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PubMed2006

New insights into neuropeptide modulation of aggression: field studies of arginine vasotocin in a territorial tropical damselfish.

The neuropeptides arginine vasotocin (AVT) and arginine vasopressin are key modulators of affiliation and aggression among non-mammalian and mammalian vertebrates, respectively. Here, we explored AVT's effect on aggression in a wild population of beaugregory damselfish, Stegastes leucostictus, a highly territorial species. Aggression by territorial males towards 'intruders' (bottled fishes) was assessed before and after each male received intramuscular injections of either AVT, Manning compound (an AVT V1a receptor antagonist), isotocin (the teleost homologue of mammalian oxytocin differing from AVT by two amino acids) or saline (vehicle control). Compared to saline controls, AVT and Manning increased and decreased aggression, respectively, while isotocin had no effect. Response selectivity was further established in a dose-response study that revealed an inverted U-shaped function. Compared to saline controls, aggression levels for low and high AVT doses were similar, while medium dose treatments were significantly greater. This type of behavioural response, the first that we know of for a vertebrate neuropeptide, could depend on the binding of AVT to both V1-type and other AVT or non-AVT receptors. The pattern revealed here for damselfish may be symptomatic of species- and context-dependent specificity of AVT's modulation of aggression across teleosts, as is currently proposed for tetrapods.

Aggression↗

PubMed2005

Adolescent aggression and differentiation of self: guided mindfulness meditation in the service of individuation.

This paper presents adolescent aggression as mediated by the level of differentiation of self. No research has directly addressed Bowen's notion that level of differentiation impacts child functioning including aggression. Level of differentiation is discussed in conjunction with social, gender and cultural norms as manifested in aggressive behavior. Female adolescent aggression is described as mainly relationship focused and expressed via verbal threats, intimidation and manipulation, while male aggression is described mainly as overt physical violence involving dominance and competitiveness. Research on differentiation focuses mainly on Western cultures that tend to be individualistic. Jewish-Israeli society is in transition from collectivistic to individualistic cultural values in the midst of ongoing hostilities. These processes create conflict regarding togetherness and individuality needs among adolescents, who are exposed to contradictory messages regarding separating and staying close. External as well as internal expressions of aggression (depression, suicide) are presented as coping strategies in the service of a wounded self-negotiating with the world. Guided mindfulness meditation is a powerful technique for facilitating healing and growth toward autonomy by helping adolescents connect to their inner voice. This technique may be especially useful in the adolescent search for self-awareness, meaning and life purpose. Bodily, cognitive and emotional experiences are treated as informative regarding the 'self' and facilitate expansion of self-perception and individuality.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Relationally and physically aggressive children's intent attributions and feelings of distress for relational and instrumental peer provocations.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that physically aggressive children exhibit hostile attributional biases in response to instrumental peer provocations, a social information-processing pattern that has been recognized as a contributor to peer-directed aggression. The present studies (N = 127 and N = 535) were designed to extend past research by evaluating the intent attributions and feelings of emotional distress of relationally and physically aggressive children in response to instrumental and relational provocation contexts. Results indicated that physically aggressive children exhibited hostile attributional biases and reported relatively greater distress for instrumental provocation situations, whereas relationally aggressive children exhibited hostile attributional biases and reported relatively greater distress for relational provocation contexts. Implications of these findings for the understanding of factors that may contribute to relational as well as physical aggression are discussed.

Aggression↗

PubMedDate not supplied

United States and Indonesian children's and adolescents' reports of relational aggression by disliked peers.

Descriptions of disliked peers provided by U.S. (N = 104) and Indonesian (N = 120) 11- and 14-year-old children were coded for references to physical, verbaL and three types of relational aggression (i.e., relationship manipulation, social ostracism, and malicious rumors). Physical aggression was mentioned more frequently by boys, adolescents, and Indonesians, whereas no significant differences emerged for verbal aggression. Girls in both countries described peers as engaging in the three types of relational aggression more frequently than did boys. Findings that relational aggression was spontaneously mentioned suggests that this is a salient feature of children's lives and its emergence is not attributable to the use of questionnaires and imposed category systems. The widespread existence of this gender difference is suggested by its prominence in two cultures that differ in individualism and collectivism, gender roles, and attitudes toward aggression.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Teacher-student relationships as compensatory resources for aggressive children.

This 2-year prospective investigation examined the association between the quality of teacher-student relationships and children's levels of aggression in a sample of 140 second- and third-grade aggressive children (M age = 8.18). Consistent with the proposed dual-risk compensatory hypothesis, positive teacher-student relationships were more beneficial for aggressive African American and Hispanic children than for aggressive Caucasian children. Data did not support a moderating effect of negative parent-child relationship quality on the association between supportive teacher-student relationships and aggression. Findings underscore the importance of recruiting and preparing teachers capable of establishing supportive relationships with aggressive African American and Hispanic children. Results also suggest the need for multiple reporters of relationship quality in future research.

Aggression↗

PubMed2005

Causes and management of patient aggression and violence: staff and patient perspectives.

AIM: This paper reports a study of staff and patient perspectives on the causes of patient aggression and the way it is managed. BACKGROUND: The incidence of aggression in healthcare is reportedly on the increase, and concerns about the management of this problem are growing. METHOD: A convenience sample of 80 patients and 82 nurses from three inpatient mental healthcare wards were surveyed using The Management of Aggression and Violence Attitude Scale. A further five patients and five nurses from the same sample participated in a number of follow-up interviews. RESULTS: Patients perceived environmental conditions and poor communication to be a significant precursor of aggressive behaviour. Nurses, in comparison, viewed the patients' mental illnesses to be the main reason for aggression, although the negative impact of the inpatient environment was recognized. From interview responses, it was evident that both sets of respondents were dissatisfied with a restrictive and under-resourced provision that leads to interpersonal tensions. CONCLUSION: There are differences between the views of staff and patients about reasons for aggression and its management. Future approaches therefore need to be developed that address these opposing views. For example, training in the use of fundamental therapeutic communication skills was advocated by patients, whilst the need for greater attention to organizational deficits was advocated by nurses. A move away from reliance on the use of medication was also felt to be necessary. Evaluation of local needs and practices must be an integral part of this process.

Aggression↗

PubMed1994

A survey of aggressive behaviour among a population of persons with intellectual disability in Queensland.

A survey was conducted on aggressive behaviour within a population of 2412 persons with intellectual disability in Queensland, Australia. Two hundred and sixty-one individuals were identified who engaged in at least one form of aggressive behaviour, yielding an overall prevalence of 11%. The relative prevalence of aggressive behaviour was higher among institutionalized persons (35%) when compared to those living in group homes (17%) or other community-based facilities (3%). The aggressive behaviour sample included a higher percentage of males (64%). Most were described as functioning in the severe/profound (54%) or moderate (31%) range of intellectual disability with one-third having no intelligible speech. Two-thirds of the sample received medication for their challenging behaviour, while only one-third had behavioural programmes. Eighty per cent engaged in three or more forms of aggression. Many also displayed self-injury (34%) or property destruction (30%). Surveys of aggressive behaviour may prove useful for coordinating services.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

The perception of aggression by nurses: psychometric scale testing and derivation of a short instrument.

Patient aggression is a serious problem in psychiatric nursing. Nurses' attitudes towards aggression have been identified as mediating the choice of nursing interventions. To date, investigations are lacking which elucidate the stability of one of the few scales for measuring the attitude of aggression. This study aimed to investigate the test-retest stability of the Perception of Aggression Scale and to derive a shortened version. In order to test the reliability of the Perception of Aggression Scale items, three groups of psychiatric nurses were requested to fill in the Perception of Aggression Scale twice (30 student nurses after 4 days, 32 qualified nurses after 14 days and 36 qualified nurses after 70 days). We derived the shortened version from an independent data set obtained from 729 psychiatry nurses using principal component analysis, aiming to maximize parsimony and Cronbach's alpha. Amongst competing short versions, we selected those with the highest reliability at 70 or 14 day retest. A scale using 12 of the original 32 items was derived yielding alphas of r = 0.69 and r = 0.67 for the two POAS factors with retest reliabilities of r = 0.76 and r = 0.77. The shortened scale offers a practical and viable alternative to the longer version.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

The effect of a training course on mental health nurses' attitudes on the reasons of patient aggression and its management.

Aggression in healthcare systems poses a major problem for nurses because they are the most susceptible to suffer violence. Studies demonstrate that attitudes of nurses influence their behaviour regarding aggression and violence. Training programmes can positively change nurses' attitudes. This quasi-experimental study aimed to examine the effects of a systematic training course in aggression management on mental health nurses' attitudes about the reasons for patients' aggression and on its management. Sixty-three nurses (29 in the intervention and 34 in the control group) participated in this quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test study. The attitude of the participants of a training course was recorded by the German version of the Management of Aggression and Violence Attitude Scale (MAVAS). No significant attitude changes occurred in the intervention group at post-test. It is concluded that trainings intending to influence attitudes regarding the reason for patient aggression should consider the impact of the pedagogical quality of the training course, organizational support, and the user's perception. Moreover, it remains questionable to what extent a single instrument of measurement can record attitude changes.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Interspecific aggression and character displacement in the damselfly Calopteryx splendens.

Problems in species recognition are thought to affect the evolution of secondary sexual characters mainly through avoidance of maladaptive hybridization. Another, but much less studied avenue for the evolution of sexual characters due to species recognition problems is through interspecific aggression. In the damselfly, Calopteryx splendens, males have pigmented wing spots as a sexual character. Large-spotted males resemble males of another species, Calopteryx virgo, causing potential problems in species recognition. In this study, we investigate whether there is character displacement in wing spot size and whether interspecific aggression could cause this pattern. We found first that wing spot size of C. splendens in populations decreased with increasing relative abundance of C. virgo. Secondly, C. virgo males were more aggressive towards large- than small-spotted C. splendens males. Thirdly, in interspecific contests C. virgo males had better territory holding ability than C. splendens males. These results suggest that interspecific aggression may have caused character displacement in wing spot size of C. splendens, because the intensity of aggression towards large-spotted males is likely to increase with relative abundance of C. virgo males. Thus, interspecific aggression may be an evolutionarily significant force that is able to cause divergence in secondary sexual characters.

Aggression↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of cyproterone acetate on motor activity, aggression, "emotionality", body weight and testes in wild mice.

The literature reports on antiandrogenic and antigonadotropic effects of cyproterone acetate (CA) and on its inhibitory influence on the structure and function of the testis and reduction of the sexual drive in man and animals. No one has as yet been able to confirm a reduction of aggression which could be expected under CA. Isolated male wild mice received daily doses of 0.5 mg (17 mg/kg) CA subcutaneously over 32 days and were studied daily for aggressive behavior, motor activity and emotionality during the last 11 days. Aggression was reduced significantly by CA in the form of an increased latent time and continued to decrease during the test period with a reduction of fighting time and the correlated coarse motor activity. A latent period of approximately 4 weeks was determined for the aggression-inhibiting effect of CA. The detection rate was not changed under CA. It is doubted whether it is an adequate parameter of "emotionality". The overall motor activity was not reduced, so that an aggression-specific effect is assumed rather than a general reduction of drive. The body and testicular weight was reduced, the testicular tissue atrophies. Central points of attack of CA probably play a major role in the reduction of aggression.

Aggression↗

PubMed1979

Interpersonal aggression as a function of subject's sex, subject's sex role identification, opponent's sex, and degree of provocation.

Ninety-five undergraduates served as subjects in an experiment where they could administer electric shock to an opponent and receive the same from an opponent. The independent variables were subject's sex, subject's sex role identification (as measured by the Bem Sex Role Inventory), opponent's sex, as well as degree of provocation from the opponent. Aggression was defined as level of shock chosen by the subject for the opponent. The results indicated that masculine subjects facing a male opponent were more aggressive than individuals of other sex role identifications whether or not they were provoked. It was also found that masculine males were more aggressive than other males or anyof the females. Furthermore, opponent's sex influenced the males' aggressiveness but had no effect on the degree of aggression in females. Finally, aggression increased in all subjects following increases in provocation. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for pyschological androgyny.

Aggression↗

PubMed2005

Aggression and self-esteem: a diary study of children's reactivity to negative interpersonal events.

The study employs a daily diary design to assess self-esteem reactivity and its association with children's aggressive behavior. We test the hypothesis that the self-esteem of aggressive children will be more reactive to negative interpersonal events than the self-esteem of nonaggressive children. Results provide partial support for the aggression/reactivity hypothesis. Aggressive children's self-esteem was more reactive to negative peer events but less reactive to negative adult events than the self-esteem of less aggressive children. These findings are discussed in relation to the experimental literature relating self-esteem instability and ego-threat to aggression and in relation to the extensive body of research on childhood aggression. Intervention implications are also considered.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Preadolescent peer status, aggression, and school adjustment as predictors of externalizing problems in adolescence.

The comparative effectiveness of preadolescent aggressive behavior, peer rejection, and school functioning were evaluated in the prediction of adolescent delinquency and school maladjustment. Fifth-grade children (n = 112, 69% white, 53% male, M = 11 years old) were followed forward for 7 years until the end of high school. Rejected children were more likely to have a nonspecific negative outcome and more types of negative outcomes than average, popular, or neglected children, particularly among the white students. However, in regression models containing sex, race, aggression, frequent school absences, low grades, and rejection, the only significant predictor of juvenile delinquency or of a nonspecific negative outcome was aggression toward peers. Both aggression and frequent school absences were significant predictors of early school withdrawal. Analyses for the white children in the sample revealed that both rejection and aggression best predicted to the nonspecific negative outcome, whereas aggression alone best predicted to school dropout and to having one or more police contacts. Implications for future longitudinal outcome research and for risk-group identification in racially heterogeneous samples are discussed.

Absenteeism↗

PubMedDate not supplied

From censure to reinforcement: developmental changes in the association between aggression and social status.

Developmental changes were examined in the associations among physical and relational aggression, and sociometric and perceived popularity based on peer nominations. Participating in the longitudinal study were 905 children (440 girls, 465 boys) from ages 10 to 14. Associations between the forms of status and between the forms of aggression decreased over time. Relational aggression increasingly predicted high social prominence but low social preference; physical aggression was increasingly less disliked but decreasingly predictive of prominence. The effect of relational aggression on perceived popularity was strong for girls. Perceived popularity preceded physical and relational aggression for both genders. Implications for the attainment of high status, processes of peer influence on antisocial behavior, and gender differences in the meaning of status are discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Young children's beliefs about the relationship between gender and aggressive behavior.

Young children's beliefs about the relationship between gender and aggression were examined across 3 studies (N=121). In Study 1, preschoolers (ages 3 to 5) described relational aggression as the most common form of aggression among girls and physical aggression as the most common form among boys. In Study 2, preschoolers and a comparison group of 7- to 8-year-olds were likely to infer that relationally aggressive characters are female and physically aggressive characters are male. Study 3 revealed that preschoolers show systematic memory distortions when recalling stories that conflict with these gender schemas. These findings suggest that even before children reach school age, they have organized patterns of beliefs about gender that affect the way they process social information.

Aggression↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Examining genetic and environmental effects on social aggression: a study of 6-year-old twins.

Using a genetic design of 234 six-year-old twins, this study examined (a) the contribution of genes and environment to social versus physical aggression, and (b) whether the correlation between social and physical aggression can be explained by similar genetic or environmental factors or by a directional link between the phenotypes. For social aggression, substantial (shared and unique) environmental effects but only weak genetic effects were found. For physical aggression, significant effects of genes and unique environment were found. Bivariate modeling suggests that social and physical aggression share most of their underlying genes but only very few overlapping environmental factors. The correlation between the two phenotypes can also be explained by a directional effect from physical to social aggression.

Aggression↗

PubMed2004

Early childcare and physical aggression: differentiating social selection and social causation.

BACKGROUND: Some research findings have suggested that group day-care may be associated with an increased risk for physical aggression. METHODS: Cross-sectional maternal questionnaire data from a representative sample of 3431 Canadian 2- to 3-year-olds were used to compare rates of physical aggression shown by children looked after by their own mothers and those attending group day-care. A family risk index (using occupational level, maternal education, size of sibship, and family functioning) was created to test whether any difference in physical aggression might reflect social selection rather than social causation. RESULTS: Aggression was significantly more common in children looked after by their own mothers than in those attending group day-care. Strong social selection associated with family risk was found, not only in the sample as a whole, but even within the high-risk subsample. However, after taking social selection into account, physical aggression was significantly more common in children from high-risk families looked after by their own parents. No such difference was evident in the majority (84%) of children from low-risk families. CONCLUSION: Insofar as there are any risks for physical aggression associated with homecare they apply only to high-risk families.

Age Factors↗