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Does the Type of Aggression Matter? The Role of Culture in Understanding Direct and Indirect Aggression Among Children and Adolescents in Trinidad

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of age, gender, and ethnicity on direct and indirect aggression among children and adolescents in Trinidad. Through multistage sampling, 170 (N = 170) participants from Primary (Elementary) and Secondary (High) schools across Trinidad completed a demographic questionnaire and the Direct and Indirect Aggression Scale (DIAS). The data were analyzed using three separate General Linear Models (GLMs) for direct physical, direct verbal, and indirect aggression. The results revealed significant age-group, gender, and ethnic differences on the three types of aggression. When compared to age-group and ethnicity, the effect of gender was greatest on both direct and indirect aggression. The findings of the study were discussed within the socio-cultural context of Trinidad and had important implications for future researchers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies

    Christine H. Descartes

  2. Mental Health Services, Gulf View Medical Centre, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies

    Priya E. Maharaj

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  1. Christine H. Descartes
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  2. Priya E. Maharaj
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Correspondence to Christine H. Descartes.

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Ethical approval: All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Descartes, C.H., Maharaj, P.E. Does the Type of Aggression Matter? The Role of Culture in Understanding Direct and Indirect Aggression Among Children and Adolescents in Trinidad. Journ Child Adol Trauma 9, 217–229 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-016-0095-y

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