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The Influence of Friendships on Aggressive Behavior in Early Childhood: Examining the Interdependence of Aggression

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Abstract

The present short-term longitudinal study examined the stability and role of peer influence on both physical and relational aggression in early childhood using a dyadic data analytic framework. Following the peer-individual interaction model, forms of aggressive behavior (i.e., physical and relational) were observed in 43 dyads of close friendships in early childhood (M = 47.37 months, SD = 7.56) to better understand how friendships may maintain aggressive behavior over time. Friendship quality (FQ) was included as a moderator to explain how friendships may maintain aggression. The results provide evidence supporting the affiliation hypothesis for physical aggression with opposite findings for relational aggression. Negative FQ moderated associations with both relational and physical aggression over time whereas positive FQ moderated the dyadic influence with physical aggression over time. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

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Acknowledgements

This manuscript was based on a dissertation completed by the first author under the direction of the second author. We would like to thank the committee members, the UB Social Development Lab, and Sarah Blakely-McClure for comments on prior drafts and project assistance. We also thank the participating families, teachers and directors of all schools for their participation. Preparation of this publication was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (Grant No. T32AA007583) in support of the first author and the National Science Foundation (Grant No. BCS-1450777) to the second author. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health or the National Science Foundation.

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  1. Buffalo State College, SUNY, 1300 Elmwood, Buffalo, NY, 14222, USA

    Kimberly E. Kamper-DeMarco

  2. Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, USA

    Jamie M. Ostrov

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  1. Kimberly E. Kamper-DeMarco
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  2. Jamie M. Ostrov
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Correspondence to Kimberly E. Kamper-DeMarco.

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Kamper-DeMarco, K.E., Ostrov, J.M. The Influence of Friendships on Aggressive Behavior in Early Childhood: Examining the Interdependence of Aggression. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 50, 520–531 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-018-0857-x

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