2-105 - The Relation between Aggression Trajectories across Childhood and Psychological and Behavioral Adjustment in Late Adolescence

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Engaging in aggressive behavior is associated with a variety of negative psychological and behavioral outcomes (Cleverley, Szatmari, Vaillancourt, Boyle & Lipman, 2012). Although numerous cross-sectional studies have examined these relations (Ojanen, Findley & Fuller, 2012; Ostrov, Hart, Kamper & Godleski, 2011), less is known about how youths’ involvement in aggressive behavior throughout childhood and adolescence relates to subsequent maladjustment. This symposium will examine how following distinct trajectories of aggressive behavior predicts both psychological and behavioral maladjustment. The first presentation will examine how following distinct trajectories of social and physical aggression across third through twelfth grade predicts rule-breaking behaviors, internalizing symptoms, and features of borderline and narcissistic personality disorders. The second presentation will examine how physical and relational aggression trajectories from ages 10—15 years old relates to narcissism and Machiavellianism at age 16. The third presentation will examine concurrent, reciprocal relations between aggression and substance abuse in a predominantly minority sample of middle school children. Finally, a leading expert on the developmental course of aggressive behavior will serve as the discussant. She will examine what these three presentations together tell us about the outcomes associated with aggression and discuss implications for strengthening prevention efforts. Increasing our understanding of the psychological outcomes associated with engaging in high levels of aggression throughout childhood and adolescence will inform efforts to improve adolescents’ psychological health as they transition into adulthood.

Sub Unit

• Developmental Psychopathology

Chair

• Samuel E. Ehrenreich, University of Texas at Dallas

Discussant

• Debra Pepler, York University

Individual Presentations

• Social and Physical Aggression Trajectories from Childhood through Late Adolescence as Predictors of Maladjustment at Age 18 - Presenting Author: Samuel E. Ehrenreich, University of Texas at Dallas; Marion K. Underwood, University of Texas at Dallas; Kurt J Beron, The University of Texas at Dallas

• Longitudinal Trajectories of Relational and Physical Aggression predicting Machiavellianism and Narcissism - Presenting Author: Tracy Vaillancourt, University of Ottawa; Heather L. Brittain, University of Ottawa

• Links between Aggression and Substance Use Among Adolescents: Disentangling Within-person Change from Between-person Differences - Presenting Author: Sarah D. Lynne-Landsman, University of Florida; Julia A Graber, Univ of Florida; Tracy R. Nichols, University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Gilbert J. Botvin, Weil Medical College, Cornell University