Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
J Youth Adolesc. 2013 Feb;42(2):190-205. doi: 10.1007/s10964-012-9875-3. Epub 2012 Nov 30.
Previous research suggests that the prevalence of aggression is high among low-income urban youth who have to cope with a number of psychological stressors. Less is known about the early development and consequences of aggression and peer victimization prior to adolescence in these contexts. This study examined the correlates, interplay, and consequences of aggression and victimization among children in a low-income urban context. Data were collected in the spring of grades 1, 2, and 3. The final sample included 333 children (59.5 % girls, M = 6.46 years). Each year, children completed sociometric and peer assessments in their classrooms. A cross-lagged panel model with extended effects showed that aggression was relatively stable over time, whereas victimization was less stable. Aggression and victimization became increasingly less correlated over time. Further, early victimization negatively predicted later aggression for boys, but positively for girls. Growth curve modeling showed that initial aggression and victimization were associated with initial behavioral and relational problems. Early aggression, but not victimization, predicted relative stable or increasing in behavioral and relational problems over time. The results underscore the importance of a developmental perspective on early childhood aggression and victimization in high-risk contexts, in order to understand their implications for adjustment in adolescence.
先前的研究表明，在应对许多心理压力源的情况下，低收入城市青年中存在较高的攻击性。关于在这些背景下青春期前攻击性和同伴侵害的早期发展和后果，人们知之甚少。本研究考察了低收入城市环境中儿童的攻击性和受害性的相关性、相互作用和后果。数据于 1 年级、2 年级和 3 年级春季采集。最终样本包括 333 名儿童（59.5%为女孩，M=6.46 岁）。每年，儿童都要在教室里完成社会计量学和同伴评估。具有扩展效应的交叉滞后面板模型显示，攻击性随时间相对稳定，而受害性则不太稳定。攻击性和受害性随时间的推移相关性逐渐降低。此外，早期受害性对男孩的后期攻击性有负面影响，但对女孩则有积极影响。增长曲线模型表明，初始的攻击性和受害性与初始的行为和关系问题有关。早期的攻击性而不是受害性，预示着随着时间的推移，行为和关系问题会相对稳定或增加。研究结果强调了在高风险环境中从发展角度看待儿童早期攻击性和受害性的重要性，以便了解它们对青春期适应的影响。
