Abstract
Although much research has focused on the association between childhood aggression and negative psychosocial adjustment, the link between the subtypes of aggression and adjustment is less clear, particularly for relational aggression. The current study examined whether overt and relational aggression in childhood (M = 10.4 years, SD = 1.1) are differentially associated with four psychosocial adjustment outcomes (i.e., academic performance, social problems, depression, and delinquency). Results indicated that relational aggression was negatively associated with academic performance, while overt aggression was positively associated with delinquency. Additionally, findings suggested gender differences in the link between aggression subtypes and social problems. Specifically, overt aggression was positively associated with social problems for boys and relational aggression was positively associated with social problems for girls. Neither subtype of aggression was uniquely associated with depression. Thus, this study suggests that psychosocial outcomes may differ depending on the form of aggression that is utilized.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Achenbach, T. M. (1991). Manual for the child behavior checklist/4–18 and 1991 profile. Burlington: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry.
Aiken, L. S., & West, S. G. (1991). Multiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc.
Barriga, A. Q., Doran, J. W., Newell, S. B., Morrison, E. M., Barbetti, V., & Robbins, B. D. (2002). Relationships between problem behaviors and academic achievement in adolescents: the unique role of attention problems. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 10(4), 233–240.
Campbell, S. B., Spieker, S., Burchinal, M., & Poe, M. D. (2006). Trajectories of aggression from toddlerhood to age 9 predict academic and social functioning through age 12. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47(8), 791–800.
Cashel, M. L. (2003). Validity of self-reports of delinqency and socio-emotional functioning among youth on probation. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 37, 11–23.
Cillessen, A. H., & Mayeux, L. (2004). From censure to reinforcement: developmental changes in the association between aggression and social status. Child Development, 75, 147–163.
Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Cohen, J., Cohen, P., West, S. G., & Aiken, L. S. (2003). Applied multiple regression/correlation analyses for the behavioral sciences (3rd ed.). Mahwah: Erlbaum.
Coie, J. D., & Dodge, K. A. (1998). Aggression and antisocial behavior. In W. Damon & N. Eisenberg (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology (pp. 779–862). New York: Wiley.
Coie, J. D., Dodge, K. A., & Kupersmidt, J. B. (1990). Peer group behavior and social status. In S. R. Asher & J. D. Coie (Eds.), Peer rejection in childhood: Origins, consequences, and intervention (pp. 17–59). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Crick, N. R. (1996). The role of overt aggression, relational aggression, and prosocial behavior in the prediction of children’s future social adjustment. Child Development, 67(5), 2317–2327.
Crick, N. R. (1997). Engagement in gender normative versus nonnormative forms of aggression: links to social-psychological adjustment. Developmental Psychology, 33(4), 610–617.
Crick, N. R., & Grotpeter, J. K. (1995). Relational aggression, gender, and social-psychological adjustment. Child Development, 66(3), 710–722.
Crick, N. R., Casas, J. F., & Mosher, M. (1997). Relational and overt aggression in preschool. Developmental Psychology, 33(4), 579–588.
Crick, N. R., Ostrov, J. M., & Werner, N. E. (2006). A longitudinal study of relational aggression, physical aggression, and children’s social-psychologial adjustment. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 34(2), 131–142.
Darrick, J., Farrington, D. P., Hawkins, D. J., Catalano, R. F., Hill, K. G., & Kostermena, R. (2003). Predictive, concurrent, prospective and retrospective validity of self-reported delinquency. Criminal Behavior and Mental Health, 13(179–197).
De Los Reyes, A., & Kazdin, A. E. (2005). Informant discrepancies in the assessment of childhood psychopathology: a critical review, theoretical framework, and recommendations for further study. Psychological Bulletin, 131, 483–509.
Fergusson, D. M., Woodward, L. J., & Horwood, L. J. (1999). Childhood peer relationship problems and young people’s involvement with deviant peers in adolescence. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 27(5), 357–369.
Fite, P. J., & Colder, C. R. (2007). Proactive and reactive aggression and peer delinqency: implications for prevention and intervention. Journal of Early Adolescence, 27, 223–240.
Fite, P. J., Colder, C. R., Lochman, J. E., & Wells, K. C. (2006). The mutual influence of parenting and boys’ externalizing behavior problems. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 27(2), 151–164.
Grotpeter, J. K., & Crick, N. R. (1996). Relational aggression, overt aggression, and friendship. Child Development, 67(5), 2328–2338.
Herrenkohl, T. I., Catalano, R. F., Hemphill, S. A., & Toumbourou, J. W. (2009). Longitudinal examination of physical and relational aggression as precursors to later problem behaviors in adolescents. Violence and Victims, 24(1), 3–19.
Kemper, T. S., Gerhardstein, R., Repper, K. K., & Kistner, J. A. (2003). Mother-child agreement on reports of internalizng symptoms among children referred for evaluation of ADHD. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 25(4), 239–250.
Kistner, J., Counts-Allan, C., Dunkel, S., Drew, C. H., David-Ferdon, C., & Lopez, C. (2010). Sex differences in relational and overt aggression in the late elementary school years. Aggressive Behavior, 36, 282–291.
Kovacs, M. (1992). Children’s depression inventory manual. North Tonawanda: Multi-Health Systems.
Lakdawalla, Z., Hankin, B. L., & Merlmelstein, R. (2007). Cognitive theories of depression in children and adolescents: a conceptual and quantitative review. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 10(1), 1–24.
Little, T. D., Henrich, C. C., Jones, S. M., & Hawley, P. H. (2003). Disentangling the “whys” from the “whats” of aggressive behaviour. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 27(2), 122–133.
Loeber, R. (1990). Disruptive and antisocial behavior in childhood and adolescence: Development and risk factors. In K. Hurrelmann (Ed.), Health hazards in adolescence. Berline: Walter de Gruyter & Co.
Lyubomirsky, S., Kasri, F., & Zehm, K. (2003). Dysphoric rumination impairs concentration on academic tasks. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 27(3), 309–330.
Michael, K. D., & Merrell, K. W. (1998). Reliability of children’s self-reported internalizing symptoms over short to medium length time intervals. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 37(2), 194–201.
Moore, R. S., & Ames, G. M. (2002). Survey confidentiality vs. anonymity: young men’s self-reported substance use. Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education, 47, 32–41.
Prinstein, M. J., Boergers, J., & Vernberg, E. M. (2001). Overt and relational aggression in adolescents: social-psychological adjustment of aggressors and victims. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 30(4), 479–491.
Putallaz, M., Grimes, C. L., Foster, K. J., Kupersmidt, J. B., Coie, J. D., & Dearing, K. (2007). Overt and relational aggression and victimization: multiple perspectives within the school setting. Journal of School Psychology, 45, 523–547.
Reid, J. B., Patterson, G. R., & Snyder, J. (2002). Antisocial behavior in children and adolescents: A development analysis and model for intervention. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.
Rose, A. J., & Swenson, L. P. (2009). Do perceived popular adolescents who aggress against others experience emotional adjustment problems themselves? Developmental Psychology, 45(3), 868–872.
Rose, A. J., Swenson, L. P., & Carlson, W. (2004). Friendships of aggressive youth: considering the influences of being disliked and being perceived as popular. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 88, 25–45.
Smith, R. L., Rose, A. J., & Schwartz-Mette, R. A. (2010). Relational and overt aggression in childhood and adolescence: clarifying mean-level gender differences and associations with peer acceptance. Social Development, 19(2), 243–269.
Storch, E. A., Bagner, D. M., Geffken, G. R., & Baumeister, A. L. (2004). Association between overt and relational aggression and psychosocial adjustment in undergraduate college students. Violence and Victims, 19(6), 689–700.
Tomada, G., & Schneider, B. H. (1997). Relational aggression, gender, and peer acceptance: invariance across culture, stability over time, and concordance among informants. Developmental Psychology, 33(4), 601–609.
Underwood, M. K. (2003). Social aggression among girls. New York: Guilford Press.
van der Wal, M. F., de Wit, C. A. M., & Hirasing, R. A. (2003). Psychosocial health among young victims and offenders of direct and indirect bullying. Pediatrics, 111(6), 1312–1317.
Wolke, D., Woods, S., Bloomfield, L., & Karstadt, L. (2000). The association between direct and relational bullying and behavioural problems among primary school children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 41(8), 989–1002.
Woods, S., & Wolke, D. (2004). Direct and relational bullying among primary school children and academic achievement. Journal of School Psychology, 42, 135–155.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Preddy, T.M., Fite, P.J. Differential Associations Between Relational and Overt Aggression and Children’s Psychosocial Adjustment. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 34, 182–190 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-011-9274-1
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-011-9274-1