Relationships Between
Adolescent Aggression and
Functioning in Peer Settings
F. Christy McFarland
Penny Marsh
Maryfrances Porter
Joseph P. Allen
Aggression in Adolescence



General trend reported in longitudinal research is that
group means for aggression tend to be quite stable or
slowly decreasing during adolescence (Bongers et al., 2004)
Gender differences have also been previously reported –
with girls showing an overall stable level and the level for
boys decreasing during this time span (Bongers et al., 2004)
If the group trend is stability or decreasing aggression,
are groups or individuals who demonstrate increasing
aggression across this period at risk for other negative
outcomes?
Aggression and Social Functioning

In childhood research, aggression is often related to peer
rejection with aggressive-rejected children tending to
show the most negative outcomes

Is aggression related to rejection or acceptance in a
broad peer group in adolescence as well?

Is aggression related to the quality of close friendships in
adolescence?
Sample






182 Adolescents, their Best Friends, and Close Friends
Group of target adolescents is 54% Female
Assessed Annually, beginning at approximately Age 13
Community-based Sample from a small urban area.
Recruited through the local public school system – all
target adolescents attend the same school at the time of
first assessment
Highly Socio-economically Diverse (Median Family
Income between $40,000 and $60,000)
31% - African American; 69% European American
Measures



Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)
 Only using the aggression subscale (for example – is
mean to others, gets in many fights, threatens people,
demands attention.)
Friendship Quality Questionnaire (FQQ)
 Using the conflict and betrayal scales and a total
support scale (all positive ratings of the friendship).
Peer Autonomy and Relatedness Task (Mars Task)
 teens and Best friends have an up to 8 minutes
discussion about choices from a vignette (Allen, Porter &
McFarland 2002).
Measures

Self report Peer pressure questions in a Harter format –
completed by both target adolescents and best friends

Sociometrics – ratings completed by target adolescents
and friends. 420 teens completed ratings of students in
their grade. At time 1, approximately 34% of the school
was sampled.
Basic Latent Growth Curve Model
Used
Slope
Intercept
Outcome
Variable
Adolescent
Aggression
Adolescent
Aggression
Adolescent
Aggression
Adolescent
Aggression
Grade 7
Grade 8
Grade 9
Grade 10
Estimated Sample Means
3.5
Mean of Peer Rated Aggression
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
7
8
9
Grade
10
Aggression and Social Functioning
Outcome
Intercept Slope ->
->
Outcome
Outcome
Peer Acceptance at
Grade 10
-0.43**
Peer Feels
Pressured by
Friends
0.51**
Conflict and Betrayal
with Best Friend (BF
0.33**
3.5
Mean of Peer Rated Aggression
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
report)
0.5
0
7
8
9
Grade
10
Conflict and Betrayal
with Best Friend (Teen
0.44**
report)
Total Support with
Best Friend (BF report)
-.41**
0.29**
Summary of Latent Growth Curve
Results






Teens who have a higher overall level of aggression report
higher levels of conflict in their close friendships
Teens who have a higher overall level of aggression have more
conflict in their close friendships (as reported by the BF).
Teens with increasing levels of aggression from 7th to 10th
grade also have Best Friends who rate their friendship as
having higher levels of conflict and betrayal.
Teens who have a higher overall level of aggression have
lowers levels of support in their close friendships (as reported
by BF).
Teens with higher levels of overall aggression have best friends
that report feeling more pressured by friends.
Teens with higher levels of overall aggression are less
accepted by the broad peer group.
Gender Differences
Gender Differences in Aggression
3.75
4
3.5
Mean of Peer Rated Aggression
3.25
3
2.5
2.75
2
1.5
2.25
1
0.5
1.75
0
7
8
9
Grade
10
Boys
Girls
Gender differences in these models
Outcome
Variable
Conflict in
relationship
(teen report)
Conflict in
relationship
(BF report)
Model 1:Girls
Model 1: Boys
Model 2: Girls
Model 2: Boys
Intercept
Slope
Intercept
Slope
Intercept
Slope
Intercept
Slope
-0.05
0.38
0.74**
0.47+
0.37
0.01
0.59*
0.38
Summary of results

Higher overall levels of adolescent aggression across
grades 7 to 10 is related to the following:
 Close friends of the adolescent reporting feeling more
pressured by their friends
 Higher levels of conflict in relationships with best
friends (as reported by both the best friend and the
target adolescent)
 This result only holds for boys when girls and boys
are considered separately.
 Lower levels of support in their relationship with their
best friend (as reported by the best friend).
 Adolescents being less popular in grade 10
Summary of results

Increasing levels of adolescent aggression across
grades 7 to 10 is related to the following:
 Poorer
quality friendship with Best Friend as rated by
the Best Friend
Latent Class Analyses (LCA)

CBCL items – best friend ratings of impulsivity and
aggression subscale items for 8th- 10th grade
 3 levels of symptoms:
impulsivity
 examples: can’t sit still, restless or hyperactive
mild aggression
 examples: frequent mood swings, temper
tantrums, is mean to others
moderate aggression
 cruel to animals, thinks others are out to get
him/her, gets in many fights
Latent Class Analyses
 For each symptom level, an overall score reflecting the
complete absence of any of the symptoms versus the
presence of any one of the symptoms was created
0 = no symptoms in that level endorsed by best friend,
1 = at least 1 symptom in that level endorsed by best
friend

Separate LCA’s were performed at each grade including
a regression of the latent class variable on gender.

Latent Class membership at each age was not
significantly related to family income.
LCA – Gender Differences


Only in 8th grade is there a
significant association between
class and gender (c2=5.66, df=1,
p<.02)
In 8th grade, girls are more likely
than expected to be in the
Moderate Problem Class
Grade 9 (total n=157)
Grade 8 (total n=170)
Low Problem
Class (n=66)
39 boys
27 girls
Moderate
42 boys
Problem Class 62 girls
(n=104)
Grade 10 (total n=139)
Low Problem
Class (n=66)
35 boys
31 girls
Low Problem
Class (n=74)
36 boys
38 girls
Moderate
Problem
Class (n=91)
42 boys
49 girls
Moderate
31 boys
Problem Class 34 girls
(n=65)
LCA – Class composition
Grade
Latent
Class
Impulsivity
Mild
Aggression
Moderate
Aggression
8
Low
Problem
52%
0%
0%
Moderate
Problem
83%
97%
29%
Low
Problem
45%
0%
0%
Moderate
Problem
81%
100%
32%
Low
Problem
24%
26%
1%
Moderate
Problem
98%
100%
48%
9
10
Gender Differences in Class
Composition

The only significant gender difference in class
composition is in the levels of impulsivity between girls
and boys in 8th grade in the Moderate Problem Class.
 76%
of girls in this class were rated as impulsive
 93%
of boys in this class were rated as impulsive
1.2
1.0
.8
.6
.4
.2
0.0
0.0
10th grade probability of Moderate Problem Class
Latent Classes Over Time
1.2
1.0
.8
.6
.4
.2
.2
.4
.6
.8
8th grade probability of Moderate Problem Class
r 8,9=.23**
1.0
1.2
0.0
0.0
.1
.2
.3
.4
.5
.6
.7
.8
.9
9th grade probability of Moderate Problem Class
r
9,10
= .26**
1.0
1.1
1.2
Aggression Latent Classes and
Social Functioning

Aggression and Peer Acceptance
b
r2
Grade 8 Latent Class
-0.14+
0.02
Grade 10 Peer
Acceptance
Grade 9 Latent Class
-0.19*
0.04
Grade 10 Peer
Acceptance
Grade 10 Latent Class
-0.21*
0.04
Grade 11 Peer
Acceptance (n=57)
Grade 10 Latent Class
-0.25+
0.06
Grade 10 Peer
Acceptance
Grade 8 Latent Class
-0.20*
0.04
Outcome
Independent Variable
Grade 9 Peer Acceptance
Aggression Latent Classes and
Friendship

Aggression and Friendship Quality
Outcome
Independent Variable
b
r2
Overall Level of
Quality of Friendship
with Best Friend in
Grade 10
Grade 10 Latent Class
-0.17*
0.03
Teen Conflict
Resolution Skills
Grade 10 (BF report)
Grade 10 Latent Class
-0.17*
0.03
Aggression Latent Classes and
Friendship

Measures of Poor Friendship Quality with Best Friend
b
r2
Outcome
Independent Variable
Grade 8 Conflict in
Relationship with BF (BF report)
Grade 8 Latent Class
0.39****
0.15
Grade 9 Conflict in
Relationship with BF (BF report)
Grade 8 Latent Class
0.18*
0.03
Grade 9 Conflict in
Relationship with BF (BF report)
Grade 9 Latent Class
0.34****
0.12
Grade 10 Conflict in
Relationship with BF (BF report)
Grade 10 Latent Class
0.39****
0.16
Aggression Latent Classes and
Friendship

Teen Promoting Autonomy in Interactions with Best Friend
Outcome
Independent Variable
Grade 8
Promoting
Autonomy with
Best Friend
Grade 8 Latent Class
b
-0.17*
r2
0.03
Conclusions

While the overall group levels of aggression are
relatively stable, boys and girls showed different group
trends from 7th to 10th grade.

Girls were more likely to be found in a Moderate Problem
Class in 8th grade (when considering impulsive and
aggressive symptoms). There is no association between
problem class and gender in grades 9 and 10.

From Grade 8 to Grade 10, the Low Problem Class
showed decreasing levels of Impulsivity and increasing
levels of Mild and Moderate Aggression.
Conclusions


From Grade 8 to Grade 10, the moderate Problem Class
showed increasing levels of Moderate Aggression and
relatively constant levels of Impulsivity and Mild
Aggression.
Aggression is related to several indices of social
functioning in adolescence:
 Teens who are more aggressive tend to be less
socially accepted and have poorer quality friendships.
 Teens aggression during one grade also appears to
influence their social acceptance during the following
school years.
Acknowledgments





Jill Antonishak
Jessica Meyer
Katie Little
Nell Manning
Wrenn Thompson
Jennifer Haynes
Mindy Schmidt
Elizabeth Ball
Amanda Hare

Thanks to Dr. Jack McArdle for his assistance with data
analysis.

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