Poster #221 - Adjustment, Popularity and Peer Group Status among Aggressive Children

• In Event: 3-106 - Poster Session 11
  In Poster Session: PS 11 Section - Social Relationships

Integrative Statement

Researchers have documented aggression as a major risk factor for children, with links to poor academic engagement, low self-concept, and internalizing and externalizing difficulties. However, investigations have also acknowledged the complexity of aggressive behaviour by recognizing subtypes of aggression and contextual implications. These nuanced conceptualizations of aggression have led to the conclusion that aggressive children are not always maladapted. Closer investigations of contextual effects have shown the importance of the social environment for aggressive children. Most aggressive children have friends, belong to a peer group and are sometimes considered popular. Previous research has often examined these moderators of aggressive behavior at only one level. The purpose of this study was to simultaneously examine both individual (popularity) and group characteristics (status, group aggression) as moderators of the relationships between aggression and adjustment. We expected that individual popularity would buffer the relationship between aggression and maladjustment. We also expected that group status and person-group similarity (aggressive children in aggressive groups) would further buffer maladjustment.
Participants were 1,033 students (444 boys, 589 girls) in Grades 4 through 8. At the beginning (Time 1) and end of the school year (Time 2), children completed peer nominations to measure overt (3 items) and relational (2 items)aggression, popularity (1 item) and peer group nominations to identify peer groups (n = 162 ) and group centrality. Self-reports measured self-esteem (5 items) and depression (13 items) at each time point. Scores for relational and overt aggression were highly correlated (r = .76), and combined for analysis.
Hierarchal Linear Modelling was used to examine predictors of adjustment (Time 2 self-esteem, Time 2 depression). Level 1 individual variables were entered first (Time 1 adjustment, Sex, Age, aggression, popularity, aggression X popularity). Next, group level variables were entered at level two (Time 1 group adjustment, centrality, aggression, centrality X aggression). Cross level interactions were analyzed (individual aggression X group aggression; individual aggression X group centrality). Results are summarized in Table 1. Individual aggression was a significant predictor of lower self-esteem and higher depression. The aggression X popularity interaction was significant in both models. Aggressive children with low popularity scores had the lowest self-esteem, whereas aggressive-popular children were protected from decreased self-esteem. Similarly, aggression was a positive predictor of depression only for unpopular children. Group level predictors further qualified links between aggression and adjustment. Group centrality interacted with individual aggression such that aggressive children in central groups were protected from increased depression. The person-group match moderated effects on self-esteem. In contrast to expectations, very aggressive children in aggressive groups had the lowest self-esteem compared to aggressive children in less aggressive groups.
These findings offer insight into the complex relationship between aggression and adjustment in children and provides an additional demonstration that that aggression is not always a risk factor. Popular-aggressive children and aggressive children in central (highly prominent) groups are likely able to use aggression in a strategic manner that protects their social relationships. On the other hand, highly aggressive children who belong to highly aggressive groups may have significant social deficits.

Authors

• Wendy Ellis, King's University College
  Presenting Author

• Lynne Zarbatany, University of Western Ontario
  Non-Presenting Author

• Xinyin Chen, University of Pennsylvania
  Non-Presenting Author

• Katherine Bigham, King's University College
  Non-Presenting Author