Patterns of Physical and Relational Aggression
in a School-Based Sample of Boys and Girls
Ann Marie Crapanzano
&
Paul J. Frick
&
Andrew M. Terranova
Published online: 15 December 2009
#
Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2009
Abstract The current study investigated the patterns of
aggressive behavior displayed in a sample of 282 students in
the 4th through 7th grades (M age=11.28; SD=1.82). Using
cluster analyses, two distinct patterns of physical aggression
emerged for both boys and girls with one aggressive cluster
showing mild levels of reactive aggression and one group
showing high levels of both reactive and proactive aggression.
Both aggressive clusters showed problems with anger
dysregulation, impulsivity, thrill and adventure seeking,
positive outcome expectancies for aggression, and higher
rates of bullying. However, the combined cluster was most
severe on all of these variables and only the combined
aggressive group differed from non-aggressive students on
their level of callous-unemotional traits. Similar patterns of
findings emerged for relational aggression but only for girls.
Keywords Relational
.
Proactive
.
Reactive
.
Aggression
.
Callous-unemotional traits
Aggression has long been viewed as an important construct to
study because, by definition, it involves behaviors that are
intended to hurt or harm others (Berkowitz 1993). One critical
issue that has been the focus of a great deal of recent research
is whether or not there are important distinctions between
different types of aggression. Specifically, research has
frequently distinguished between reactive and proactive
forms of aggression (Card & Little 2006). Reactive aggres-
sion is generally defined as aggression that is impulsive and
occurs as an angry response to a perceived provocation or
threat. In contrast, proactive aggression is generally defined
as more planned and premeditated aggressive acts that are for
instrumental gain or dominance over others.
In support of this distinction, separate dimensions have
consistently emerged in factor analyses across many different
types of samples and using various assessment formats (Little
et al. 2003; Poulin & Boivin 2000; Salmivalli & Nieminen
2002). In addition, research has consistently documented
differences in the emotional and cognitive correlates to the
two types of aggression. For example, reactive aggression has
been consistently linked to low frustration tolerance, poorly
regulated emotional responses to provocation, impulsivity,
and a tendency to misinterpret ambiguous behaviors as hostile
provocation (Atkins et al. 2001; Hubbard et al. 2001; Munoz
et al. 2008; Phillips & Lochman 2003). In contrast, proactive
aggression has been associated with the tendency to have
more positive views of aggression as an effective means to
reach goals (i.e., positive outcome expectancies), a reduced
emotional responsiveness to negative emotional stimuli, and a
callous-unemotional interpersonal style (i.e., lacking guilt and
empathy; a callous manipulation of others) (Crick & Dodge
1996; Frick et al. 2003; Hubbard et al. 2002). Based on this
research, any adequate causal theory of aggressive behavior
needs to explain these different correlates to the two types of
aggression.
There are several critical issues that are important for
interpreting this research. The first issue involves the high
correlation between these two types of aggression, which
ranges from 0.40 to 0.90 across samples of youth and with
the typical estimate being about 0.70 (Little et al. 2003;
Poulin & Boivin 2000). This high degree of correlation
A. M. Crapanzano
:
P. J. Frick (*)
Department of Psychology, University of New Orleans,
2001 Geology & Psychology Bldg.,
New Orleans, LA 70148, USA
e-mail: pfrick@uno.edu
A. M. Terranova
Department of Psychology, Stephen F. Austin State University,
Nacogdoches, USA
J Abnorm Child Psychol (2010) 38:433–445
DOI 10.1007/s10802-009-9376-3