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Aggressive Behavior in Children: the Role of Temperament and Family Socialization

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2013

Paloma González-Peña ,
Begoña Delgado Egido ,
Miguel Á. Carrasco  and
Francisco Pablo Holgado Tello
Paloma González-Peña
Affiliation:
Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (Spain)
Begoña Delgado Egido*
Affiliation:
Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (Spain)
Miguel Á. Carrasco
Affiliation:
Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (Spain)
Francisco Pablo Holgado Tello
Affiliation:
Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (Spain)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Begoña Delgado Egido. Departamento de Psicología Evolutiva, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia. C/ Juan del Rosal, 10, Ciudad Universitaria. 28040 Madrid (Spain). Phone: +34-913988648. E-mail: bdelgado@psi.uned.es
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Abstract

This study’s objective is to analyze temperament and parenting variables as they relate to proactive and reactive aggression in children. To be specific, profiles based on these variables were analyzed in children with high levels of proactive versus reactive aggression. The sample was made up of two groups: 482 children (52.3% boys) between 1 and 3 years-old, and 422 children (42.42% boys) 3 to 6 years-old. Statistical analyses of the two age groups included: Pearson´s correlations to explore the relationships among variables, Cluster Analysis to create groups with different levels of aggression, and finally discriminant analysis to determine which variables discriminate between groups. The results show that high levels of frustration/negative affect in the 1–3 year-old group and low effortful control in children 3 to 6 years old are the most relevant variables in differentiating between aggressive and non-aggressive subjects. Nevertheless, differential profiles of subjects with high levels of proactive versus reactive aggression were not observed. The implications of these different types of aggression in terms of development and prevention are discussed.

Keywords

childrentemperamentparental attitudesfamily socializationproactive and reactive aggression
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 16 , 2013 , E37
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2013 

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