scholarly journals Longitudinal Links of Individual and Collective Morality with Adolescents’ Peer Aggression

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianluca Gini ◽  
Robert Thornberg ◽  
Kay Bussey ◽  
Federica Angelini ◽  
Tiziana Pozzoli
Keyword(s):  
Aggressive Behavior ◽  
Moral Disengagement ◽  
Moral Identity ◽  
Relative Strength ◽  
Proactive Aggression ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Significant Interaction Effect ◽  
Class Level ◽  
Reactive And Proactive Aggression ◽  
The Individual

AbstractAdolescents’ aggressive behavior has been often linked to biases in morality. However, limited knowledge is available regarding the relative strength of different moral correlates, both at the individual and class-level, in predicting different types of aggressive behavior over time. To address this gap, the present study tested the prospective associations of moral identity and moral disengagement with reactive and proactive aggression in a short-term longitudinal study. The sample consisted of 1158 Italian adolescents (48.7% females; Mage = 13.6 years, SD = 1.1). Participants completed self-report measures of moral identity, moral disengagement, perceived collective moral disengagement in the fall, and reactive and proactive aggression in the fall and in the spring. Multivariate multilevel analysis indicated that, at the individual level, after controlling for the stability of aggressive behavior, T2 (Time 2) reactive aggression was higher for students who reported lower moral identity and higher moral disengagement at T1 (Time 1). For proactive aggression, a significant interaction effect indicated that the negative association between T1 moral identity and T2 aggression was apparent only at high levels of T1 moral disengagement. Moreover, proactive aggression was significantly predicted by higher perceived collective moral disengagement. At the class-level, T1 collective moral disengagement helped explain between-class variability of T2 reactive and proactive aggressive behavior. How these results expand previous research on morality and aggressive behavior and their potential implications for prevention and intervention programs is discussed.

Lower Levels of Classroom Aggression Predict Stronger Relations Between Peer Victimization and Reactive Versus Proactive Aggression

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052199795
Author(s):  
Michael T. Morrow ◽  
Julie A. Hubbard ◽  
Megan K. Bookhout ◽  
Marissa A. Docimo ◽  
Lauren E. Swift ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Peer Victimization ◽  
Reactive Aggression ◽  
Proactive Aggression ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Fifth Grade ◽  
Classroom Norms ◽  
Reactive And Proactive Aggression ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Differential Relations

We examined the concurrent relations of children’s reactive and proactive aggression with their experience of peer victimization. Extending previous research, we assessed these relations at both the child and classroom levels. We predicted that reactive aggression would relate positively to peer victimization, proactive aggression would relate negatively to peer victimization, and that these relations would vary with classroom levels of aggression. Participants included 1,291 fourth- and fifth-grade children (681 girls; M age = 10.14 years) and their 72 teachers from 9 schools in one public school district in the Mid-Atlantic United States. Children completed self-report measures of peer victimization and teachers completed measures of aggression for each child in their classrooms. Via two-level regression (level 1 = child; level 2 = classroom), reactive aggression related positively to peer victimization and proactive aggression related negatively to peer victimization. The positive relation between reactive aggression and peer victimization was only significant in classrooms with low levels of reactive aggression. The negative relation between proactive aggression and peer victimization was only significant in classrooms with low levels of proactive aggression. Our hypotheses were supported and offered further evidence for differential relations of reactive and proactive aggression with peer victimization at the child level, while demonstrating the important role of classroom norms for aggression in moderating these relations.

scholarly journals The Reliability and Validity of the Australian Moral Disengagement Scale

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 136-149
Author(s):  
Nicola C. Newton ◽  
Lexine A. Stapinski ◽  
Katrina E. Champion ◽  
Maree Teesson ◽  
Kay Bussey
Keyword(s):  
Factor Structure ◽  
Internal Consistency ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Moral Disengagement ◽  
Cross Validation ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Valid Instrument ◽  
The Individual

Background: The present study explored the reliability, validity, and factor structure of a modified version of the Moral Disengagement Scale (MDS), which comprehensively assesses proneness to disengage from different forms of conduct specific to Australian adolescents. Methods: A sample of 452 students (Mage = 12.79; SD = 1.93) completed the modified MDS and the Australian Self-Report Delinquency Scale. A multistep approach was used to evaluate the factor structure of the MDS. The sample was divided into exploratory (n = 221) and cross-validation samples (n = 231). Principal component analysis was conducted with the exploratory sample and multiple factor solutions compared to determine the optimal factor structure of the modified MDS. The final factor solution was confirmed in the cross-validation sample using confirmatory factor analysis. Internal consistency of the final scale and convergent validity with the delinquency questionnaire was also assessed. Results: Analyses resulted in a 22-item MDS for use in Australia, with four factors mapping onto the four conceptual categories of moral disengagement. The individual subscales demonstrated adequate to good internal consistency, and the total scale also demonstrated high internal consistency (α = 0.87). Convergent validity of the scale was established. Conclusions: The 22-item Australian MDS is a reliable and valid instrument for use within an Australian population.

scholarly journals Defending or Remaining Passive as a Bystander of School Bullying in Sweden: The Role of Moral Disengagement and Antibullying Class Norms

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110374
Author(s):  
Robert Thornberg ◽  
Tiziana Pozzoli ◽  
Gianluca Gini
Keyword(s):  
Moral Disengagement ◽  
School Bullying ◽  
The Other ◽  
Self Report ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
School Age ◽  
Educational Strategies ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Class Level

The overall aim of the present study was to examine whether moral disengagement and perceptions of antibullying class norms at individual level and at class level were associated with defending and passive bystanding in school bullying among school-age children. More specifically, we investigated the extent to which moral disengagement would contribute to explain defending and passive bystanding, after controlling for sex and perceptions of antibullying class norms at individual level and at class level. A total of 789 Swedish students (aged 10-14) from 40 middle school classes filled out a self-report survey. The findings revealed that girls and students who were less prone to morally disengage, and who perceived that their classmates endorsed more antibullying norms, were more likely to defend victimized peers. Students who were more inclined to morally disengage and perceive that classmates do not condemn bullying were more likely to act as passive bystanders. In addition, classes with higher levels of antibullying class norms were more likely to show higher rates of defending and lower rates of passive bystanding compared to the other classes. The findings suggest that schools and teachers need to develop educational strategies, methods, and efforts designed to make students aware of moral disengagement and to reduce their likelihood of morally disengaging in bullying situations. The present findings also point to the importance of teachers establishing class rules against bullying together with the students.

Reactive and proactive aggression in clinical adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: The moderating role of gender and comorbidities

2021 ◽  
pp. 135910452110550
Author(s):  
Peter Vida ◽  
Judit Balazs ◽  
Julia Gadoros ◽  
Peter Nagy ◽  
Jozsef Halasz
Keyword(s):  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Aggressive Behavior ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Proactive Aggression ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Oppositional Defiant ◽  
Aggression Questionnaire ◽  
Reactive And Proactive Aggression ◽  
The Difference

Aggression is well-known problem in adolescent with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but the precise relation of reactive and proactive aggression by gender and comorbidities has not been characterized in this population. The aim of this study was to assess the level of reactive and proactive aggression in adolescents with ADHD and in matched non-ADHD clinical controls. The level of aggression was assessed by the Reactive and Proactive Aggression Questionnaire in 391 adolescents with ADHD and in 391 matched non-ADHD clinical controls. The selection of adolescents with ADHD was representative for a three-year–long period in Vadaskert Child Psychiatry Hospital. General Linear Model was used to assess the difference by ADHD, gender, and comorbidities on the level of reactive and proactive aggression. The presence of ADHD was associated with higher levels of reactive and proactive aggression. In girls, the effect of ADHD on reactive aggression was more profound. The presence of oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder in both groups resulted in higher levels of aggression. Our data suggest that adolescents with ADHD have higher level of aggressive behavior, and girls are especially vulnerable in terms of reactive aggressive behavior.

scholarly journals Differential Effects of the Menstrual Cycle on Reactive and Proactive Aggression in Borderline Personality Disorder

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica R. Peters ◽  
Sarah A. Owens ◽  
Katja M. Schmalenberger ◽  
Tory A. Eisenlohr-Moul
Keyword(s):  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Aggressive Behavior ◽  
Reactive Aggression ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Proactive Aggression ◽  
Cycle Phase ◽  
Emotional Symptoms ◽  
Reactive And Proactive Aggression

AbstractBorderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by rapidly shifting symptoms, including intense anger and aggressive behavior. Understanding how fluctuations in ovarian hormones across the menstrual cycle may contribute to symptom instability is key for accurate assessment of BPD symptoms and effective interventions. Reactive and proactive aggression, as well as anger in and out, were assessed daily in 15 physically healthy, unmedicated naturally cycling female individuals without dysmenorrhea meeting criteria for BPD across 35 days. Urine LH surge and salivary progesterone were used to confirm ovulation and verify cycle phase. Cyclical worsening of symptoms was evaluated using multilevel models to evaluate symptom differences between cycle phases. Both forms of aggressive behavior demonstrated marked cycle effects, with reactive aggression highest during perimenstrual cycle phases, co-occurring with increases in anger in and out. In contrast, highest levels of proactive aggression were observed during the follicular and ovulatory phases, when emotional symptoms and anger were otherwise at lowest levels. These findings highlight the importance of identifying the function of aggression when considering potential psychological and biological influences. Naturally cycling individuals with BPD may be at elevated risk for perimenstrual worsening of a range of interpersonally reactive symptoms, including reactive aggression, whereas proactive aggression may occur more in phases characterized by less emotional and cognitive vulnerability and greater reward sensitivity. Research on aggression in this population should consider cycle effects. Cycling individuals with BPD attempting to reduce aggressive behavior may benefit from cycle-tracking to increase awareness of these effects and to develop appropriate strategies.

scholarly journals Sex Differences in the Relationships between Forms of Peer Victimization and Reactive and Proactive Aggression in Schoolchildren

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 5443
Author(s):  
Annis Lai-Chu Fung
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Peer Victimization ◽  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Reactive Aggression ◽  
Proactive Aggression ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Multiple Forms ◽  
Physical Victimization ◽  
Reactive And Proactive Aggression ◽  
The Relationship

The original study investigated sex differences in the relationships between multiple forms of peer victimization (physical victimization, verbal victimization, and social exclusion) and subtypes of aggression (reactive aggression and proactive aggression) in schoolchildren. A self-report questionnaire assessing levels of peer victimization and aggression was administered to 3790 schoolchildren (1916 males and 1874 females) aged 11 to 17 (M = 13.19; SD = 1.17) from 10 middle schools in Hong Kong. The pure effect of each subtype of aggression were evaluated by statistically controlling for another subtype of aggression in analyses. Furthermore, participants were classified as non-aggressors, reactive aggressors, proactive aggressors, and reactive–proactive aggressors to investigate their differences in specific forms of peer victimization. Data were analyzed by hierarchical linear regression and ANOVA. The results showed: (1) Sex significantly moderated the relationship between specific forms of peer victimization and subtypes of aggression; (2) In males, reactive aggression was positively predicted by verbal victimization; proactive aggression was positively predicted by physical victimization and social exclusion, and negatively predicted by verbal victimization; (3) In females, reactive aggression was positively predicted by physical victimization and social exclusion; proactive aggression was negatively predicted by social exclusion; and (4) Reactive–proactive aggressors reported more physical victimization than other types of aggressors. The findings have significant implications for distinctive functions of reactive and proactive aggression and the need to develop differentiated interventions for male and female schoolchildren.

scholarly journals Reactive and Proactive Aggression among Immigrant and Non-Immigrant Early Adolescents in Norway: The Relations to Emotional and Conduct Problems

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 219-230
Author(s):  
Hildegunn Fandrem ◽  
Brit Oppedal ◽  
Thormod Idsoe
Keyword(s):  
Conduct Problems ◽  
Behavioral Problems ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Early Adolescents ◽  
Emotional Problems ◽  
Equation Model ◽  
Proactive Aggression ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Foreign Born ◽  
Reactive And Proactive Aggression

Objective: This study explores the differences in the association between three different types of aggression (reactive aggression, power-related proactive aggression and affiliation- related proactive aggression) and emotional and conduct problems between early adolescents with immigrant and non-immigrant backgrounds in Norway. Methods: The sample comprised 1759 early adolescents in fifth to eighth grade (10- to 15- year-olds). The proportion of early adolescent immigrants with two foreign-born parents was 862, and 897 participants were adolescents with two Norwegian-born parents. The gender distribution was similar in the immigrant and non-immigrant samples, 48.2% boys and 49.5% girls. The mean age was 11.6 years (SD 1.25) for immigrant boys, 11.7 (SD 1.29) for non-immigrant boys, 11.6 (SD = 1.25) for immigrant girls, and 11.8 (SD = 1.27) for nonimmigrant girls. Data were collected via self-report assessments. Results: A multigroup structural equation model revealed that the effects of reactive and proactive aggression were different for conduct and emotional problems. Only reactive and power-related proactive aggression was significantly associated with conduct problems, and effect sizes were independent of immigrant status. The effects of reactive and power-related proactive aggression on emotional problems were stronger for non-immigrant early adolescents, while the effects of affiliation-related proactive aggression were stronger for immigrant- background early adolescents. Conclusion: A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the associations between aggression and emotional problems and the variation between immigrant and nonimmigrant early adolescents can shed light on the etiology of mental health and behavioral problems. The importance of such knowledge in designing interventions targeting aggression among early adolescents in multicultural contexts is discussed.

scholarly journals Moral Emotions and Moral Disengagement: Concurrent and Longitudinal Associations With Aggressive Behavior Among Early Adolescents

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 839-863 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Mazzone ◽  
Takuya Yanagida ◽  
Simona C. S. Caravita ◽  
Dagmar Strohmeier
Keyword(s):  
Aggressive Behavior ◽  
Moral Disengagement ◽  
Practical Importance ◽  
Early Adolescents ◽  
Moral Emotions ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Mediation Process ◽  
Mediation Analyses ◽  
Shame And Guilt ◽  
Over Time

The complex temporal associations among moral disengagement, moral emotions, and aggressive behavior were investigated within a short-term four-wave longitudinal study in a sample of early adolescents (at T1: N = 245; Mage = 12.16 years; SD = 0.85). Moral disengagement and aggressive behavior were investigated by validated self-report scales. Shame and guilt were assessed in response to six-story vignettes. A series of four-wave longitudinal mediation analyses were conducted to test several theoretically meaningful models. Mediation models revealed positive reciprocal longitudinal effects between aggressive behavior and moral disengagement. Aggressive behavior negatively predicted moral emotions, and moral disengagement was negatively associated with moral emotions over time. When testing competing models including all three variables in one model, no theoretical meaningful mediation process emerged: Instead, high moral disengagement predicted lower moral emotions but higher aggressive behavior over time. Results are discussed regarding their practical importance for prevention and intervention programs.

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