Poster #66 - Proactive and Reactive Aggression are Differentially Associated With Youth Perceptions of Staff in Juvenile Detention Facilities

• In Event: Poster Session 11

Abstract

Youth perceptions of detention facility staff (e.g., corrections officers) may be uniquely impactful on outcomes for detained youth. However, the factors that contribute to youth perceptions of staff are not well-known. One factor that may influence one’s perception of staff is one’s own behavior, including aggression. That is, individuals aggress for various reasons, which is driven by their motivations and perceptions of situations. Indeed, many researchers subdivide aggression by function or motivation, specifically, proactive versus reactive aggression (Card & Little, 2007; Dodge, 1991). Proactive aggression is purposeful and goal-directed, and is motivated by the perpetrator’s expectation of a positive outcome (Bandura, 1973; Dodge & Coie, 1987). In contrast, reactive aggression is motivated by the perception of threat (Dodge & Coie, 1987). As such, given the hypervigilance to threat and punishment cues (Beck & Emery, 1985; Dodge & Coie, 1987), it was hypothesized that reactive aggression, would be associated with more negative perceptions of staff than proactive aggression. Youth admitted into two juvenile detention facilities in the Midwestern United States were administered questionnaires within 72 hours of admittance into the facilities, resulting in a sample of 216 youth (72.2% Male; ages 11–17, (M=15.75, SD=1.27)). The sample was predominantly Caucasian (69.0%), followed by 28.6% African American, 1.6% Asian, and 0.8% American Indian/Alaskan Native. Correlation and regression analysis were conducted to examine the bivariate and unique associations between proactive and reactive aggression and perceptions of staff. Facility, age, and sex were included as control variables in analyses. Both correlation (r = .185, p = .003) and regression (B = .265, p = .006) analyses indicated that reactive aggression was significantly positively associated with youth perception of staff, such that high levels of reactive aggression were associated with high levels of negative perceptions of staff. In contrast, proactive aggression was not associated with perceptions of staff in correlation (r = .066, p = .166) or regression (B = -.312, p = .227) analyses. Current findings suggest that youth who exhibit high levels of reactive aggression are more likely to perceive detention staff negatively, which may be associated with information processing deficits. These findings may suggest that reactively aggressive youth will have more issues trusting and building relationships with detention staff, which can have negative implications for compliance and intervention outcomes while detained. Future work is needed to further understand this association and identify targets for improving perceptions of staff, particularly with reactively aggressive youth. Interventions for youth in these settings may include problem solving techniques and slowing down various stages of information processing.

Group Authors

Curto, Griffith, Fite, & Pederson

Authors

• Steven Kenneth Curto, University of Kansas
  Presenting Author

• Rebecca Griffith, University of Kansas

• Paula Fite, University of Kansas

• Casey Pederson