater access to effective, nonmedication treatments is needed.

The Social Values of Aggressive-Prosocial Youth.

PubMed

McDonald, Kristina L; Benish-Weisman, Maya; O'Brien, Christopher T; Ungvary, Stephen

2015-12-01

Recent research has identified youth who utilize both aggressive and prosocial behavior with peers. Although the social values and motivations associated with aggression and prosocial behavior have been well studied, the values of youth who utilize both aggression and prosocial behavior are unknown. The current study identified groups of adolescents based on peer nominations of aggression and prosocial behavior from both Israel (n = 569; 56.94% Arab, 43.06% Jewish; 53.78% female) and the United States (n = 342; 67.54% African-American; 32.46% European-American; 50.88% female). Self-enhancement, self-transcendence, openness-to-change, and conservation values predicted behavioral group membership. Power values predicted membership in the aggressive group relative to the aggressive-prosocial, prosocial, and low-both groups. For Israeli boys, openness-to-change values predicted membership in the aggressive-prosocial group relative to the prosocial group. The values of aggressive-prosocial youth were more similar to the values of prosocial peers than to aggressive peers, suggesting that motivational interventions for aggressive-prosocial youth should differ in important ways than those for aggressive youth.

Can You Be Hit by Your Partner and Be Intensely in Love?

PubMed

Graña, José Luis; Cuenca Montesino, María Luisa; Redondo, Natalia; O'Leary, K Daniel

2016-07-01

This study examines, in a multilevel context, the influence of intensity of love at an individual level on couples' mean reports of psychological and physical aggression in a sample of 2,988 adult couples of both sexes from the Region of Madrid. The percentages of intimate partner aggression considering the highest report of aggression in the couple were around 60% of psychological aggression and 15% of physical aggression. Multilevel models confirm that individuals who were less intensely in love reported a higher level of psychological aggression. Concerning physical aggression, men who declared they were less intensely in love reported a higher level of physical aggression by their partners, but this pattern was not found in the women. Therefore, psychological aggression plays a more relevant role in the intensity of love than physical aggression. © The Author(s) 2015.

Harm, intent, and the nature of aggressive behavior: measuring naturally occurring aggression in barroom settings.

PubMed

Graham, Kathryn; Tremblay, Paul F; Wells, Samantha; Pernanen, Kai; Purcell, John; Jelley, Jennifer

2006-09-01

The research goals were to use the constructs of harm and intent to quantify the severity of aggression in the real-world setting of the bar/club, to describe the range of aggressive behaviors and their relationship to harm and intent, and to examine gender differences in the form and severity of aggression. Systematic observations were conducted by trained observers on 1,334 nights in 118 bars/clubs. Observers documented a range of aggressive acts by 1,754 patrons in 1,052 incidents, with many forms of aggression occurring at more than one harm and intent level. Women used different forms of aggression, inflicted less harm, and were more likely to have defensive intent compared with men. Implications of the findings for research and measurement of aggression and applications to preventing aggression and violence are discussed.

How long do the short-term violent video game effects last?

PubMed

Barlett, Christopher; Branch, Omar; Rodeheffer, Christopher; Harris, Richard

2009-01-01

How long do the effects of the initial short-term increase in aggression and physiological arousal last after violent video game play? Study 1 (N=91) had participants complete pre- and postvideo game measures of aggressive thoughts, aggressive feelings, and heart rate. Then, participants completed Time 3 measures after 4 min or 9 min of delay. Study 2 employed a similar procedure, but had participants (N=91) complete the hot sauce paradigm to assess aggressive behavior after a 0, 5, or 10 min delay. First, results indicated that aggressive feelings, aggressive thoughts, aggressive behavior, and heart rate initially increased after violent video game play. Second, results of the delay condition revealed that the increase in aggressive feelings and aggressive thoughts lasted less than 4 min, whereas heart rate and aggressive behavior lasted 4-9 min. Copyright 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Clinical characteristics of aggression in children and adolescents admitted to a tertiary care centre.

PubMed

Jacob, Preeti; Seshadri, Shekhar; Girimaji, Satish C; Srinath, Shoba; Sagar, John Vijay

2013-12-01

Identification and management of aggression is a major mental health priority in hospitalised patients. However, no such studies have been done in child and adolescent in-patients in India. To study the clinical and demographic features; characteristics of the aggression and methods employed to manage aggression in child and adolescent in-patients. Child and adolescent in-patients between the ages of 4 and 16 years who were aggressive were included. The tools used were the MINI-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I) KID, Overt Aggression Scale (OAS), Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS), and a Semi-structured interview regarding each aggressive episode. 31 patients displayed aggressive behaviour out of the 131 patients who were admitted during the study period. Aggressive acts were more common in males, those with academic difficulties, who had a past history of aggression, with suicidal ideation or suicidal attempts. Aggression occurred across diagnostic categories but a significant proportion was diagnosed to have Disruptive Behaviour Disorders either as a primary diagnosis or as comorbidity. 90.6% were on psychotropic medication prior to admission. Around 2/3rd of aggressive episodes occurred in the evening and family members (85.7%) were the most common targets of aggression. There are a few factors that can possibly help identify and predict aggression in children and adolescents in a hospital setting. More research is required to understand aggression in clinical settings. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Differences in cortisol response affect the distinction of observed reactive and proactive aggression in children with aggressive behaviour disorders.

PubMed

Kempes, M; de Vries, H; Matthys, W; van Engeland, H; van Hooff, J

2008-01-01

Various researchers distinguished two categories of aggressive behaviour, namely reactive and proactive aggression. Reactive aggression is an aggressive response to a perceived threat or provocation, whereas proactive aggression is behaviour that anticipates a reward. In the present study, including both a sample of disruptive behaviour disordered (DBD) and normal control (NC) children, we observed reactive and proactive aggressive behaviour during an experimental dyadic play session. DBD children showed more observed reactive and proactive aggression. Subsequently, we investigated whether the observed measures correlated with parent-rated measures of reactive and proactive aggression in. We distinguished in both NC and DBD children a subgroup showing a rise in cortisol level, i.e. responders, and a subgroup who did not show a rise in cortisol, i.e. non-responders. Results suggest that differences in the cortisol response affects the correspondence between observed and parent-rated reactive and proactive aggression since only DBD non-responders showed the expected correlations.

Examining Implicit and Explicit Evaluations of Sexual Aggression and Sexually Aggressive Behavior in Men Recruited Online.

PubMed

Hermann, Chantal A; Nunes, Kevin L; Maimone, Sacha

2016-12-05

The purpose of the current study was to explore the relationship between implicit and explicit evaluations of sexual aggression and indicators of sexually aggressive behavior in samples of students and community men recruited online. Participants were male undergraduate students recruited online from a Canadian University (N = 150) and men recruited from the community via an online panel (N = 378). Participants completed measures of implicit and explicit evaluations of sexual aggression, cognitive distortions regarding rape, self-reported past sexually aggressive behavior, and self-reported proclivity to commit sexually aggressive behavior. We found that more positive explicit evaluations and more cognitive distortions were moderately to strongly associated with sexual aggression; however, this was not the case for implicit evaluations of rape. Our results suggest that explicit evaluations of sexual aggression and cognitive distortions may be relevant for understanding sexual aggression against adults, and that more research is needed exploring whether or not implicit evaluations are associated with sexually aggressive behavior. © The Author(s) 2016.

Popularity differentially predicts reactive and proactive aggression in early adolescence.

PubMed

Stoltz, Sabine; Cillessen, Antonius H N; van den Berg, Yvonne H M; Gommans, Rob

2016-01-01

Previous research has indicated that peer popularity is associated with aggressive behavior. However, it is not yet clear whether popularity is uniquely related to different functions of aggression. In this study, we examined associations between peer-perceived popularity, and reactive and proactive aggression using a cross-sectional and a longitudinal design. Yearly sociometric measures of popularity, and reactive and proactive aggression were gathered from 266 seventh and eight grade adolescents (Mage grade 7 = 12.80, SDage  = .40). Popularity was positively correlated with proactive aggression and negatively correlated with reactive aggression, both concurrently as over time. Curvilinear trends indicated that a significant minority of low versus high popular adolescents showed both functions of aggression. Somewhat stronger effects of popularity on proactive aggression were found for boys than girls. Stably popular adolescents showed the highest levels of proactive aggression, whereas stably unpopular youth showed the highest levels of reactive aggression. Implications and directions for future research are discussed. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Aggression is associated with greater subsequent alcohol consumption: A shared neural basis in the ventral striatum.

PubMed

Chester, David S; DeWall, C Nathan

2018-05-01

Alcohol use and abuse (e.g., binge drinking) are among the most reliable causes of aggressive behavior. Conversely, people with aggressive dispositions (e.g., intermittent explosive disorder) are at greater risk for subsequent substance abuse. Yet it remains unknown why aggression might promote subsequent alcohol use. Both aggressive acts and alcohol use are rewarding and linked to greater activity in neural reward circuitry. Through this shared instantiation of reward, aggression may then increase subsequent alcohol consumption. Supporting this mechanistic hypothesis, participants' aggressive behavior directed at someone who had recently rejected them, was associated with more subsequent beer consumption on an ad-lib drinking task. Using functional MRI, both aggressive behavior and beer consumption were associated with greater activity in the bilateral ventral striatum during acts of retaliatory aggression. These results imply that aggression is linked to subsequent alcohol abuse, and that a mechanism underlying this effect is likely to be the activation of the brain's reward circuitry during aggressive acts. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of Weapons on Aggressive Thoughts, Angry Feelings, Hostile Appraisals, and Aggressive Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Weapons Effect Literature.

PubMed

Benjamin, Arlin J; Kepes, Sven; Bushman, Brad J

2017-09-01

Guns are associated with aggression. A landmark 1967 study showed that simply seeing a gun can increase aggression-called the "weapons effect." This meta-analysis integrates the findings of weapons effect studies conducted from 1967 to 2017. It includes 162 effect-size estimates from 78 independent studies involving 7,668 participants. The theoretical framework used to explain the weapons effect was the General Aggression Model (GAM), which proposes three routes to aggression-cognitive, affective, and arousal. The GAM also proposes that hostile appraisals can facilitate aggression. As predicted by the GAM, the mere presence of weapons increased aggressive thoughts, hostile appraisals, and aggression, suggesting a cognitive route from weapons to aggression. Weapons did not significantly increase angry feelings. Only one study tested the effects of weapons on arousal. These findings also contribute to the debate about social priming by showing that incidental exposure to a stimulus (weapon) can affect subsequent related behavior (aggression).

Degree of Anger During Anger-Generating Situations Among Psychiatric Staff Nurses: Association Between Nurses' Attitudes Toward Service Users' Aggression and Confidence in Intervening in Aggressive Situations.

PubMed

Shimosato, Seiji; Kinoshita, Aimi

2018-04-17

Some situations require psychiatric staff nurses to respond to service users' negativity or aggression. As a result, psychiatric staff nurses may experience anger. The current study examined how anger levels of psychiatric staff nurses triggered by anger-generating situations by service users affected nurses' confidence and attitudes. A questionnaire survey was administered among 386 psychiatric staff nurses. The questionnaire surveyed anger levels in anger-generating situations, aggressiveness, nurses' attitudes toward aggression, and self-efficacy of intervening in aggressive situations. Path analysis revealed differences between male and female nurses. Male nurses' anger in response to physical aggression was mild when they were confident in handling aggression. Furthermore, female nurses who had high confidence in intervening in an aggressive situation had low anger levels. Confidence in intervening in aggressive situations appeared to dissipate anger and ease nurses during aggressive interactions. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, xx(x), xx-xx.]. Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.

Do attachment patterns predict aggression in a context of social rejection? An executive functioning account.

PubMed

Ma, Yuanxiao; Ma, Haijing; Chen, Xu; Ran, Guangming; Zhang, Xing

2017-07-01

People tend to respond to rejection and attack with aggression. The present research examined the modulation role of attachment patterns on provoked aggression following punishment and proposed an executive functioning account of attachment patterns' modulating influence based on the General Aggression Model. Attachment style was measured using the Experiences in Close Relationships inventory. Experiments 1a and b and 2 adopted a social rejection task and assessed subsequent unprovoked and provoked aggression with different attachment patterns. Moreover, Experiment 1b and 2 used a Stroop task to examine whether differences in provoked aggression by attachment patterns are due to the amount of executive functioning following social rejection, or after unprovoked punishment, or even before social rejection. Anxiously attached participants displayed significant more provoked aggression than securely and avoidantly attached participants in provoked aggression following unprovoked punishment in Experiments 1 and 2. Meanwhile, subsequent Stroop tests indicated anxiously attached participants experienced more executive functioning depletion after social rejection and unprovoked aggression. The present findings support the General Aggression Model and suggest that provoked aggression is predicted by attachment patterns in the context of social rejection; different provoked aggression may depend on the degree of executive functioning that individuals preserved in aggressive situations. The current study contributes to our understanding of the importance of the role of attachment patterns in modulating aggressive behavior accompanying unfair social encounters. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Do Drinking Episodes Contribute to Sexual Aggression Perpetration in College Men?

PubMed

Testa, Maria; Parks, Kathleen A; Hoffman, Joseph H; Crane, Cory A; Leonard, Kenneth E; Shyhalla, Kathleen

2015-07-01

Survey and experimental analog studies suggest that alcohol consumption contributes to perpetration of sexual aggression. However, few studies have considered the temporal association between naturally occurring episodes of drinking and subsequent sexual aggression. This daily report study was designed to examine whether alcohol consumption increases the odds of aggressive sexual activity within the next 4 hours. First-year male college students (N = 427) completed daily online reports of drinking and sexual activity for up to 56 days. Multilevel modeling was used to determine whether drinking episodes increased the odds of the following outcomes occurring within 4 hours: (a) aggressive sex with a new partner, (b) non-aggressive sex with a new partner, (c) aggressive sex with a previous partner, and (d) non-aggressive sex with a previous partner. Drinking episodes increased the odds of both aggressive and non-aggressive sex with a new partner. In contrast, drinking episodes did not predict aggression involving previous partners and decreased the odds of non-aggressive sex with a previous partner. Contrary to hypotheses, individual difference variables associated with propensity toward sexual aggression (sexual misperception, antisocial behavior, hostility toward women) did not interact with daily alcohol. The complex pattern of results is more consistent with situational as opposed to pharmacological effects of alcohol on sexual aggression and suggests that prevention efforts focus on drinking contexts known to facilitate sexual activity.

A cross-lagged structural equation model of relational aggression, physical aggression, and peer status in a Chinese culture.

PubMed

Tseng, Wan-Ling; Banny, Adrienne M; Kawabata, Yoshito; Crick, Nicki R; Gau, Susan Shur-Fen

2013-01-01

This short-term longitudinal study examined the associations among relational aggression, physical aggression, and peer status (i.e., acceptance, rejection, and perceived popularity) across three time points, six months apart, in a Taiwanese sample. Participants were 198 fifth grade students (94 girls and 104 boys; Mean age = 10.35 years) from Taipei, Taiwan. Study variables were assessed using peer nomination procedure. Results from the cross-lagged structural equation models demonstrated that there were longitudinal associations between relational aggression and each of the peer status constructs while only one longitudinal association was found for physical aggression such that physical aggression positively predicted subsequent peer rejection. The longitudinal associations did not vary with gender. Results also showed high stabilities of relational aggression, physical aggression, and the three peer status constructs over 1 year as well as high concurrent association between relational and physical aggression. In addition, relational aggression and physical aggression were concurrently related to less acceptance, more rejection, and less perceived popularity, especially at the outset of the study. Findings of this study demonstrated both similarities and differences in relation to previous literature in primarily Western cultures. This study also highlights the bidirectional and complex nature of the association between aggression and peer status, which appears to depend on the form of aggression and on the particular indicator of peer status under study. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Proactive and reactive sibling aggression and adjustment in adolescence.

PubMed

Tucker, Corinna Jenkins; Van Gundy, Karen T; Wiesen-Martin, Desireé; Hiley Sharp, Erin; Rebellon, Cesar J; Stracuzzi, Nena F

2015-03-01

Existing research on aggression tends to narrowly focus on peers; less is known about sibling aggression, most likely due to its historical acceptance. Aggression is characterized by its forms (i.e., physical vs. social or relational aggression) and its functions (i.e., the motivations behind the aggressive act and categorized as proactive vs. reactive aggression). We use data from a two-wave study of middle (n = 197; M age = 12.63 years at Wave 1) and older (n = 159; M age = 16.50 years at Wave 1) adolescents to assess the extent to which proactive and reactive functions of sibling aggression make unique or conditional contributions to adolescent adjustment (i.e., depression, delinquency, and substance use). We find that proactive sibling aggression increases risk for problem substance use and delinquent behavior, reactive sibling aggression increases risk for depressed mood and delinquent behavior, and such results are observed even with statistical adjustments for sociodemographic and family variables, stressful life events, and prior adjustment. Few conditional effects of proactive or reactive sibling aggression by sex or grade are observed; yet, for all three outcomes, the harmful effects of reactive sibling aggression are strongest among adolescents who report low levels of proactive sibling aggression. The results speak to the importance of understanding the proactive and reactive functions of sibling aggressive behaviors for adolescent adjustment. © The Author(s) 2014.

Do Drinking Episodes Contribute to Sexual Aggression Perpetration in College Men?

PubMed Central

Testa, Maria; Parks, Kathleen A.; Hoffman, Joseph H.; Crane, Cory A.; Leonard, Kenneth E.; Shyhalla, Kathleen

2015-01-01

Objective: Survey and experimental analog studies suggest that alcohol consumption contributes to perpetration of sexual aggression. However, few studies have considered the temporal association between naturally occurring episodes of drinking and subsequent sexual aggression. This daily report study was designed to examine whether alcohol consumption increases the odds of aggressive sexual activity within the next 4 hours. Method: First-year male college students (N = 427) completed daily online reports of drinking and sexual activity for up to 56 days. Multilevel modeling was used to determine whether drinking episodes increased the odds of the following outcomes occurring within 4 hours: (a) aggressive sex with a new partner, (b) non-aggressive sex with a new partner, (c) aggressive sex with a previous partner, and (d) non-aggressive sex with a previous partner. Results: Drinking episodes increased the odds of both aggressive and non-aggressive sex with a new partner. In contrast, drinking episodes did not predict aggression involving previous partners and decreased the odds of non-aggressive sex with a previous partner. Contrary to hypotheses, individual difference variables associated with propensity toward sexual aggression (sexual misperception, antisocial behavior, hostility toward women) did not interact with daily alcohol. Conclusions: The complex pattern of results is more consistent with situational as opposed to pharmacological effects of alcohol on sexual aggression and suggests that prevention efforts focus on drinking contexts known to facilitate sexual activity. PMID:26098025

Daily Associations among Anger Experience and Intimate Partner Aggression within Aggressive and Nonaggressive Community Couples

PubMed Central

Crane, Cory A.; Testa, Maria

2014-01-01

Anger is an empirically established precipitant to aggressive responding toward intimate partners. The current investigation examined the effects of anger, as experienced by both partners, as well as gender and previous aggression, on in vivo intimate partner aggression using a prospective daily diary methodology. Participants (N = 118 couples) individually provided 56 consecutive, daily reports of affective experience and partner aggression. Multilevel models were estimated using the Actor Partner Interdependence Model framework to analyze the daily associations between anger and partner aggression perpetration among male and female participants as moderated by aggression history. Results revealed that both Actor and Partner anger were generally associated with subsequently reported daily conflict. Further, increases in daily Partner anger were associated with corresponding increases in partner aggression among females who reported high anger and males, regardless of their own anger experience. Increases in Actor anger were associated with increases in daily partner aggression only among previously aggressive females. Previously aggressive males and females consistently reported greater perpetration than their nonaggressive counterparts on days of high Actor anger experience. Results emphasize the importance of both Actor and Partner factors in partner aggression and suggest that female anger may be a stronger predictor of both female-to-male and male-to-female partner aggression than male anger, when measured at the daily level. PMID:24866529

Personality traits in established schizophrenia: aspects of usability and differences between patients and controls using the Swedish universities Scales of Personality.

PubMed

Fagerberg, Tomas; Söderman, Erik; Gustavsson, J Petter; Agartz, Ingrid; Jönsson, Erik G

2016-08-01

Personality is considered as an important aspect that can affect symptoms and social function in persons with schizophrenia. The personality questionnaire Swedish universities Scales of Personality (SSP) has not previously been used in psychotic disorder. To investigate if SSP has a similar internal consistency and factor structure in a psychosis population as among healthy controls and if patients with psychotic disorders differ from non-psychotic individuals in their responses to the SSP. Patients with psychotic disorders (n = 107) and healthy controls (n = 119) completed SSP. SSP scores were analyzed for internal consistency and case-control differences by Cronbach's alfa and multiple analysis of covariance, respectively. Internal consistencies among patients were overall similar to that of controls. The patients scored significantly higher in seven (Somatic trait anxiety, Psychic trait anxiety, Stress susceptibility, Lack of assertiveness, Detachment, Embitterment, Mistrust) and lower in three (Physical trait aggression, Verbal trait aggression, Adventure seeking) of the 13 scales of the inventory. In three scales (Impulsiveness, Social desirability and Trait irritability) there was no significant difference between the scoring of patients and healthy controls. The reliability estimates suggest that SSP can be used by patients with psychotic disorders in stable remission. Patients score higher on neuroticism-related scales and lower on aggression-related scales than controls, which is in accordance with earlier studies where other personality inventories were used.

Examining the Mediating Effect of Self-Efficacy on Approval of Aggression and Proactive Aggression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hadley, Jade; Mowbray, Tony; Jacobs, Nicky

2017-01-01

Proactive aggression (PA) is goal-directed, hostile social behavior that has been linked to detrimental outcomes. It has been theorized that adolescents who believe aggression is a normal and acceptable social response (approval of aggression) are more likely to show PA. Confidence in one's ability to behave aggressively (self-efficacy about…

Social Aggression on Television and Its Relationship to Children's Aggression in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martins, Nicole; Wilson, Barbara J.

2012-01-01

A survey was conducted with over 500 children in grades K-5 to examine whether exposure to socially aggressive content was related to children's use of social aggression. The results of the survey revealed a significant relationship between exposure to televised social aggression and increased social aggression at school, but only for girls and…

Aggressive and Nonaggressive Children's Moral Judgments and Moral Emotion Attributions in Situations Involving Retaliation and Unprovoked Aggression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gasser, Luciano; Malti, Tina; Gutzwiller-Helfenfinger, Eveline

2012-01-01

The authors investigated 7- and 9-year-old children's moral understanding of retaliation as compared to unprovoked aggression with regard to their aggressive behavior status. Based on peer ratings, 48 children were selected as overtly aggressive and 91 as nonaggressive. Their moral understanding of retaliation and unprovoked aggression was…

Individual and peer group normative beliefs about relational aggression.

PubMed

Werner, Nicole E; Hill, Laura G

2010-01-01

Studies show that children who use relational aggression process social information in unique ways; however, findings have been inconsistent and limited by methodological weaknesses. This short-term longitudinal study examined developmental changes in 245 (49% female; ages 8-13) 3rd through 8th graders' normative beliefs about relational aggression and tested the hypothesis that individual and classroom-level norms predict relational aggression 1 year later. Results showed that the transition to middle school was marked by increased approval of relational aggression, and individual norms predicted future relational aggression. Importantly, a contextual model showed that students in peer groups highly supportive of relational aggression became increasingly aggressive. Findings extend social information processing theories of relational aggression to focus on the role of peer group cognitions.

Read anything mean lately? associations between reading aggression in books and aggressive behavior in adolescents.

PubMed

Stockdale, Laura A; Coyne, Sarah M; Nelson, David A; Padilla-Walker, Laura M

2013-01-01

Although there have been hundreds of studies on media violence, few have focused on literature, with none examining novels. Accordingly, the aim of the current study was to examine whether reading physical and relational aggression in books was associated with aggressive behavior in adolescents. Participants consisted of 223 adolescents who completed a variety of measures detailing their media use and aggressive behavior. A non-recursive structural equation model revealed that reading aggression in books was positively associated with aggressive behavior, even after controlling for exposure to aggression in other forms of media. Associations were only found for congruent forms of aggression. Implications regarding books as a form of media are discussed. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Religiousness and aggression in adolescents: The mediating roles of self-control and compassion.

PubMed

Shepperd, James A; Miller, Wendi A; Smith, Colin Tucker

2015-01-01

Although people have used religion to justify aggression, evidence suggests that greater religiousness corresponds with less aggression. We explored two explanations for the religion-aggression link. First, most major religions teach self-control (e.g., delaying gratification, resisting temptation), which diminishes aggression. Second, most major religions emphasize compassionate beliefs and behavior (i.e., perspective taking, forgiveness, a broader love of humanity) that are incompatible with aggression. We tested whether self-control and compassion mediated the relationship between religion and aggression (direct and indirect) in a longitudinal study of 1,040 adolescents in the United States. Structural equation analyses revealed that self-control and compassion together completely mediated the religion-aggression relationship for both types of aggression. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Using single-case experimental design methodology to evaluate the effects of the ABC method for nursing staff on verbal aggressive behaviour after acquired brain injury.

PubMed

Winkens, Ieke; Ponds, Rudolf; Pouwels, Climmy; Eilander, Henk; van Heugten, Caroline

2014-01-01

The ABC method is a basic and simplified form of behavioural modification therapy for use by nurses. ABC refers to the identification of Antecedent events, target Behaviours, and Consequent events. A single-case experimental AB design was used to evaluate the effects of the ABC method on a woman diagnosed with olivo-ponto-cerebellar ataxia. Target behaviour was verbal aggressive behaviour during ADL care, assessed at 9 time points immediately before implementation of the ABC method and at 36 time points after implementation. A randomisation test showed a significant treatment effect between the baseline and intervention phases (t = .58, p = .03; ES [Nonoverlap All Pairs] = .62). Visual analysis, however, showed that the target behaviour was still present after implementation of the method and that on some days the nurses even judged the behaviour to be more severe than at baseline. Although the target behaviour was still present after treatment, the ABC method seems to be a promising tool for decreasing problem behaviour in patients with acquired brain injury. It is worth investigating the effects of this method in future studies. When interpreting single-subject data, both visual inspection and statistical analysis are needed to determine whether treatment is effective and whether the effects lead to clinically desirable results.

Reactive and proactive aggression as meaningful distinctions at the variable and person level in primary school-aged children.

PubMed

Carroll, Annemaree; McCarthy, Molly; Houghton, Stephen; Sanders O'Connor, Emma; Zadow, Corinne

2018-04-24

Reactive and proactive aggression is a dichotomous classification of aggression in adults and children. This distinction has been supported by a number of variable-based and factor analytic studies. Due to high inter-correlations, however, the reactive-proactive aggression distinction may not be entirely useful for understanding how group or individual aggressive behavior varies in children and adolescents. Drawing on a sample of primary school-aged children (N = 242) aged 7-12 years, this study sought to determine whether reactive and proactive aggression could be distinguished at the variable-level and the person-level in children. Exploratory Factor Analysis of data from an aggression instrument measuring both functions and forms of aggression, found a two-factor construct of aggression constituted by a reactive and proactive aggression factor. A person-based analysis was then conducted after classifying children according to the presence of reactive and/or proactive aggression. Discriminant function analysis was used to discern whether classifications on the basis of aggression function produced meaningful distinctions in terms of antisocial traits and emotional valence and intensity measures. Two functions were identified which distinguished children with different combinations of reactive and proactive aggression. Reactive-only aggressive children were defined primarily by high levels of impulsivity, while proactive-only children were defined primarily by higher levels of antisocial traits. Children high in both types of aggression exhibited both the presence of antisocial traits and impulsivity. Contrary to recent findings, this suggests that differences in aggression functions remain meaningful at the person level in children. Implications for interventions are discussed. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[The relationship between reactive/proactive aggression, callous/unemotional traits and behavioural problems in Hungarian adolescents].

PubMed

Bozsik, Csilla; Körmendi, Attila; Inántsy-Pap, Judit; Pataky, Nóra; Gádoros, Júlia; Halász, József

2013-01-01

The relationship between the type of physical aggressive behavior, callous/unemotional traits and behavioral problems was extensively studied in the literature, but no similar data exist in Hungarian adolescents. In the present study, the type of aggressive behavior was assessed in adolescents on a normative sample to study its relationship with callous/unemotional traits and behavioral problems. 223 students were participated in the study after informed consent (girls, n=106, age: 14.2±1.5 years; boys, n=117, age: 13.9±1.6 years) from primary and secondary schools in Miskolc and adjacent areas. The Reactive/Proactive Aggression Questionnaire was used to assess the level of aggressive behavior, the Inventory of Callous Unemotional Traits was used to measure callous/unemotional traits, while behavioral problems were established by the means of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. In the present non-clinical sample, the level of reactive aggression was higher than the level of proactive aggressive behavior. In boys, proactive and total aggression measures were significantly higher compared to girls. In both genders, reactive aggression was specifically associated with emotional and peer-related problems. Proactive aggression was correlated positively with callous traits in both genders, while self-reported prosocial behavior had an inverse correlation with proactive aggressive behavior in boys. Self reported conduct- and hyperactivity problems were positively correlated with both types of aggressive behavior in both genders. The strongest positive correlation was observed between self-reported conduct symptoms and both types of aggressive behavior. Callous/unemotional traits were related with proactive forms of aggression, similar to literature data. Reactive aggressive behavior was related to peer-related and emotional problems, thus our data outlined the importance of the distinction between the two main types of aggression.

Are experiences of family and of organized violence predictors of aggression and violent behavior? A study with unaccompanied refugee minors

PubMed Central

Mueller-Bamouh, Veronika; Ruf-Leuschner, Martina; Dohrmann, Katalin; Schauer, Maggie; Elbert, Thomas

2016-01-01

Background There is strong support for familial abuse as a risk factor for later delinquency and violent offending, whereas empirical evidence about the contribution of experienced organized violence to the cycle of violence is less clear. Nevertheless not all abused children do become violent offenders. This raises the question of which factors influence these children's risk of future aggressive behavior. Recent evidence suggests that the trait of appetitive aggression plays an important role in the prediction of aggressive behavior. Objective The focus of the study is to investigate whether exposures to 1) organized; and 2) family violence equally contribute to aggressive behavior and how this is related to a trait of appetitive aggression. Furthermore it is of interest to uncover how the severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms modulates associations between violent experiences and aggression. Method To answer these questions, we investigated unaccompanied refugee minors who had been exposed to varying levels of both violence types. Using structured interviews, experiences of organized and familial violence, self-committed aggressive acts, the trait of appetitive aggression, and PTSD symptoms were assessed in 49 volunteers. Results A sequential regression analysis revealed that the trait of appetitive aggression and experienced family violence were independent and significant predictors of self-committed aggressive acts, altogether accounting for 70% of the variance. Exposure to organized violence, however, was not significantly associated with aggressive acts or appetitive aggression. PTSD symptom severity was not correlated with measures of aggression but with the exposure to familial and organized violence. Conclusions Results suggest that in addition to the impact of family violence, an elevated trait of appetitive aggression plays a crucial role in aggressive behavior and should be considered in psychotherapeutic treatment. PMID:26886483

Pervasive, hard-wired and male: Qualitative study of how UK adolescents view alcohol-related aggression

PubMed Central

Whitaker, Lydia; Young, Bridget; Fereday, Richard; Coyne, Sarah M.; Qualter, Pamela

2018-01-01

Laboratory studies of alcohol-inexperienced adolescents show that aggression can be primed by alcohol-related stimuli, suggesting that alcohol-related aggression is partly socially learned. Script theory proposes that alcohol-related aggression ‘scripts’ for social behaviors are culturally-available and learned by individuals. The purpose of the study was to understand the content and origins of alcohol-related aggression scripts learned by adolescents. This qualitative focus group study of 40 adolescents (ages 14–16 years) examined alcohol-related aggression scripts. Participants believed aggression and severe injury to be pervasive when young people drink. Viewed through a biological lens, participants described aggression as an ‘instinctive’ and ‘hard-wired’ male trait facilitated by intoxication. As such, alcohol-related aggression was not seen as intended or personally controllable and participants did not see it in moral terms. Females were largely viewed as either bystanders of inter-male aggression or potential victims of male sexual aggression. Participants attributed their views on the frequency and nature of alcohol-related aggression to current affairs and reality television, which they felt portrayed a reality of which they had little experience. The origins of the explicitly biological frameworks that participants used seemed to lie in pre-existing beliefs about the nature of gender differences. Perceptions of the pervasiveness of male alcohol-related aggression, and the consequent failure to view alcohol-related aggression in moral terms, could dispose some young people to alcohol-related aggression. Interventions could target (1) the beliefs that alcohol-related aggression is pervasive and uncontrollable in males, and (2) participants’ dysfunctional views of masculinity that underpin those beliefs. PMID:29408910

Neurogenetics of Aggressive Behavior – Studies in Rodents

PubMed Central

Takahashi, Aki; Miczek, Klaus A.

2014-01-01

Aggressive behavior is observed in many animal species, such as insects, fish, lizards, frogs, and most mammals including humans. This wide range of conservation underscores the importance of aggressive behavior in the animals’ survival and fitness, and the likely heritability of this behavior. Although typical patterns of aggressive behavior differ between species, there are several concordances in the neurobiology of aggression among rodents, primates, and humans. Studies with rodent models may eventually help us to understand the neurogenetic architecture of aggression in humans. However, it is important to recognize the difference between the ecological and ethological significance of aggressive behavior (species-typical aggression) and maladaptive violence (escalated aggression) when applying the findings of aggression research using animal models to human or veterinary medicine. Well-studied rodent models for aggressive behavior in the laboratory setting include the mouse (Mus musculus), rat (Rattus norvegicus), hamster (Mesocricetus auratus), and prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster). The neural circuits of rodent aggression have been gradually elucidated by several techniques e.g. immunohistochemistry of immediate-early gene (c-Fos) expression, intracranial drug microinjection, in vivo microdialysis, and optogenetics techniques. Also, evidence accumulated from the analysis of gene-knockout mice shows the involvement of several genes in aggression. Here we review the brain circuits that have been implicated in aggression, such as the hypothalamus, prefrontal cortex (PFC), dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), nucleus accumbens (NAc), and olfactory system. We then discuss the roles of glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), major inhibitory and excitatory amino acids in the brain, as well as their receptors, in controlling aggressive behavior, focusing mainly on recent findings. At the end of this chapter, we discuss how genes can be identified that underlie individual differences in aggression, using the so-called forward genetics approach. PMID:24318936

Are experiences of family and of organized violence predictors of aggression and violent behavior? A study with unaccompanied refugee minors.

PubMed

Mueller-Bamouh, Veronika; Ruf-Leuschner, Martina; Dohrmann, Katalin; Schauer, Maggie; Elbert, Thomas

2016-01-01

There is strong support for familial abuse as a risk factor for later delinquency and violent offending, whereas empirical evidence about the contribution of experienced organized violence to the cycle of violence is less clear. Nevertheless not all abused children do become violent offenders. This raises the question of which factors influence these children's risk of future aggressive behavior. Recent evidence suggests that the trait of appetitive aggression plays an important role in the prediction of aggressive behavior. The focus of the study is to investigate whether exposures to 1) organized; and 2) family violence equally contribute to aggressive behavior and how this is related to a trait of appetitive aggression. Furthermore it is of interest to uncover how the severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms modulates associations between violent experiences and aggression. To answer these questions, we investigated unaccompanied refugee minors who had been exposed to varying levels of both violence types. Using structured interviews, experiences of organized and familial violence, self-committed aggressive acts, the trait of appetitive aggression, and PTSD symptoms were assessed in 49 volunteers. A sequential regression analysis revealed that the trait of appetitive aggression and experienced family violence were independent and significant predictors of self-committed aggressive acts, altogether accounting for 70% of the variance. Exposure to organized violence, however, was not significantly associated with aggressive acts or appetitive aggression. PTSD symptom severity was not correlated with measures of aggression but with the exposure to familial and organized violence. Results suggest that in addition to the impact of family violence, an elevated trait of appetitive aggression plays a crucial role in aggressive behavior and should be considered in psychotherapeutic treatment.

One-sided and mutually aggressive couples: Differences in attachment, conflict prevalence, and coping.

PubMed

Burk, William J; Seiffge-Krenke, Inge

2015-12-01

This study investigated concurrent links between adolescent romantic couples' reports of aggression (relational and physical) and relationship functioning (e.g., attachment security, conflict prevalence, coping strategies, jealousy, and affiliative and romantic relationship quality) using a pattern-oriented approach. The sample included 194 romantic partner dyads (Mage=16.99 years for females and Mage=18.41 years for males). A hierarchical cluster analysis identified five distinct subgroups of dyads based on male and female reports of relational and physical aggression, ranging from nonaggressive couples (42%), to those characterized by aggressive females (18%), aggressive males (14%), physically aggressive females (20%), and mutually aggressive females and males (6%). Clusters in which one partner was perceived as either relationally or physically aggressive were characterized by higher rates of conflict, less adaptive coping, and more jealousy (particularly in males). The mutually aggressive couples showed the least adaptive relationship functioning, with high rates of conflict, a deficit in reflection and emotion regulation in conflict situations, and a lack of affiliative relationship qualities. The discussion focuses on the formative character of aggression in these early romantic relations, the aggravating impact of mutual aggression on relationship functioning, and the gender-specific functions of aggression in relationships characterized by unilateral aggression. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The role of psychological maturity in direct and indirect aggressiveness in Spanish adolescents.

PubMed

Morales-Vives, Fabia; Camps, Elisa; Lorenzo-Seva, Urbano; Vigil-Colet, Andreu

2014-01-01

Understanding which factors are related to different kinds of aggressive behaviors in adolescents might help to improve violence-prevention programs for schools and families. Although some studies show that adolescents who are less psychologically mature tend to display more behavioral problems, few studies have been performed on the relationship between aggressive behavior and psychological maturity in adolescence, and no studies have focused specifically on indirect aggression. For this reason, the current research tests the role of psychological maturity in direct and indirect aggressiveness in a sample of 193 Spanish adolescents (49% boys and 51% girls) between 14 and 18 years old (M = 16.1, SD = 1.18). The results show that psychological maturity is related to both kinds of aggressiveness. In fact, less mature adolescents tend to show higher levels of direct aggression (r = -.22, p < .01) and indirect aggression (r = -.44, p < .01). More specifically, the dimensions of psychological maturity most related to aggressiveness are self-reliance and identity: self-reliance is the main predictor of indirect aggression (p < .01) and identity is the main predictor of direct aggression (p < .01). Moreover, overall psychological maturity is more related to indirect aggression in men than in women (p < .05), so the increase in psychological maturity implies a greater decrease of indirect aggression in men.

A Multimethodological Study of Preschoolers' Preferences for Aggressive Television and Video Games.

PubMed

Jamnik, Matthew R; DiLalla, Lisabeth F

2018-01-01

The association between aggressive media and related behavior is complicated, and the role of underlying genetics has not been adequately explored. A better understanding of the role of genetics on the relationship between aggressive media and behavior, especially in young children, is critical. Using a twin/triplets sample (N = 184 children), the authors investigated the association between preschoolers' preferred media choices and their aggressive behaviors. A multimeasure methodology was utilized, examining children's reports of their preferred media games and shows, observed child negativity and aggression in the lab, and parent reports of their own and their children's aggressive behaviors. The results demonstrated a significant relationship between maternal aggression and parent-reported child aggression, especially for boys. Genetic analyses demonstrated significant heritability for children's parent-reported aggressive behaviors, supporting the biological basis of aggression, but not for media aggression preferences. Controlling for genetics, the authors found that the association between media preferences and aggressive behavior may be genetic in origin. These results emphasize the importance of considering shared genetics underlying the relationship between children's aggressive behaviors and their media preferences, as well as environmental influences. By examining preschoolers, the present study provides insight into the importance of media influences in children younger than those previously studied.

When do normative beliefs about aggression predict aggressive behavior? An application of I3 theory.

PubMed

Li, Jian-Bin; Nie, Yan-Gang; Boardley, Ian D; Dou, Kai; Situ, Qiao-Min

2015-01-01

I(3) theory assumes that aggressive behavior is dependent on three orthogonal processes (i.e., Instigator, Impellance, and Inhibition). Previous studies showed that Impellance (trait aggressiveness, retaliation tendencies) better predicted aggression when Instigator was strong and Inhibition was weak. In the current study, we predicted that another Impellance (i.e., normative beliefs about aggression) might predict aggression when Instigator was absent and Inhibition was high (i.e., the perfect calm proposition). In two experiments, participants first completed the normative beliefs about aggression questionnaire. Two weeks later, participants' self-control resources were manipulated either using the Stroop task (study 1, N = 148) or through an "e-crossing" task (study 2, N = 180). Afterwards, with or without being provoked, participants played a game with an ostensible partner where they had a chance to aggress against them. Study 1 found that normative beliefs about aggression negatively and significantly predicted aggressive behavior only when provocation was absent and self-control resources were not depleted. In Study 2, normative beliefs about aggression negatively predicted aggressive behavior at marginal significance level only in the "no-provocation and no-depletion" condition. In conclusion, the current study provides partial support for the perfect calm proposition and I(3) theory. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Peculiarities of the psychological status of first-year students in terms of university education].

PubMed

Buduk-ool, L K; Khovalyg, A M

2016-01-01

Peculiarities There was performed the study of the mental status of first-year students enrolled in the Tuvan state University. There were detected levels of reactive and personal anxiety, adaptive capacity, the level of social and psychological adaptation and aggression. Adaptation potential in students is within limits of the satisfactory one, there was no detected person with poor adaptive capacity and failure of adaptation, that indicates to the genetically fixed ability of the students’ body to adapt to living conditions. In a state of psychological adjustment there was revealed the more higher level of anxiety in Tuvan students, which is caused by the poor living conditions. More satisfactory condition is typical for the social and psychological adaptation, since in all students values of test scales are within normal limits.There were shown gender differences in adaptation and psychological status of students. Boys have more lower indices of indirect and verbal aggression, anger, resentment, suspicion, guilt. Girls are characterized by higher hostility, at that it even exceeds standard values. In the group of students with a high personal anxiety no differences in adaptive capacities were found, and in students with moderate personal anxiety there were significantly more boys with stress adaptation than girls. Analysis of the socio-psychological adaptation of first-year students shows that in all students values of the test scales are normal, but in young men, indices are higher that indicates to a more successful socialization in the environment of the university. Correlation analysis of indices of aggressiveness and socio-psychological adaptation revealed weak negative relationships between index of aggressiveness with maladaptiveness, non-acceptance of others, emotional comfort in boys. In girls “aggressiveness” positively correlates with the such indices as acceptance of others and adaptation. Factor analysis in young men revealed the first factor, labeled as maladjustment because it included indirect aggression, maladaptiveness, self-rejection, emotional discomfort and external control. In girls first factor combines indices: adaptability, self-acceptance, adaptation (integral), self-acceptance, emotional comfort, the desire to dominate and this factor was labeled as adaptation.

Seven-year-olds' aggressive choices in a computer game can be predicted in infancy.

PubMed

Hay, Dale F; Johansen, Mark K; Daly, Peter; Hashmi, Salim; Robinson, Charlotte; Collishaw, Stephan; van Goozen, Stephanie

2018-05-01

Concerns about the relationship between computer games and children's aggression have been expressed for decades, but it is not yet clear whether the content of such games evokes aggression or a prior history of aggression promotes children's interest in aggressive games. Two hundred and sixty-six 7-year-old children from a nationally representative longitudinal sample in the UK played a novel computer game (CAMGAME) in which the child's avatar encountered a series of social challenges that might evoke aggressive, prosocial or neutral behaviour. Aggressive choices during the game were predicted by well-known risk factors for aggressive conduct problems and the children's own early angry aggressiveness as infants. These findings suggest that children who are predisposed to aggression bring those tendencies to virtual as well as real environments. © 2017 The Authors. Developmental Science Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Aggression By Whom–Aggression Toward Whom: Behavioral Predictors of Same- and Other-Gender Aggression in Early Childhood

PubMed Central

Hanish, Laura D.; Sallquist, Julie; DiDonato, Matthew; Fabes, Richard A.; Martin, Carol Lynn

2012-01-01

This study assessed girls’ and boys’ dominance-related behaviors (aggressive, commanding, submissive, and neutral behaviors) as they naturally occurred during interactions with male and female peers and evaluated the possibility that such behaviors elicit aggression from peers. Using a focal observational procedure, young girls’ and boys’ (N = 170; 54% boys) naturally occurring dominance-related behaviors and male and female peers’ aggressive responses to those behaviors were recorded multiple times each week across the academic year. Findings suggested that same-gender aggression occurred at similar rates as other-gender aggression once tendencies toward gender segregated play were controlled. Additionally, there were both gender-based similarities and differences in children’s use of dominance-related behaviors in peer interactions and as antecedents for peers’ aggression. The findings have implications for the literatures on aggression and gendered peer interactions. PMID:22369337

Iranian nurses' experiences of aggression in psychiatric wards: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Moghadam, Malek Fereidooni; Pazargadi, Mehrnoosh; Khoshknab, Masoud Fallahi

2013-10-01

Aggression from psychiatric patients is a constant problem for care providers that causes major problems in the therapeutic environment, and may have negative effects on the quality of care. Since recognition of aggression with regard to cultural background leads to better control of aggression in the psychiatric wards, this study has been done to clarify Iranian nurses' experiences of aggression in psychiatric wards. A qualitative content analysis study was conducted to explore experiences of nurses. Data analysis revealed four themes: (1) Damage resulting from aggression, (2) Aggression catalysts, (3) Contagious nature of aggression, and (4) Various control strategies. There are various causes for in-patients' aggression, and nurses use various approaches to control it. These approaches are influenced by personnel, facilities, and ward environment. Identifying these factors and strategies can contribute to better management of aggression and, thus, better quality of care in psychiatric wards.

Observation of early childhood physical aggression: a psychometric study of the system for coding early physical aggression.

PubMed

Mesman, Judi; Alink, Lenneke R A; van Zeijl, Jantien; Stolk, Mirjam N; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J; van Ijzendoorn, Marinus H; Juffer, Femmie; Koot, Hans M

2008-01-01

We investigated the reliability and (convergent and discriminant) validity of an observational measure of physical aggression in toddlers and preschoolers, originally developed by Keenan and Shaw [1994]. The observation instrument is based on a developmental definition of aggression. Physical aggression was observed twice in a laboratory setting, the first time when children were 1-3 years old, and again 1 year later. Observed physical aggression was significantly related to concurrent mother-rated physical aggression for 2- to 4-year-olds, but not to maternal ratings of nonaggressive externalizing problems, indicating the measure's discriminant validity. However, we did not find significant 1-year stability of observed physical aggression in any of the age groups, whereas mother-rated physical aggression was significantly stable for all ages. The observational measure shows promise, but may have assessed state rather than trait aggression in our study. Copyright 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Control of Intermale Aggression by Medial Prefrontal Cortex Activation in the Mouse

PubMed Central

Takahashi, Aki; Nagayasu, Kazuki; Nishitani, Naoya; Kaneko, Shuji; Koide, Tsuyoshi

2014-01-01

Aggressive behavior is widely observed throughout the animal kingdom because of its adaptiveness for social animals. However, when aggressive behavior exceeds the species-typical level, it is no longer adaptive, so there should be a mechanism to control excessive aggression to keep it within the adaptive range. Using optogenetics, we demonstrate that activation of excitatory neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), but not the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), inhibits inter-male aggression in mice. At the same time, optogenetic silencing of mPFC neurons causes an escalation of aggressive behavior both quantitatively and qualitatively. Activation of the mPFC suppresses aggressive bursts and reduces the intensity of aggressive behavior, but does not change the duration of the aggressive bursts. Our findings suggest that mPFC activity has an inhibitory role in the initiation and execution, but not the termination, of aggressive behavior, and maintains such behavior within the adaptive range. PMID:24740241

Effect of theory of mind and peer victimization on the schizotypy-aggression relationship.

PubMed

Lam, Bess Y H; Raine, Adrian; Lee, Tatia M C

2016-01-01

Prior longitudinal studies have established the relationship between schizophrenia and violence. However, previous studies on aggression and schizotypal personality are scarce. The present study examines whether peer victimization mediates the relationship between schizotypy and reactive-proactive aggression, and whether theory of mind (ToM) moderates this mediation. Schizotypy, peer victimization, reactive-proactive aggression, and ToM were assessed in 237 undergraduates. Peer victimization mediated the relationship between schizotypy and reactive aggression. ToM moderated this mediation effect; although peer victimization partially explains the schizotypy-aggression relationship, higher ToM skills weakened the detrimental effect of schizotypy on peer victimization which in turn reduces reactive aggression. In contrast, the moderated mediation was not significant for the proactive aggression model. Findings help delineate the underlying mechanism of the relationship between schizotypy and aggression. It is suggested that aggression could be reduced by enhancing ToM skills, thereby reducing peer victimization and the resultant schizotypy.

Effect of theory of mind and peer victimization on the schizotypy–aggression relationship

PubMed Central

Lam, Bess Y H; Raine, Adrian; Lee, Tatia M C

2016-01-01

Prior longitudinal studies have established the relationship between schizophrenia and violence. However, previous studies on aggression and schizotypal personality are scarce. The present study examines whether peer victimization mediates the relationship between schizotypy and reactive-proactive aggression, and whether theory of mind (ToM) moderates this mediation. Schizotypy, peer victimization, reactive-proactive aggression, and ToM were assessed in 237 undergraduates. Peer victimization mediated the relationship between schizotypy and reactive aggression. ToM moderated this mediation effect; although peer victimization partially explains the schizotypy–aggression relationship, higher ToM skills weakened the detrimental effect of schizotypy on peer victimization which in turn reduces reactive aggression. In contrast, the moderated mediation was not significant for the proactive aggression model. Findings help delineate the underlying mechanism of the relationship between schizotypy and aggression. It is suggested that aggression could be reduced by enhancing ToM skills, thereby reducing peer victimization and the resultant schizotypy. PMID:27336052

Bad nights or bad bars? Multi-level analysis of environmental predictors of aggression in late-night large-capacity bars and clubs.

PubMed

Graham, Kathryn; Bernards, Sharon; Osgood, D Wayne; Wells, Samantha

2006-11-01

To clarify environmental predictors of bar-room aggression by differentiating relationships due to nightly variations versus across bar variations, frequency versus severity of aggression and patron versus staff aggression. Male-female pairs of researcher-observers conducted 1334 observations in 118 large capacity (> 300) bars and clubs in Toronto, Canada. Observers independently rated aspects of the environment (e.g. crowding) at every visit and wrote detailed narratives of each incident of aggression that occurred. Measures of severity of aggression for the visit were calculated by aggregating ratings for each person in aggressive incidents. Although bivariate analyses confirmed the significance of most environmental predictors of aggression identified in previous research, multivariate analyses identified the following key visit-level predictors (controlling for bar-level relationships): rowdiness/permissive environment and people hanging around after closing predicted both frequency and severity of aggression; sexual activity, contact and competition and people with two or more drinks at closing predicted frequency but not severity of aggression; lack of staff monitoring predicted more severe patron aggression, while having more and better coordinated staff predicted more severe staff aggression. Intoxication of patrons was significantly associated with more frequent and severe patron aggression at the bar level (but not at the visit level) in the multivariate analyses and negatively associated with severity of staff aggression at the visit level. The results demonstrate clearly the importance of the immediate environment (not just the type of bar or characteristics of usual patrons) and the importance of specific environmental factors, including staff behaviour, in predicting both frequency and severity of aggression.

Moderating effects of childhood maltreatment on associations between social information processing and adult aggression

PubMed Central

Chen, P.; Coccaro, E. F.; Lee, R.; Jacobson, K. C.

2014-01-01

Background Associations between early life maltreatment, social information processing (SIP) and aggression in childhood and adolescence have been widely documented. Few studies have examined the importance of childhood maltreatment independent of SIP in the etiology of adult aggression. Furthermore, moderating effects of childhood maltreatment on the SIP–aggression links have not been explored. Method Hierarchical, multi-level models were fitted to data from n=2752 twins aged 20–55 years from the PennTwins Cohort. Adult aggression was assessed with the Life History of Aggression questionnaire. Childhood maltreatment was measured using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Two aspects of SIP were examined : hostile attribution biases (HAB) ; negative emotional responses (NER). Results Childhood maltreatment was positively correlated with adult aggression, independently of HAB and NER. In addition, childhood maltreatment moderated the relationships between both aspects of SIP and adult aggression. Specifically, the relationship between NER and aggression was stronger among individuals with higher levels of childhood maltreatment and NER was not associated with aggression for adults who experienced low levels of childhood maltreatment. Moderating effects of childhood maltreatment on the NER–aggression link were supported for total childhood maltreatment, emotional neglect and emotional abuse. In contrast, HAB was more strongly associated with adult aggression at lower levels of emotional abuse and physical neglect. Conclusions The current study provides insight into the mechanisms by which early life experiences influence adult aggression. Our findings suggest that childhood maltreatment may not only lead to increased levels of aggression in adulthood but may also modify the associations between SIP and adult aggression. PMID:22008562

Popular and Nonpopular Subtypes of Physically Aggressive Preadolescents: Continuity of Aggression and Peer Mechanisms during the Transition to Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shi, Bing; Xie, Hongling

2012-01-01

Using peer nominations of physical aggression and perceived popularity in the spring semester of fifth grade, we identified 54 popular aggressive and 42 nonpopular aggressive preadolescents in a diverse sample of 318 participants recruited from an urban school district. Physical aggression in the spring semester of sixth grade was included to…

Effect of personality traits, age and sex on aggressive driving: Psychometric adaptation of the Driver Aggression Indicators Scale in China.

PubMed

Zhang, Huihui; Qu, Weina; Ge, Yan; Sun, Xianghong; Zhang, Kan

2017-06-01

This study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Driver Aggression Indicators Scale (DAIS), which measures aggressive driving behaviors. Besides, demographic variables (sex and age) and the big five personality traits were examined as potential impact factors of aggressive driving. A total of 422 participants completed the DAIS, Big Five Personality Inventory (BFPI), and the socio-demographic scale. First, psychometric results confirmed that the DAIS had a stable two-factor structure and acceptable internal consistency. Then, agreeableness and conscientiousness were negatively correlated with hostile aggression and revenge committed by the drivers themselves, while neuroticism was positively correlated with aggressive driving committed by the drivers themselves. Meanwhile, more agreeable drivers may perceive less hostile aggression and revenge. More neurotic drivers may perceive more aggressive warning. Finally, the effects of age and sex on aggressive driving were not same as most studies. We found that older age group perceived and committed more hostile acts of aggression and revenge than younger age groups. Female drivers of 49-60 years perceived more aggressive warnings committed by other drivers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Does Humor Explain Why Relationally Aggressive Adolescents Are Popular?

PubMed Central

Bowker, Julie C.; Etkin, Rebecca G.

2013-01-01

The association between relational aggression and popularity during early adolescence is well established. Yet, little is known about why, exactly, relationally aggressive young adolescents are able to achieve and maintain high popular status among peers. The present study investigated the mediating role of humor in the association between relational aggression and popularity during early adolescence. Also considered was whether the association between relational aggression and humor varies according to adolescents’ gender and their friends’ levels of relational aggression. Participants were 265 sixth-grade students (48% female; 41% racial/ethnic minority; Mage = 12.04 years) who completed peer nomination and friendship measures in their classrooms at two time points (Wave 1: February; Wave 2: May). The results indicated that Wave 1 relational aggression was related to Wave 1 and 2 popularity indirectly through Wave 1 humor, after accounting for the effects of Wave 1 physical aggression, ethnicity, and gender. Additional analyses showed that relational aggression and humor were related significantly only for boys and for young adolescents with highly relationally aggressive friends. The results support the need for further research on humor and aggression during early adolescence and other mechanisms by which relationally aggressive youth achieve high popular status. PMID:24136377

Reducing proactive aggression through non-invasive brain stimulation

PubMed Central

Schuhmann, Teresa; Lobbestael, Jill; Arntz, Arnoud; Brugman, Suzanne; Sack, Alexander T.

2015-01-01

Aggressive behavior poses a threat to human collaboration and social safety. It is of utmost importance to identify the functional mechanisms underlying aggression and to develop potential interventions capable of reducing dysfunctional aggressive behavior already at a brain level. We here experimentally shifted fronto-cortical asymmetry to manipulate the underlying motivational emotional states in both male and female participants while assessing the behavioral effects on proactive and reactive aggression. Thirty-two healthy volunteers received either anodal transcranial direct current stimulation to increase neural activity within right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, or sham stimulation. Aggressive behavior was measured with the Taylor Aggression Paradigm. We revealed a general gender effect, showing that men displayed more behavioral aggression than women. After the induction of right fronto-hemispheric dominance, proactive aggression was reduced in men. This study demonstrates that non-invasive brain stimulation can reduce aggression in men. This is a relevant and promising step to better understand how cortical brain states connect to impulsive actions and to examine the causal role of the prefrontal cortex in aggression. Ultimately, such findings could help to examine whether the brain can be a direct target for potential supportive interventions in clinical settings dealing with overly aggressive patients and/or violent offenders. PMID:25680991

Examination of Aggression and Self Injury in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Serious Behavioral Problems

PubMed Central

Carroll, Devon; Hallett, Victoria; McDougle, Christopher J.; Aman, Michael G.; McCracken, James T.; Tierney, Elaine; Arnold, L. Eugene; Sukhodolsky, Denis G.; Lecavalier, Luc; Handen, Benjamin; Swiezy, Naomi; Johnson, Cynthia; Bearss, Karen; Vitiello, Benedetto; Scahill, Lawrence

2014-01-01

Synopsis This study identified subtypes of aggression in a sample of 206 children (174 boys, 32 girls) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who participated in two risperidone trials conducted by the Research Units on Pediatric Psychopharmacology (RUPP) Autism Network. The classification of aggression subtypes was based on a review of brief narratives documented at baseline. The narratives were derived from a parent interview about the child’s two most pressing problems. Five subtypes of aggression emerged: hot aggression only, cold aggression only, self-injurious behavior (SIB) only, aggression and SIB, and non-aggressive. The aggression and SIB group had the highest proportion of children with IQ below 70. Children in the hot aggression group were slightly younger and had higher scores on the ABC-Irritability subscale than the non-aggression group. The SIB only group had the highest ABC-Irritability score. All groups showed a high rate of positive response to risperidone with no differences across subtypes. These study findings extend our understanding of aggression in ASD and may be useful to guide further study on biological mechanisms and individualized treatment in ASD. PMID:24231167