Violence exposure across multiple contexts as predictors of reactive and proactive aggression in Chinese preadolescents

Longitudinal relations between bullying victimization and aggression: The multiple mediation effects of anger rumination and hostile automatic thoughts

Bullying victimization is widely accepted to be associated with aggression. However, the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unknown. To examine the long-term impact of bullying victimization on aggression, the present study tested the potential mediating effects of both anger rumination and hostile automatic thoughts. A total of 809 undergraduates from four universities across China (74.80% female; Mage = 19.63 years, SD = 0.82 years) completed the survey on three occasions, with a 6-month delay between Time 1 and Time 2 and a 1-year interval between Time 2 and Time 3. A cross-lagged model of anger rumination and hostile automatic thoughts was developed to test whether they predicted one another, and two structural models were constructed to test their mediating roles in bullying victimization and aggression. Findings indicated that anger rumination and hostile automatic thoughts are mutually predictable; the correlation between bullying victimization and aggression is mediated independently by anger rumination and hostile automatic thoughts, and the chain mediation of bullying victimization predicting aggression first through anger rumination and then through hostile automatic thinking was established. In addition, an alternative mediation model is also significant, with hostile automatic thoughts as the primary mediator and anger rumination as the secondary mediator. These results highlight the significance of anger rumination and hostile automatic thoughts in the long-term effects of bullying victimization on aggression. Interventions designed to reduce undergraduate students' anger rumination and hostile automatic thoughts may help reduce their aggression.

The developmental characteristics of proactive and reactive aggression in late childhood: The effect of parental control

Previous research has confirmed that parental control is related to children's aggressive behavior. However, few studies have focused on proactive and reactive aggression to distinguish the different effects of parental psychological and behavioral control. Moreover, additional longitudinal evidence is needed to understand these links. In the current paper, a three-wave longitudinal study was conducted to examine the developmental characteristics of proactive and reactive aggression and the role of parental control in China. A total of 484 4th- and 7th-grade students participated at wave 1 (51.65% in 4th-grade, Mage  = 11.66 ± 1.52 years), 465 students (52.04% in 4th-grade) at wave 2, and 447 children (51.90% in 4th-grade) at wave 3. The results showed that: (1) Proactive aggression in late childhood remained stable overall, while reactive aggression displayed a clear upward trend. (2) In proactive aggression, boys and girls had a consistent developmental trend. The initial level of boys was higher than that of girls. In reactive aggression, the growth rate was inversely associated with their initial level and the initial level of boys in 7th-grade was significantly higher than that of girls. (3) Both parental psychological and behavioral control positively predicted students' reactive aggression in 4th- and 7th-grade, whereas only parental behavioral control positively predicted proactive aggression in 7th-grade students, with no gender differences.

Relationship between Harsh Parenting and Aggressive Behaviors in Male Juvenile Delinquents: Potential Mediating Roles of Peer Victimization and Hostile Attribution Bias

Harsh parenting can be regarded as a harsh behaviors, feelings, and attitudes toward children in the process of parenting. According to the theory of intergenerational transmission of violence, harsh parenting is an important factor affecting children's aggressive behavior, but the theory does not clarify the specific action path between harsh parenting and aggressive behavior. In order to reveal the relationship between harsh parenting and the aggressive behavior of juvenile delinquents, 604 male juvenile delinquents (N = 604; M_age = 16.57 years; SD = 0.612 years) were investigated using the Harsh Parenting Questionnaire, the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, the Multidimensional Peer Victimization Scale, and the Word Sentence Association Paradigm for Hostility in Chinese. Analysis using structural equation modeling procedures showed that (a) all variables were positively associated with each other; (b) the partial indirect effect of harsh parenting on aggressive behaviors was determined through the mediators of peer victimization and hostile attribution bias independently; and (c) the partial indirect effect was determined through the mediators of peer victimization and hostile attribution bias sequentially. The results suggest that harsh parenting can explain the highly aggressive behavior of male juvenile delinquents. Moreover, harsh parenting may also predict the risk of peer victimization and hostile attribution bias, thereby predicting the development of highly aggressive behaviors.

Longitudinal relationships between school assets, traditional bullying, and internet gaming disorder: the role of self-control and intentional self-regulation among Chinese adolescents

Introduction

Although developmental assets have been proven to be enabling factors for both adolescent traditional bullying and internet gaming disorder (IGD), there is a lack of empirical evidence that has investigated the direct relationship between school assets and both of these problematic behaviors concurrently. Based on the positive youth development (PYD) perspective, the present study aimed to explore the relationship between school assets, intentional self-regulation (ISR), self-control, traditional bullying, and IGD among Chinese adolescents.

Methods

A total of 742 middle school students (M_age = 13.88 years, SD = 1.99 years) were followed up to measure school assets, ISR, self-control, traditional bullying, and IGD in two waves that were separated by 5 months.

Results

Structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that T1 school assets negatively predicted T2 traditional bullying and T2 IGD. T1 self-control significantly mediated the relationships between T1 school assets and T2 traditional bullying, as well as between T1 school assets and T2 IGD. Additionally, T1 ISR strengthened the positive effect of T1 school assets on T1 self-control and further moderated the two mediating paths.

Discussion

These findings show that plentiful school assets support the development of self-control and are more successful in reducing traditional bullying and IGD, particularly among students with higher ISR. As a result, schools should take measures to provide superior-quality assets for the positive development of youth, which will help to prevent and relieve traditional bullying and IGD in the school context.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder Symptoms and Multi-level Family Factors in Chinese Migrant Children: A Network Perspective

Based on the network theory of mental disorders, this study used network analysis to examine the network of ODD symptoms and multilevel family factors and identify the most crucial family factors influencing ODD symptoms in children. A total of 718 Chinese migrant children aged 7-14 years participated in this study. This study measured ODD symptoms, family system-level variables (3 factors), family dyadic-level variables (6 factors), and family individual-level variables (6 factors) with factors selected based on the multilevel family factors theory of ODD symptoms. The results indicated that (1) "annoy" was the center symptom of ODD, (2) "annoy" and "vindictive" was the main bridge connecting the multilevel family factors, and (3) family cohesion at the family system level, parent-child conflict at the family dyadic level, and parental depression at the family individual level were critical central and bridging influencing factors. The findings of this study highlight the critical role of "annoy" and "vindictive" symptoms in the activation of ODD symptom networks in children and provide a basis for future improvements in diagnostic criteria. These potential core and bridge factors might become key intervention targets for childhood ODD.

Comparisons of violence exposure within and across contexts in predicting depression among Chinese children and adolescents

BACKGROUND

Existing research has identified violence exposure as a risk factor for depression among children and adolescents. To date, however, we know little about whether these associations are influenced by the forms (witnessing and victimization) of violence exposure across different contexts (family, school, and community).

OBJECTIVE

The present study thus aimed to compare the effects of two forms of violence exposure across and within three contexts. Sex and age differences were also tested in the above associations.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Participants (N = 906, 52.4 % boys, T1: M_age = 11.03) were children and adolescents recruited from elementary and junior schools in Zhejiang Province, China.

METHODS

All participants were asked to complete questionnaires about their experiences of various types of violence exposure and depression at two time points with a 12-month interval. SPSS and Mplus were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Considering the comparison within contexts, witnessing family violence was a more influential predictor than family violence victimization while school violence was the opposite. As for the comparison across contexts, no significant differences were found in the effects of different violence victimization, while the effect of witnessing family violence and community violence were more influential than witnessing school violence. No significant sex differences in the above associations were found. However, community violence victimization was more negatively related to depression among adolescents compared with children.

CONCLUSIONS

The associations between violence exposure and depression are influenced by the forms and contexts of violence as well as age groups.

Exposure to domestic violence and depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents: Sleep problems as a mediator

INTRODUCTION

Exposure to domestic violence has been shown to be an important risk factor of depression in western studies, but has received less attention in Chinese context. Additionally, the underlying mechanism of its link with depression has not been fully studied. With a longitudinal design, we examined the mediating role of sleep problems between exposure to domestic violence and depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents, and further considered potential age and gender differences in the direct and indirect pathways.

METHODS

Participants were recruited from primary and junior high schools in China and were surveyed across two waves with a 6-month interval. There were 1949 participants at Wave 1 and 1283 at Wave 2. Structural equation model was conducted to examine the mediating role of sleep problems in the association between exposure to domestic violence and depressive symptoms. Multigroup analyses were applied to test potential age and gender differences in the process.

RESULTS

Participants' exposure to domestic violence predicted increasing sleep problems, which further predicted more depressive symptoms. Age and gender moderated the indirect pathway from exposure to domestic violence to depressive symptoms through sleep problems, such that the mediating effects of sleep problems were significantly stronger in early-age adolescents and girls than middle-age ones and boys.

IMPLICATION

Parents should avoid the use of corporal punishment and protect their children from domestic violence. For adolescents who have underwent domestic violence, parents and clinicians might consider to decrease their depressive symptoms by ameliorating sleep problems, especially for the early-age adolescents and girls.

School assets and bullying in Chinese youth: A multiple mediation model of intentional self-regulation and internet gaming disorder

Bullying is a severe social problem affecting young people all over the world. Previous studies suggested that engagement in bullying had massive effects on teenagers' physical and psychological development. It is critical and necessary to investigate the antecedents and underlying mechanisms of this phenomenon among young generations. The present study, based on the positive youth development perspective and the developmental assets theory, attempts to explore the positive factors in the school subsystem that could effectively prevent adolescents from bullying, as well as the multiple mediation effects of intentional self-regulation (ISR) and internet gaming disorder (IGD). In this study, we adopted a two-wave design and recruited a sample of 768 Chinese adolescents using a randomized cluster sampling method in the post-pandemic era. The results revealed that T1 school assets significantly and negatively predicted T2 adolescent bullying. Furthermore, T2 ISR and T2 IGD mediated the association between T1 school assets and T2 bullying separately and sequentially. Overall, school resources play a protective role in adolescent development and could effectively prevent them from negative outcomes. These current findings contribute to the literature by providing a further understanding of the direct and indirect protective effects of school assets on adolescent bullying. Moreover, practitioners could also benefit from these findings in preventing and intervening in bullying in the school subsystem.