reasing levels of aggression that characterize modern societies creates an imperative for the development of an understanding of the causes of such behavior. This research is an effort to better understand the sources and causes of aggressive behavior in children.
1. Bjorkqvist, Kaj, & Osterman, Karin. (1992). Parental influence on children's self estimated aggressiveness. Aggressive Behavior, 18(6), 411 423.
This article reported on a study that measured parental influence on the self estimated aggressiveness of a sample of adolescents. The sample was drawn from a Finnish population. The mean age of the members of the sample was 13.6 years. The size of the sample was 174 subjects, of which 85 (48.9 percent) were female and 89 (51.1 percent) were male. Subjects were asked to complete a questionnaire in which they evaluated both their own behavior and that of their parents when angry. Subjects were also asked to assess the emotional relationships that existed between themselves and each of their parents. Subjects also completed selected parts of the Buss Durkee Hostility Guilt Inventory. The researchers found that, for male subjects, the emotional relationships (as these relationships were perceived by the subjects) between themselves and their parents was a more influential determinant of aggressive behavior by the child than was the actual behavior of the subject's parents. With respect to female subjects, the researchers found that the behaviors of fathers and the subject's perception of the relationship between herself and her father was the strongest factor influencing aggressive behavior by the subject. The researchers also found support for the hypothesis that adolescents tend to model their behaviors after those of their parents with respect to conflict management. The modeling hypothesis was supported in relation to both aggressive and nonaggressive adolescents.
2. Downey, Geraldine, & Wal...