Aggressive Behavior in School-aged Children: Clusters based on Anger, Empathy and Testosterone and Cortisol Measures

Salivary markers of aggression - The possible alterations in salivary hormones levels to identify perpetrators of aggression-related violence

Aggression, understood as intentional actions aimed at causing harm, remains in a direct relation with the phenomenon of interpersonal violence, especially its physical form. Creating an objective marker of aggression would be an important tool for preventing, protecting the victims and maintaining control over suspects. There have been attempts to link aggression with shifts in hormone levels, including those that can be measured in saliva, especially testosterone and cortisol. The systematic review aimed to assess changes in salivary hormone levels among perpetrators of violence, with particular emphasis on physical violence, as parameters pointing to perpetrators of violence. Following the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 22 studies were included. Most of the papers included in the analysis came from the USA and Europe. Studies typically included adults as well as children, while focusing mainly on men. Among the hormones, salivary testosterone levels were the ones analyzed most frequently. On the basis of the included studies, a meta-analysis was conducted on the relationship between aggressive behavior and the levels of concentration of testosterone and cortisol measured in saliva. Regardless of gender, individuals exhibiting aggressive behavior were proved to have significantly higher testosterone levels and lower cortisol concentrations in saliva measurements. The obtained results indicate the feasibility of using the examined parameters for initial detection of perpetrators of aggression-related violence. However, further research is necessary to more precisely determine the relationship between aggressive behavior and hormonal changes in order to determine the feasibility of using these parameters as an objective marker for early identification of perpetrators.

Chilean Version of the Empathy Quotient (EQ) Scale: Adaptation and Psychometric Properties

We evaluated the psychometric properties of the empathy quotient (EQ) scale translated to Spanish in Chile. We estimated its structural validity, and its construct validity with other convergent measures of empathy and attachment, as well an inversely associated construct such as aggression. We used a general sample of students and community individuals (n = 336). Participants completed the EQ, Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), and Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ). Another exclusively community group (n = 102) completed Collins Adult Attachment scale and the EQ. CFA and ESEM analyses confirmed the structural model fit of the data to three previously reported dimensions of the EQ: cognitive empathy (CE), emotional reactivity (ER) and social skills (SS). Sex-differences in emotional reactivity, and the predicted relationships with the convergent measures were observed. The current Chilean version of the EQ resulted in an appropriate multidimensional measurement of empathy. Finally, providing a specific social skills dimension extends the traditional conception of cognitive and affective empathy to the social realm in the Chilean context.