Sibling Proactive and Reactive Aggression in Adolescence (original) (raw)
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Familial Correlates of Overt and Relational Aggression between Young Adolescent Siblings
Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 2008
Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis and multi-group structural equation modeling were used to test correlates of overt and relational aggression between young adolescent siblings across four groups (i.e., male/male, male/female, female/male, and female/female sibling pairs), using 433 predominately European American families. Similar patterns of associations were found across groups when distinguished by gender composition. Family environment emerged as an important factor in explaining internalizing problems as well as overt/relational aggression for both younger and older siblings. While perceived maternal psychological control was significantly positively related to overt/relational aggression and internalizing problems for younger siblings, it was significantly positively associated with only relational aggression for older siblings. Findings also provided partial support for the positive linkages between young adolescents' aggression and their own and siblings' internalizing problems above and beyond the aforementioned family and maternal variables. Results of the current study extend the understanding of adolescent aggression to a new relational context, or among siblings, and highlight the role of family factors in promoting or buffering the impact of aggression on internalizing behaviors. Keywords Young adolescent siblings Á Overt aggression Á Relational aggression Á Family cohesion Á Positive emotional expressiveness Á Maternal psychological control Á Maternal differential treatment Á Internalizing problems This study was a portion of the first author's doctoral dissertation, directed by the second author.
Child Development, 2007
Latent growth curve modeling employed data from a longitudinal study of 451 sibling families to examine parents, siblings, and family economics as factors in individual differences in the developmental course of interpersonal aggression during adolescence. Findings suggest that individual change in interpersonal aggression during adolescence can be predicted by the gender and aggression of one's sibling; predictions varied by the gender composition of the sibling dyad. Rates of parental hostility predicted levels of interpersonal aggression for both older (mean age 5 12 years) and younger siblings (mean age 5 15), and growth in aggression for younger siblings. Family economic pressure predicted interpersonal aggression of both siblings indirectly through parental hostility. Implications for future research and preventive interventions are discussed.
Perpetration of sibling aggression and sibling relationship quality in emerging adulthood
Personal Relationships, 2019
This study examined how emerging adults' perpetration of aggression toward a sibling closest in age was longitudinally associated with their sibling relationship quality. Emerging adults (N = 143; M age = 19.62; 70% female) completed surveys online or by mail at two time points, 4 years apart. Of emerging adults, 25% perpetrated aggression against their closest-in-age sibling. Perpetration of sibling aggression was predictive 4 years later of less sibling warmth, involvement, and emotional help. None of the interactions with gender and sibling gender was significant. This study's findings demonstrate the importance of examining the consequences of perpetration of aggressive behavior toward a sibling for sibling relationship quality in emerging adulthood.
Association of sibling aggression with child and adolescent mental health
OBJECTIVE: Sibling aggression is common but often dismissed as benign. We examine whether being a victim of various forms of sibling aggression is associated with children’s and adolescents’ mental health distress. We also contrast the consequences of sibling versus peer aggression for children’s and adolescents’ mental health. METHODS: We analyzed a national probability sample (n = 3599) that included telephone interviews about past year victimizations conducted with youth aged 10 to 17 or an adult caregiver concerning children aged 0 to 9. RESULTS: Children ages 0 to 9 and youth ages 10 to 17 who experienced sibling aggression in the past year (ie, psychological, property, mild or severe physical assault), reported greater mental health distress. Children ages 0 to 9 showed greater mental health distress than did youth aged 10 to 17 in the case of mild physical assault, but they did not differ for the other types of sibling aggression. Comparison of sibling versus peer aggression generally showed that sibling and peer aggression independently and uniquely predicted worsened mental health. CONCLUSIONS: The possible importance of sibling aggression for children’s and adolescents’ mental health should not be dismissed. The mobilization to prevent and stop peer victimization and bullying should expand to encompass sibling aggression as well.
Brief report: Physical health of adolescent perpetrators of sibling aggression
Journal of Adolescence, 2015
We describe adolescents' perpetration of sibling aggression and its link to physical health two years later. In-school surveys at Time 1 (N = 331) and Time 2 (two-years later, N = 283) were administered to adolescents (at Time 1, M age = 15.71 years, SD = .63; 52% female) living in the United States querying about perpetration of aggression toward a sibling closest in age and perceived physical health. The majority of adolescents perpetrated aggression towards their sibling (74%). Adolescents who were part of brother-brother pairs reported the most aggression. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that perpetrating sibling aggression more often at Time 1 was predictive of lower physical health at Time 2 controlling for Time 1 physical health and demographic characteristics. Perpetration of aggression toward a sibling is common and has negative health consequences in late adolescence suggesting this issue should be targeted to improve adolescents' sibling dynamics and physical health.
Journal of abnormal …, 2001
Sibling influence on the learning and enactment of aggressive behavior has been consistently demonstrated in studies of sibling relationships. Available evidence suggests that, compared with nonaggressive children's sibling interactions, the sibling interactions of aggressive children are marked by more frequent, intense, and prolonged aggressive behaviors. Although research on normative and aggressive children's sibling interactions has increased recently, a number of limitations in this literature were addressed in this study by: (1) including both an aggressive and nonaggressive comparison group, (2) examining both positive and negative features of sibling relationships, (3) employing a multimethod/multiinformant approach to data collection, and (4) utilizing an improved self-report method. In support of our hypotheses and consistent with previous research, results showed that aggressive children's sibling relationships were marked by higher levels of observed conflict and lower levels of self-reported positive features. When gender was examined, results showed that older brother/younger sister dyads were characterized by higher levels of negative features and lower levels of positive features.
Relational Aggression in Sibling Context: Scale Revision and Factor Analysis in a Taiwanese Sample
JURNAL PSIKOLOGI MALAYSIA, 2017
It measures both overt and relational aggression, as well as two functions of aggressive behavior: reactive and instrumental. However, it focuses on the aggressive behavior in the peer setting, but not in the sibling context. The aim of this study was to adapt this scale in the sibling context. Respondents were 384 primary school students aged 10 to 12 years old who agreed to participate and met the inclusion criteria completed both measurements (The Forms and Functions of Aggression Questionnaire, and Sibling Inventory of Differential Experience). Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed a second-order model with three subdomains (pure relational aggression, reactive-relational aggression, and instrumental-relational aggression). Moderate and significant predictive validity was found. In sum, the Forms and Functions of Aggression Questionnaire is considered a suitable measure to be used in the sibling context with acceptable validity and reliability indices.
Association Between Early Childhood Aggression and Internalizing Behavior for Sibling Pairs
Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2003
Objective: This article investigates sibling similarity in early childhood problem behavior. Method: Analyses are based on an Australian longitudinal study of health and development that included sister, brother, and mixed-sex sibling pairs. Pregnant women were recruited into the study in 1981 to 1983 and provided information regarding family characteristics and child behavior from birth through the age of 5 years. The relationship between older and younger siblings' aggression and internalizing behavior at the age of 5 years is examined, based upon maternal reports on a shortened version of the Child Behavior Checklist for 414 sibling pairs (60% of the initial sibling sample). Results: The results demonstrate a moderately strong association between sibling's aggression and internalizing behavior, for mixed-and same-sex siblings, with correlation coefficients of 0.26 to 0.39. The association between older and younger sibling's behavior remains significant, controlling for family characteristics such as mother's age, mental health, marital status, affection toward children, and family size and income. Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of including siblings in familybased intervention programs aimed at reducing child behavior problems.
Child Development Research, 2011
In this study, researchers wished to ascertain whether there were age (three- and four-year old), sibling (with or without older siblings), and sex (male and female) differences in the use of relational aggression in preschool students as rated by peers and teachers. In order to answer this research question, two 2 × 2 × 2 factorial ANOVA procedures with the relational aggression composite score as the dependent variable on the PSBS-P and PSBS-T were used for peer and teacher assessment, respectively, of relational aggression. Results revealed that in the peer ratings of preschool students' relationally aggressive behavior, there was an disordinal age by sibling interaction, in which four-year-old children with siblings were significantly more likely to be rated by their peers as using relational aggression than three-year-old children without siblings. In the teacher ratings of preschool students' relationally aggressive behavior, a main effect for age was observed. Teacher...