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At least 703 records · Page 39Linked to original sources
PubMed2006

Elevated childhood serotonergic function protects against adolescent aggression in disruptive boys.

OBJECTIVE: This longitudinal study examined whether responsiveness of the neurotransmitter serotonin (5-HT) in childhood predicts adolescent aggression. METHOD: Boys (N = 33) with disruptive behavior disorders who received assessments of central 5-HT function via the prolactin response to fenfluramine between 1990 and 1994 when they were 7 to 11 years old were re-evaluated clinically on average 6.7 years later. RESULTS: After accounting for baseline aggression, early 5-HT function accounted for a significant proportion of variance in adolescent aggression. This prospective relationship of childhood 5-HT function with adolescent aggression (r = -0.71) and antisocial behavior (r = -0.59) was found primarily in adolescents who were aggressive during childhood. Irrespective of childhood aggression, no child with high 5-HT function was particularly aggressive at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Low childhood 5-HT function appears important, but not sufficient, for the emergence of adolescent aggression. However, early high 5-HT function may protect against adolescent violence and aggression.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

When a grandiose self-image is threatened: narcissism and self-concept clarity as predictors of negative emotions and aggression following ego-threat.

Two studies examined the relation between narcissism, self-concept clarity, negative emotions, and aggression based on theoretical assumptions proposed by Baumeister, Smart, and Boden (1996). Narcissism and self-concept clarity were examined as predictors for anger, depression, and verbal aggression following ego-threat, which was operationalized by a bogus performance feedback on an intelligence test. The second study also examined the mediating effects of participants' negative emotions to provide an additional explanation for the aggressive reactions after failure. As expected, narcissism and self-concept clarity were significant predictors of negative emotions and aggression after failure. In accordance with our hypothesis, high narcissists with low self-concept clarity reacted with anger and aggression after failure, whereas less narcissistic individuals with high self-concept clarity showed feelings of depression and no aggression. The results also indicated that aggression was always directed toward the source of the ego-threatening feedback. Additionally, anger and depression could predict the aggressive response after failure but they did not mediate the relation between narcissism, self-concept clarity, performance feedback, and aggression.

Achievement↗
PubMed1999

A ten-year prospective study of aggression in a special secure unit for dangerous patients.

In a 10-year prospective study inpatient aggression was investigated in a Norwegian special secure unit covering a well-defined catchment area with a population of 240,000. The seven bed special secure unit receives dangerous, psychotic patients for long-term treatment. Only 19 patients were treated during the ten-year study lasting from 1 April 1987 to 1 April 1997. Incidents of aggressive behavior were recorded on the Report Form for Aggressive Episodes by the nursing staff. The study aimed to identify, classify and measure the occurrence of aggressive behavior, as well as the relative frequency of events preceding such behavior. A total of 2021 incidents of aggressive behavior were recorded. Seventy-five per cent of the aggressive acts were verbal or physical threats, while the remaining 25% were physical assaults directed at other persons. Four patients accounted for about 80% of the aggressive encounters. Nursing staff were victims in about 90% of the incidents. Serious physical injury was extremely rare. Situations pertaining to limit-setting and problems of communication accounted for approximately 90% of the precipitants of aggressive behavior. There were no sex differences regarding the occurrence of aggressive behavior.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Prevalence and types of aggressive behaviour among adults with intellectual disabilities.

BACKGROUND: Aggressive behaviours represent major obstacles to the integration into society of individuals with intellectual disability (ID) and pose significant management issues for carers. METHODS: The present study assessed the prevalence and severity of five types of aggressive behaviours in 3165 adult men and women with ID receiving services from three rehabilitation agencies in Québec by surveying their carers using the Modified Overt Aggressive Scale. RESULTS: The 12-month prevalence of aggressive behaviour was 51.8%: 24% property damage, 37.6% verbal, 24.4% self-oriented and 24.4% physical aggression, and 9.8% sexually aggressive behaviour, most of which being mild in severity. Only 4.9% of individuals displayed aggressive behaviour leading to injury of the victim. Few gender differences were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The capacity to document and assess the types as well as the severity of aggressive behaviour is thus critical, not only to better understand the correlates of various types of behaviours but also to orient intervention programmes whether they be prevention, assessment, monitoring or management of aggressive behaviour.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Relations between different types of children's aggressive behavior and sociometric status among peers of the same and opposite gender.

Croatian elementary school children in grades 4 to 6 (N= 151) reported on direct and indirect aggressive behaviors of their classmates. Acceptance and rejection by classmates were also assessed, employing the sociometric nomination technique. Correlational analyses revealed that both forms of aggression were related to peer rejection, but unrelated to peer acceptance. Girls' aggression was more strongly related to peer rejection than boys' aggression, independent of the type of aggression. Aggressive children of both genders tended to be more rejected by their same-gender classmates than by classmates of the opposite gender. Results were discussed in terms of children's attitudes towards aggression, and gender stereotyped perception of appropriateness of aggressive behavior. A need to examine developmental changes and cultural differences in relationships between aggression and peer status was emphasized.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Adolescent stress and neural plasticity in hamsters: a vasopressin-serotonin model of inappropriate aggressive behaviour.

Animal studies show that arginine vasopressin facilitates aggression, while serotonin (5-HT) inhibits aggression by blocking the activity of the vasopressin system. Clinical studies report that subjects with a history of 'fighting and assault' show a significant positive correlation between cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of vasopressin and aggression in the presence of a hyporeactive 5-HT system. Thus, in animals and humans, a hyporeactive 5-HT system may result in enhanced vasopressin activity and increased aggression. Can the stress of emotional and physical insult, i.e. threat and attack, during adolescence affect the development of the vasopressin and 5-HT systems and alter normal aggressive behaviour in early adulthood? Adolescent male golden hamsters were weaned at postnatal day 25, and stressed for 2 weeks by daily 1 h bouts of threat and attack by adult hamsters. Male littermates were run in a parallel stress study using daily 1 h trials of isolation in a novel environment. During early adulthood, on postnatal day 45, 3 days after the cessation of stress trials, animals were tested for aggression in a resident: intruder model. The results show a context-dependent change in aggression. Animals with a history of abuse show exaggerated attack behaviour toward smaller males compared to littermates with a history of isolation stress. Conversely, when confronted by males of equal size, animals with a history of abuse show diminished aggression and increased submission compared to controls. It was determined that the density of vasopressin fibres and neurones in the hypothalamus is lower in abused animals compared to controls. In contrast, the number of 5-HT terminals within the hypothalamus is higher in abused animals compared to controls. These results provide evidence in an animal model that stress in the form of threat and attack during adolescence can alter the balance between vasopressin and 5-HT in the brain, resulting in inappropriate aggressive behaviour in early adulthood.

Aggression↗
PubMed2006

Development of male proactive and reactive physical aggression during adolescence.

BACKGROUND: Different developmental courses have been postulated for proactive and reactive aggression. OBJECTIVE: Investigated the developmental course of proactive and reactive aggression in a large sample of adolescent boys from low socioeconomic areas. METHOD: A dual group-based joint trajectory method was used to identify distinct trajectories as well as similarities and differences in intra-individual changes. RESULTS: The trajectories for proactive and reactive aggression were similar: the majority of individuals followed infrequent and desisting trajectories. Contrary to expectations, very few adolescents followed trajectories of increasing proactive aggression. Reactive aggression was more common than proactive aggression. The overlap in trajectory group membership of individuals following trajectories of high peaking proactive and reactive aggression was nearly 100%. Across a period of 5 years, the boys on the high peaking trajectories were twice as likely to have affiliated with gangs. CONCLUSIONS: The developmental courses of proactive and reactive aggression are similar during adolescence. Males who tend to frequently use one form of aggression throughout adolescence also tend to frequently use the other and are at an increased risk for contemporaneous delinquent lifestyles.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Alcohol-related aggression in males and females: effects of blood alcohol concentration, subjective intoxication, personality, and provocation.

This study tested the combined predictive ability of blood alcohol concentration (BAC), subjective intoxication, and aggressive personality traits on physical aggression in males and females in High- and Low-provocation conditions. Sixty intoxicated White social drinkers (30 males and 30 females) competed against a fictitious opponent on a modified version of the Taylor aggression paradigm in which subjects both received and delivered electric shocks to their opponents in provoking and nonprovoking conditions. Provocation conditions (High and Low) were defined by the intensity of the shocks the subjects received. Aggression was operationalized as the intensity of the shocks selected by the subjects. Results indicated that, for males in the High-provocation condition, aggressive personality traits, subjective intoxication, and BAC were effective predictors of physical aggression. However, in the Low-provocation condition, only aggressive personality traits and BAC predicted aggression. None of the variables were effective predictors of aggression for intoxicated females.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

The Relationship among depressive and alcoholic symptoms and aggressive behavior in adult male emergency department patients.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the extent to which depressive and alcoholic symptoms are related to aggressiveness in male emergency department (ED) patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey design was conducted in a Midwest urban ED. A convenience sample of 302 noncritical male patients completed the survey. Self-reported aggressiveness, anger problems, Zung depressive symptoms, CAGE alcoholic dependence, and demographics were collected. A conceptual causal model was tested with structural equation (SEQ) modeling. Regression analyses examined the extent to which the Zung scale, CAGE inventory, and demographics explained aggressiveness. RESULTS: The SEQ modeling found that both depressive and alcoholic symptoms linked significantly to aggressiveness. Depressive symptoms linked three times more strongly than alcoholic symptoms to aggressiveness. Model fit statistics suggested that depressive and alcoholic symptoms are plausible causal factors for male aggressiveness. Regression analyses revealed that four items from the Zung scale (irritable, can't sleep, "better off dead," indecisive) and two items from the CAGE inventory (annoyed when criticized about drinking, need to cut down) explained aggressiveness. CONCLUSIONS: In this urban ED population, depressive symptoms linked to aggressiveness three times more strongly than alcoholic symptoms. An abbreviated screening tool that could be used in EDs incorporating Zung and CAGE items may identify males who would benefit from further evaluation for depression, alcoholism, and aggressive behavior.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Key issues in the development of aggression and violence from childhood to early adulthood.

Different manifestations of aggression from childhood to early adulthood are reviewed to establish how early manifestations are related to later manifestations. Similarities and differences in manifestations of aggression between the two genders are noted. Developmental sequences and pathways from minor aggression to violence are highlighted. Long-term escalation is contrasted with short-term escalation at older ages. Although studies have emphasized high stability of aggression over time, data show that a substantial proportion of aggressive youth desist over time. Temperamental, emotional, and cognitive aspects of aggression are reviewed, either as precursors or co-occurring conditions to aggression. Selected processes in the realms of the family, peers, and neighborhoods are highlighted that are known to be associated with juvenile aggression. Cumulative, long-term causes are contrasted with short-term causes, and causes associated with desistance in aggression are reviewed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Aggression: its relation to desire and self-interest.

Aggression continues to be a problematic, ill-defined concept for most contemporary analysts. Questions about the nature and origin of aggression remain unanswered. On the one hand, aggression is conceived of as an instinctual drive; on the other, it is thought to originate as an instrument of reaction to external sources of frustration and environmental failures to meet developmental needs. Aggression has also been dichotomized as either the benign activity of assertiveness, or the darker destructive force of hostility, believed by many to arise from separate motivational systems. There is a problem with the view of aggression as largely an ad hoc reaction to deprivation or other environmental shortcomings leading to disappointment and frustration. This view understates the importance of the original expansive demands for pleasurable satisfaction made by the individual upon the environment. Desire itself seems to be responsible for an inward vulnerability to external sources of disappointment and frustration, so that what is not desired cannot be effectively frustrated. Though the prototypical object of aggression is taken to be an external source of frustration, danger, and narcissistic injury, the mobilization of aggression more accurately reflects a susceptibility to the disturbing pressure of psychic stimuli that are the inner desire for satisfaction. Aggression contributes its force to various constructive or destructive purposes, from love to mastery to vengeance. Its most immediate aims, primarily narcissistic, are not concerned with the needs of others. Aggression also makes important contributions to maintaining psychic equilibrium, to the psychic organization's stake in instinctual gratification, to ego function, and to superego operation.

Aggression↗
PubMed2005

Individual differences in aggressive responding to intravenous flumazenil administration in adult male parolees.

Nonhuman and human studies have shown that benzodiazepine (BZD) receptor agonists can modify aggressive behaviour. However, it is unknown whether flumazenil, a BZD receptor antagonist, enhances or inhibits aggressive behaviour. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of acute administrations of flumazenil on aggressive responding in adult humans. Six adult males with histories of childhood conduct disorder (DSM IV R) participated in experimental sessions. Aggression was measured using the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm (PSAP; Cherek 1992), which provided subjects with aggressive and monetary-reinforced response options. Acute doses of flumazenil (2 and 3mg) did not produce statistically significant changes in either monetary-reinforced responding or aggressive responding. The analysis of individual subjects data revealed that aggressive responses varied across subjects. The results are discussed in terms of individual differences based on the previous history of BZD abuse. Additional laboratory research is needed to better clarify the behavioural mechanisms by which BZD receptor antagonists modify human aggressive responding.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Effects of exposure to aggressive behavior on job satisfaction of health care staff.

This study examined the effects of exposure to the aggressive and disruptive behavior of institutionalized elderly patients on health care staff's job satisfaction. Aggressive behavior was defined as physical, verbal, or general disruptive behavior. Health care staff from a geriatric long-term care hospital were interviewed about their exposure to these types of aggressive behavior and the effect of this exposure on job satisfaction. Job satisfaction was significantly correlated with overall exposure to aggressive behavior. Although physical aggression was reported more frequently, exposure to verbal aggression correlated higher with job satisfaction. Exposure to aggressive behavior was the best predictor of job satisfaction, followed by level of education. These findings indicate that job satisfaction is negatively affected by exposure to aggressive behavior but positively affected by educational level. The role of educational programs in moderating the impact of exposure to aggressive behavior on job satisfaction is discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Characterizing aggressive behavior.

In the research literature, aggressive behavior has traditionally been classified into two distinct subtypes, impulsive or premeditated. Impulsive aggression is defined as a hair-trigger aggressive response to provocation with loss of behavioral control. Premeditated aggression is defined as a planned or conscious aggressive act, not spontaneous or related to an agitated state. The present study outlines the development of a clinically useful self-report instrument, the Impulsive/Premeditated Aggression Scales (IPAS), designed to characterize aggressive behavior as predominately impulsive or predominately premeditated in nature. The IPAS showed strong reliability and validity. Analysis of the IPASscores demonstrated thepresence of two types of aggressive behavior, impulsive and premeditated, in men referred for anger problems. The aggression of most individuals in the present sample was characterized as predominately impulsive in nature (90%).

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Prospective analysis of peer and parent influences on minor aggression among early adolescents.

The research examined the influence of parent and school variables on minor aggression among early adolescents. Sixth-grade students (N = 1,081) were interviewed at the beginning of the school year (Time 1) about aggressive behaviors and selected psychosocial variables and at the end of the year (Time 2) about aggressive behaviors. Aggression increased over time and was greater for boys than girls at both time points. In path analyses, Time 1 aggression was directly associated with Time 2 aggression and indirectly associated through affiliation with Time 2 problem-behaving friends. School engagement was associated indirectly with Time 2 aggression through affiliation with problem-behaving friends. Parenting behavior was negatively and directly associated with Time 2 aggression and indirectly through Time 2 affiliation with problem-behaving friends. The findings indicated that selection and previous behavior predicted peer affiliation and parenting and school engagement protected against early adolescent aggression.

Aggression↗
PubMed2003

A dyadic longitudinal model of adolescent dating aggression.

The stability of and dyadic influences on physical aggression in adolescents' dating relationships have implications for understanding the etiology of intimate partner violence and, in turn, prevention efforts. We studied the stability of aggression and tested a longitudinal dyadic model of psychological and physical aggression in samples of adolescent males and females who remained in relationships for 3 months. Physical aggression against dating partners was remarkably stable. Verbal aggression, jealous behavior, and controlling behavior formed a latent construct psychological aggression. Psychological aggression predicted physical aggression both concurrently and longitudinally. Dyadic relations were evident for both psychological and physical aggression, and these dyadic relations highlight the need for prevention and intervention incorporating dyadic issues with young dating couples.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Overt and relational aggression in girls with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

We employed a multi-informant approach to examine attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) subtype differences, as well as ADHD versus comparison group differences, in overt aggression, relational aggression, and peer regard related to such aggression. Participants included 228 girls (ages 6 to 12 years) diagnosed with either ADHD-Combined (ADHD-C; n = 93), ADHD-Inattentive (ADHD-I; n = 47), or nondiagnosed comparisons (n = 88) who attended research-based summer camp programs. Girls with ADHD-C exhibited higher rates of overt and relational aggression than did girls with ADHD-I, who in turn exhibited higher rates than comparison girls. For the ADHD-C subgroup, aggressive behavior was associated with both negative peer regard and lack of positive peer regard; for the ADHD-I subgroup, aggressive behavior was related to negative peer regard but not to positive peer regard. Controlling for subtype, relational aggression contributed incremental variance in peer regard over and above overt aggression, but effects for the latter were stronger. We discuss the importance of overt versus relational aggression for girls with ADHD as well as disparities in findings according to informant sources.

Aggression↗
PubMed2006

Antecedents of toddler aggression: dysfunctional parenting in mother-toddler dyads.

Aggression is stable as early as 2 years of age and predicts many negative adult outcomes. Although longitudinal predictors of child aggression have been identified, information is lacking regarding the proximal precursors of toddlers' aggression. During a 30-min interaction, 54 mother-toddler dyads were observed. Toddlers were categorized as aggressive or nonaggressive based on whether they exhibited aggression toward their mothers within the interaction. Most toddlers in both groups escalated from mild to more severe forms of misbehavior. Mothers of aggressive toddlers displayed more lax and over-reactive discipline when addressing misbehaviors that preceded aggression than did mothers of nonaggressive toddlers. Mothers of aggressive toddlers either ignored or attended neutrally or positively to the aggression. Implications for parenting interventions are discussed.

Adult↗