The relation of sensitivity to provocation and frustration to direct aggression: the mediating role of beliefs about aggression / La relación entre la sensibilidad a la provocación y a la frustración y la agresión directa: el papel mediador de las creencias sobre la agresión

Previous research has suggested that sensitivity to provocation and frustration differently predict aggressive behaviour. In the study reported in this paper, two potential mediators of the relationships among both sensitivities and self-reported aggression were examined, namely instrumental and expressive beliefs about aggression. A sample of 318 participants (52% men) took part in the study. Structural Equation Modeling demonstrated that sensitivity to provocation was related to both types of beliefs about aggression, whereas sensitivity to frustration was associated with expressive beliefs. However, only instrumental beliefs mediated the relationship between sensitivity to provocation and both physical and verbal aggression. Analysed variables predicted 46% of the variance in physical aggression and 11% of the variance in verbal aggression. Additionally, men reported higher physical aggression and endorsed more instrumental beliefs than women. Implications for understanding emotional and cognitive mechanisms involved in regulation of aggression are discussed.     

Reducing child aggression through sports intervention: The role of self-control skills and emotions

This study examined how sports intervention may reduce aggressive behaviors in children (Grades 3–6), focusing on the relations between acquisition of self-control skills (SCSs) and aggressive behavior through the mediation of thoughts (i.e., hostility) and emotions (i.e., positive and negative). In a sample of 649 Israeli children, 50% were assigned to an experimental group and the remainder to a waitlisted control group. As hypothesized, children in the experimental group reported significantly larger gains in SCSs and significantly larger decreases in physical aggression, hostile thoughts, and negative emotions. Results of structural equation modeling suggested that SCS gains were linked to changes in hostile thoughts, as mediated by changes in both positive and negative emotions. In addition, changes in hostile thoughts were linked to changes in physical aggression through the mediation of changes in anger. Among girls, changes in SCSs were linked directly to changes in physical aggression (with no indirect effect), whereas among boys, changes in SCSs were linked indirectly to changes in physical aggression, through changes in positive and negative emotions. Findings contribute to understanding of possible mechanisms underlying the associations between children's self-control and aggression, with particular implications for the roles of positive and negative emotions.     

Establishing Independence in Low‐Income Urban Areas: The Relationship to Adolescent Aggressive Behavior

Although adolescents in poor urban areas often assume independent, adult‐like roles, relatively little is known about the relationship between these roles and other adolescent behaviors. This research examines the association between independent roles occurring within different contexts (e.g. family, peer, work) and aggressive behavior among 516 low‐income, urban middle school students. Overall, adolescent employment is related to increases in aggressive behavior. However, associations that familial and peer independent roles have with aggression differ by the extent of youth involvement in paid work. Greater engagement in familial independent roles is associated with decreased aggression among employed adolescents, but with increased aggression among unemployed youth. Also, peer independent roles are related to significantly greater increases in aggression among unemployed, compared with employed, adolescents.     

Fraternity Membership and Sexual Aggression: An Examination of Mediators of the Association

Abstract

Objective: This prospective study examined attitudes (ie, hostility toward women, acceptance of rape myths), peer influences (ie, peer pressure to have sex, peer approval of forced sex), and risky behaviors (ie, high-risk alcohol use, number of sexual partners) as possible mediators of the association between fraternity membership and sexual aggression. Participants: The sample included 424 males recruited as freshmen from a large state university in the southeastern United States. Methods: Respondents completed survey measures in their first, second, and third years of enrollment at the university. Results: Path analyses revealed that the prospective effect of fraternity membership on sexual aggression was mediated by high-risk alcohol use. Conclusions: The findings indicate that high-risk alcohol use accounts for much of the association between fraternity membership and sexual aggression.     

Aggression in the academic workplace: a psychodynamic analysis of social work

Abstract

Aiming to promote quality collegial relationships in tertiary education, this theoretical study draws on the peer-reviewed literature to provide a psychodynamic analysis of workplace aggression in the social work discipline. Because the study assists academics to identify their aggressive practices and the aggressive practices of their colleagues, the findings can be of relevance to other practice-based disciplines. Elaborating on the causes and effects of the disciplinary, institutional and individual forms of aggression, this study identifies the avoidance of the emotional pain in work with clients as the main reason behind the active or passive–aggressive behaviours in the discipline. Academics act out this defensive manoeuvre through denying the existence of knowledge gaps in the discipline, denying the inextricable link between empirical research and theories of practice, teaching exclusively theories unsupported by empirical studies, and resisting to set boundaries on active and passive aggression. The study proposes the advancement of research-into-practice mindedness in social work schools, the requirement that prospective social work academics gain considerable practice experience before entering academia, the need for academic leadership positions to require peer-reviewed publications in both teaching and practice and the need for Schools to publish a volume of empirical research to be accredited as providers of social work education.     

Biological Underpinnings of Borderline Personality Disorder

SUMMARY

Biological understanding of a personality disorder is best achieved by examining the disorder's component dimensions, which for borderline personality disorder include impulsive aggression and affective instability. Current biological research into BPD aims to identify the neurotransmitters and brain regions implicated in each of these key domains. Because of advancing technologies and analytic strategies, structural and functional neuroimaging are at the forefront of such efforts. Structural neuroimaging, primarily in the form of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, gives information about the anatomy of the brain, while functional neuroimaging, primarily functional MRI (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans, gives information about brain activity and neurotransmitter systems at the molecular level. BPD neuroimaging studies to date have implied the involvement of several neurotransmitter systems, principally serotonin, along with dysfunction of select brain regions, including the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, suggesting a “dualbrain pathology”: “hyperarousal-dyscontrol syndrome.” However, the exact mechanisms of all these putative etiologies remain unknown.     

‘Just transition’? Conceptual challenges meet stark reality in a ‘transitioning’ coal region in Australia

ABSTRACT

‘Just transition’ (JT) is an increasingly popular concept developed by unions and adopted and adapted by academics, environmentalists, government and non-governmental organizations, and international institutions in recognition of the need to address social concerns and inequities emerging from efforts to address environmental problems. It has been noted, however, that ‘JT’ lacks both conceptual clarity and empirical evidence of its practical applications. This paper examines the ‘theory’ and practice of ‘JT’ by first considering the competing interpretations and conceptual understandings of ‘JT’ and second, the challenges of realizing a ‘JT’ in an Australian coal region where transition is occurring. The paper argues that achieving ‘JT’ requires more than government provisions and interventions and that unions must perform an active part in the ‘JT’ process through their relations with employers, workers, government, and community. It suggests the lack of clarity within the ‘JT’ literature may be the concept’s lasting strength.     

Does the female cycle matter? Looking at aggressive intentions after social exclusion*

Excluded people vary in their coping with social pain. The menstrual cycle has shown to moderate experiences related to pain. We therefore investigated the influence of the menstrual cycle on aggressive intentions in response to social exclusion. Results revealed no effect of the menstrual cycle alone. However when exploratory taking dispositional social anxiety into account, we found women low in social phobia to report more aggression in response to social exclusion in the luteal than in the non-luteal phase. In this phase, they indicated a similarly high aggression level than women high in social phobia who did not differ between the luteal and non-luteal phase. These findings are discussed within the framework of evolutionary adaption.     

Sexism in adolescence: parenting styles,division of housework,prosocial behaviour and aggressive behaviour / Sexismo en la adolescencia: estilos de crianza,división de tareas domésticas,conducta prosocial y agresividad

The aim of this study was to identify which factors were the best predictors of sexist attitudes. To achieve this aim, two groups of variables were analysed. The first group consisted of variables relating to parenting styles and the division of housework. The second group consisted of personal factors related to prosocial behaviour and physical and verbal aggression. The sample was made up of 732 adolescents aged 12–14 from Valencia (Spain). The analysis was conducted separately for boys and girls. Correlation analyses and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted on each subsample. The results show that the division of housework and parenting styles were related to sexist attitudes. This connection was especially strong for the division of housework according to traditional gender roles, which was found to lead to hostile and benevolent sexist attitudes. The results also showed that prosocial and aggressive behaviours were correlated with sexist attitudes. The results varied by gender. The findings of this research have implications for the prevention of sexist attitudes.     

Examining risk and protective factors on progression of romantic relational aggression among young adults: Parental control,parental care,and peer social support

Abstract

Romantic relational aggression is related to numerous mental health consequences but risk and protective factors of perpetrating this type of aggression, historically, have been unclear. This study fills in the research gap by evaluating the impact of parental control, parental care, and peer social support on later perpetration in romantic relational aggression among 84 predominately Chinese college students. Results revealed the positive association between parental control and perpetration in romantic relational aggression, however, this association diminished in the presence of high peer social support (HSS). Despite insignificance in the main effect, parental care was negatively correlated with later perpetration in romantic relationship in the HSS group while a positive association was found in the low peer social support (LSS) group. These highlights provided evidences how parental control and parental care during childhood could be risk factors for later romantic relational aggression as well as how current social support from peer could serve as a protective factor on the negative influence from parent–child relationships.     

Sexual Coercion,Verbal Aggression,and Condom Use Consistency Among College Students

Abstract

Objective: The relationship between condom use and 2 less visible categories of intimate partner violence (IPV), sexual coercion and verbal aggression, was examined among college students. Methods: In March 2007 a random cross-sectional sample of undergraduates from the southeast region of the United States was taken to collect information about sexual coercion and verbal aggression, in addition to condom use consistency. Alcohol use was also assessed. Results: Of the 142 participants, 31.7% reported being victims of sexual coercion, and 78% reported having verbally aggressive partners. Participants who reported experiencing sexual coercion in their relationship were significantly less likely to consistently use condoms. Additionally, alcohol use before or during episodes of verbal aggression was negatively associated with condom use. Alcohol use was also significantly associated with heightened incidents of coercion and aggression. Conclusions: Results indicate that among college students, the presence of sexual coercion adversely affects condom use, as does alcohol use.     

The Psychoneuroendocrinology of (Sexual) Aggression

Summary

The contours of the psychoneuroendocrinology of (sexual) aggression are becoming clearer. The sex difference in aggression originally directed attention to androgens, but the role of androgens has been difficult to substantiate. Rather novel is the insight that (sexual) aggression may be viewed as a maladaptive stress response. The stress response system is composed of psychological elements (the interpretation and labeling of threats), the neural system, that subserves this interpretation, and finally the endocrine system permitting the organism to react to threats with a physical response such as flight or fight, and as such is vital for our self-protection. Aggression may be viewed as an inappropriate and exaggerated response to a perceived threat. The stress system is largely tuned by early life experiences. Both psychological and biological elements can be identified in the stress response system, allowing both psychotherapeutic and pharmacological approaches to treatment.     

Insecure Attachment Behavior and Partner Violence: Incorporating Couple Perceptions of Insecure Attachment and Relational Aggression

Intimate partner violence and insecure attachment are therapeutically relevant concepts when working with couples. The link between attachment and intimate partner violence has been examined in the literature, but an area of aggression that often goes unexamined is relational aggression, or using third parties as a means of being aggressive toward a partner. We asked how participants' attachment behaviors were related to their own and partners' relational and physical aggression. We used structural equation modeling to estimate actor–partner interdependence among these relationships in 644 heterosexual couples. Results indicated significant partner paths from attachment to relational aggression, as well as significant actor paths between relational aggression and physical aggression. Implications were discussed. Data for this study were collected from the RELATE assessment.     

A representative measure of psychological aggression and its severity

Surveys of psychological aggression have been plagued by a variety of conceptual and measurement problems. A new measure was devised to more systematically cover a full range of psychologically aggressive actions; to include items for each dimension/category at a milder, moderate, and severe level; to be applicable to dating as well as marital relationships; and to utilize items that were broader in nature to capture all instances of particular types of psychological aggression. Three hundred and eighty-three college students rated the 51 items as to their degree of "psychological abusiveness." The 17 categories were rated as mostly distinct from each other; almost every category had statistically distinct mild, moderate and severe items; the overall scale yielded basically normal psychometric properties; and the total score, as well as the scores for the mild, moderate, and severe items, all had very high internal consistency. Ratings of these items appear to be distinct from social desirability as well as from a number of attitudinal response sets, and only sex of the participant was significantly, although weakly, correlated with overall ratings of the psychological aggression items. This measure may provide for more systematic investigation into the concept of psychological aggression.     

Impulsiveness,impulsive aggression,personality disorder,and spousal violence

Impulsiveness has become a key concept in thinking about the determinants of violence and aggression. In this study of spouse abusers, the relationship between impulsiveness, impulsive aggression, and physical violence is confirmed. Impulsiveness and impulsive aggression have significant correlations with physical aggression. Impulsiveness and impulsive aggression are also correlated with measures of Borderline Personality Disorder and Antisocial Personality Disorder. In addition, the measures of Borderline and Antisocial Personality Disorder (PD) are significantly correlated with physical aggression. The violent and non-violent groups differed on impulsive aggression and on Borderline Personality Disorder. A partial replication of Tweed and Dutton's findings (1998) revealed sub-groups of high- and low-violence men. The high-violence group was very different from the low-violent and the non-violent groups. The high-violence group had higher pathology scores on all clinical scales, except Mania, of the Personality Assessment Inventory. These findings have implications for violence prediction and for treatment of violent men.     

Does Observed Conflict Recovery Play a Role in Adolescent Dating Aggression?

In a study of conflict recovery and adolescent dating aggression, 14- to 18-year-old couples (N = 209 dyads) participated in a 1-hr observational assessment. Negative behavior was observed during conflict-evoking “hot” tasks and in a “cooldown” task. Physical and psychological dating aggression were assessed via questionnaires. Negative behavior measured in the cooldown task was not associated with dating aggression after controlling for carryover effects of negativity from the hot to cooldown tasks. Moreover, cooldown negativity moderated the associations of hot task negativity and dating aggression. Actor and partner effects were disentangled via dyadic data analyses. Given the paucity of observational studies of dating aggression, our findings are an important contribution to the literature and in need of replication and extension.     

The role of sadism and peer pressure in the sexual aggression of male college students

Two types of motivational models help explain sexual aggression in college men. Socialization models emphasize imperatives of the male sex role, whereas a sadistic model focuses on increased sexual stimulation from female distress. These models were evaluated by comparing the relationship between a measure of sexual sadism and the frequency of sexually aggressive episodes with the relationship between peer pressure for sexual intimacy and sexual aggression. College men's ratings of sexual attractiveness for a series of female faces registering both pleasant and distressed affects were used to measure sexual sadism. Results showed that 60% of the college men with a sexual sadism pattern reported repeated episodes of sexual aggression since the 10th grade, whereas only 29% of those not showing this pattern did so. Peer pressure was inversely related to repeated aggression; sexual aggressives reported less peer pressure than students who did not have a history of repeated aggression. These results are not only important because they identify a possible source of sexual aggression toward females but also because they encourage an interest in discovering how sexual and aggressive motives become fused in a significant proportion of normal males.     

A relationship between verbal aggression and personal network size

Aggression has been associated with negative social consequences. Yet, more adaptive views of aggression hold that it can have beneficial correlates as well. In four studies, we examined the relationship between aggression and personal network size, a property associated with important social benefits. The results pointed to a consistent positive relationship between verbal aggression and social network size. This relationship remained after controlling for third variables like extraversion and when using different measures of network size. The fourth study sought to explain the relationships in terms of mutual relationships with status and power, but found no support for mediation.     

Risk Indicators of Elder Mistreatment in the Community

ABSTRACT

This study examined risk indicators of chronic verbal aggression, physical aggression, and financial mistreatment in a population-based sample of 1,797 independently living elderly in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Included were socio-demographic characteristics, physical and psychological health, and functional capacity. The data were collected using standardized interviews that took place in the homes of the respondents. The results showed that chronic verbal aggression was associated with an elder living with a partner or other(s) and in poor or bad health. Physical aggression was associated with an elder living with a partner or other(s) and having depressive symptoms. Finally, financial mistreatment was associated with being male, living alone, being partially dependent in instrumental activities of daily living and having depressive symptoms. The results indicate that the risk indicators of victims of financial mistreatment differ from those of chronic verbal aggression and physical aggression, suggesting that financial mistreatment may occur more often as a single form of abuse whereas verbal and physical aggression may more frequently occur together.     

Female genital mutilation and human rights

Abstract

This article evaluates five different discourses on female genital mutilation for affinities with the language of international instruments codifying human rights: an activist physician's fieldwork journal; two novels, one a Lebanese-American's lyrical work largely indebted to a human rights perspective and, in contrast, a Kenyan publicist's fiction which mutes that approach; an American activist's auto-ethnography; paintings by Nigerian artists in an exhibition travelling in Germany; and a letter to the editor of an African American magazine. I read these varied lexica in light of recent literature on female genital surgery that tends to oppose academics, mainly anthropologists captive to their training, to activists impatient with post-modern wavering who claim that global instruments for women's human rights should be enforced to stop genital torture. Creative writing is instrumental in presenting a clear moral imperative confronted by the complexities of human lives.