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Fear reactivity and effortful control in overt and relational bullying: a six‐month longitudinal study
Author(s) -
Terranova Andrew M.,
Morris Amanda Sheffield,
Boxer Paul
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
aggressive behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.223
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1098-2337
pISSN - 0096-140X
DOI - 10.1002/ab.20232
Subject(s) - aggression , reactivity (psychology) , psychology , developmental psychology , human factors and ergonomics , longitudinal study , poison control , injury prevention , clinical psychology , suicide prevention , intervention (counseling) , occupational safety and health , psychiatry , medicine , medical emergency , alternative medicine , pathology
Abstract This study examined the roles of fear reactivity and emotional regulatory abilities in overt and relational bullying behaviors. Survey data were collected from 124 middle school students (mean age=10.3 years, 47% males, 61% Caucasian) and their teachers in the fall and spring of a school year. Surveys included teacher‐ and self‐rated measures of students' overt and relational bullying along with self‐reported fear reactivity and effortful control. Findings show that low levels of fear reactivity and effortful control predict higher future levels of overt bullying, but not relational bullying. These results suggest that despite high correlations between overt and relational bullying, these two forms of aggression develop through different processes. The findings from this investigation are discussed with respect to their implications for theory on the development of aggression as well as prevention and intervention programming for youth aggression. Aggr. Behav. 34:104–115, 2008. ©2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.