Indirect aggression among Arab Female Teenagers in Israel: The Mediating Role of Affiliation with Delinquent Peers and Moderating Role of Closeness to Parents

• In Event: Female Arab Teenagers’ Involvement in Antisocial Behavior: Intersection of Mediating-Moderating effects

Abstract

This study examined the mediating role of affiliation with delinquent peers (ADP) and the
moderating role of closeness to parents in the relationship between impulsivity and
perpetration of indirect aggression. Arab female adolescents in Israel (aged 12–21; N = 404)
completed a self-report questionnaire. The mediation-moderation model was examined after
controlling for intersectional factors related to the females’ unique social locations in Arab
society. The study found that 66.1% of the girls had perpetrated at least one indirect act of
aggression at least once during the past month. Moreover, most reported agreement with at
least one item that examined their closeness to their father and mother (75.7% and 77%,
respectively). The results also showed that the direct effect of impulsivity on perpetration of
indirect aggression against others became significant after including the mediation factor
(ADP). Finally, for high closeness to parents, the association between impulsivity and ADP
was positive and significant, whereas it was insignificant for medium and low closeness. The
findings highlight the importance of operationalized as parent—closeness to parents, child
communication skills, boundary setting, and monitoring, which may decrease the tendency of
adolescents to perpetrate aggression.

Author

• Lana Jamal Jeries, University of Cambridge