Graduate Program
College Student Affairs
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Semester of Degree Completion
2011
Thesis Director
Wesley Allan
Thesis Committee Member
Anu Sharma
Thesis Committee Member
Margaret Floress
Thesis Committee Member
Amy Brausch
Abstract
Youth overt (OA) and relational (RA) aggression are linked to future maladjustment and problems such as delinquency, poor academic achievement, and depression (Crick, Ostrov, & Werner, 2006). Although these two types of aggression overlap, overt and relational aggression have been consistently identified as distinct forms of aggression. Researchers explored the overlap between overt and relational aggression and review differential predictors of these aggressive behaviors in a sample of clinically- referred youth ages 8 to 1 7. Youth and parent beliefs about overt and relational aggression, psychopathology, conduct problems, and parenting styles as differential predictors for overt and relational aggression were examined in this study. Conduct problems were found to be the best predictor for youth overt and relational aggression. Parent reports of youngsters OA and RA were correlated positively. However, child reports of OA and RA were not correlated. Parent reports of child conduct problems and their overreactive parenting styles were also correlated positively with youth OA. Child beliefs about the legitimacy of RA were correlated positively with child beliefs about the legitimacy of OA. Similarly, youth beliefs about RA correlated positively to self-reports of RA. In contrast, youth beliefs about OA were not correlated to self-reports of OA. Parent beliefs about the legitimacy of OA and RA were not correlated to youth OA and RA. Youth generalized anxiety symptoms correlated positively to child reports of beliefs about the legitimacy of OA and RA. Youth depressive symptoms were also correlated positively with child beliefs about RA. Potential explanations for these findings as well as suggestions for future research are discussed with regard these outcomes.
Recommended Citation
Hadley, Andrea, "Differential predictors of overt and relational aggression in outpatient youth" (2011). Masters Theses. 883.
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/883
