Attitudes about aggression and perpetration of Adolescent Dating Aggression: A cross-lagged panel model

Abstract

Introduction: Several cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have found associations between attitudes about aggression and aggressive behaviors. However, few studies examine all subtypes of Adolescent Dating Aggression (ADA)-physical, psychological/emotional, sexual, and stalking; occurring in person or electronically-and there is a paucity of longitudinal studies that follow adolescents over several years.

Methods: Middle school and high school students (N = 1240), in the Midwestern United States, participated in surveys one time per year for four years. Data from each year (Y1, Y2, Y3, & Y4) was used to conduct a cross-lagged panel analysis of attitudes about aggression and aggressive behaviors, among both cohorts.

Results: By Y4, approximately 46% of the middle school cohort and 60% of the high school cohort perpetrated some form of ADA. The cross-lagged panel analysis revealed significant cross-sectional associations in the middle school (Y1, Y2, & Y4) and high school (Y1 & Y2) cohorts. Aggressive behaviors were significantly associated with future aggressive behaviors for the middle and high school cohorts each year. Similarly, attitudes about aggression were significantly associated with attitudes in the following years for both cohorts. Among the middle school cohort, there were significant cross-lagged effects between aggressive behaviors in Y2 and attitudes about aggression in Y3, as well as aggressive behaviors in Y3 and attitudes about aggression in Y4. Among the high school cohort, a bidirectional association was found from Y2 to Y3.

Conclusions: These findings suggest prevention programs should be implemented earlier, among middle school aged adolescents, and target factors beyond attitudes supporting aggression.

Keywords: Adolescence; Adolescent dating aggression; Attitudes about aggression; Longitudinal.