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The Role of Social Networks in Physical and Relational Aggression Among Young Adolescents

  • Empirical Research
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Abstract

Despite the veritable influence of the peer context on the elaboration of adolescent aggression, few studies of relational aggression have directly identified and measured peer groups, limiting our ability to draw formal conclusions about the level and nature of peer influence. The current study used a developmental framework to examine peer group influence on individual levels of physical and relational aggression over a year with 6th and 7th grade students (n = 346, 51 % female). A multilevel network approach was used in which peer groups were identified via social network analysis, and peer group influence was evaluated with hierarchical linear modeling (HLM). HLM analyses indicated that peer group aggression (physical and relational) at time 1 was predictive of individual aggression levels at time 2 after controlling for other peer group characteristics as well as other individual risk and protective factors. Although both forms of aggression were embedded in peer networks, findings suggest that physical aggression is relatively less endemic to peer networks, and is more likely to occur in smaller, predominantly male networks. The current study highlights the importance of understanding the influence of peer group membership on adolescent aggression and points to important implications for prevention.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by grants from the University of Illinois Campus Research Board and the University of Illinois College of Education Bureau of Educational Research. In addition, we wish to thank the school administrators, teachers, and students for their participation in this study.

Author Contributions

SL assisted in the design and conceptualization of the study, interpretation of analyses and drafting the manuscript. DE collected data for the study, assisted with conceptualization of the study and helped in drafting the manuscript. JP conducted analyses for the study and assisted in drafting the manuscript. All authors edited and proofread the final version of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 873701, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA

    Sabina Low

  2. Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Joshua R. Polanin

  3. Department of Educational Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA

    Dorothy L. Espelage

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  1. Sabina Low
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  2. Joshua R. Polanin
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  3. Dorothy L. Espelage
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Correspondence to Sabina Low.

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Low, S., Polanin, J.R. & Espelage, D.L. The Role of Social Networks in Physical and Relational Aggression Among Young Adolescents. J Youth Adolescence 42, 1078–1089 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-013-9933-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-013-9933-5

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