Poster #65 - Verbal Aggression in Youths with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Prevalence and Associations with Sibling Relations

• In Event: Poster Session 01

Abstract

Over 50% of youths with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) engage in aggressive behavior towards other individuals. Although research has demonstrated that youths with ASD who behave aggressively engage in a broad range of aggressive acts, there has been a greater focus on physical aggression or externalizing problems in general, with less focus on verbal aggression. Given the negative social outcomes associated with verbal aggression, such isolation, victimization by peers, challenges in family relationships - all of which are common challenges among youths with ASD - it seems especially important to better understand the nature of verbal aggression in this clinical population. In addition, there has been relatively little work that has examined the relationship qualities of youths with ASD and their siblings. Most sibling research in ASD populations has focused on variables related to sibling adjustment, as opposed to sibling dynamics broadly. As the developmental literature indicates, siblings are key agents in socialization and success with extrafamilial relationships. Thus, it seems reasonable to suggest that sibling relations could play a key part in aggressive behavior - especially verbal aggression - in youths with ASD. The present study examined verbally aggressive behaviors and sibling relations in a large sample of youths with ASD (N = 2,142; age 6-17; M age = 11.00, SD = 3.18; 81.9% male). To assess verbal aggression, caregivers completed the verbal aggression subscale of the Children’s Scale of Hostility and Aggression, Reactive-Proactive, Version 2.0 (CSHARP). Key domains of sibling relations (i.e., conflict, criticism) between youths with ASD and their closest-in-age sibling were assessed using a modified, caregiver-report version of the Network Relationships Inventory - Relationship Qualities Version. We performed descriptive statistics to examine the frequency of verbally aggressive acts and performed bivariate correlations to examine associations between these acts - both at the item level and overall (average of CSHARP items) - and negative sibling relations. Verbally aggressive behavior was relatively common, with 81.0% of caregivers endorsing at least one aggressive act. The most frequent behaviors were reacting to insults by lashing out (61.7%), saying I hate [someone] or other hurtful things about someone who is not there (56.0%), and making insults face-to-face (55.7%). Sibling criticism and sibling conflict were strongly correlated with overall verbal aggression, r = .570 and .478 (p’s <.001) respectively. At the item level, correlations between criticism and verbal aggression ranged from .290 to .493, and .219 to .424 for conflict. Results suggest that verbal aggression is relatively common and closely related to negative sibling relations in youths with ASD. It is possible that these strong correlations indicate that siblings are often involved in verbal aggression for youths with ASD. Similarly, it could be the case that negative sibling relations are a risk factor for verbal aggression, both in familial and extrafamilial contexts.

Authors

• Kirsten E Bonish, Pacific University
  Presenting Author

• Tal Collins, Pacific University

• Riley Foy, Pacific University

• Taylor Ramsey, Pacific University

• Cynthia E Brown, Pacific University

• Charles Borduin, University of Missouri