The main factor that may be mediating aggressive behavior among adolescents is impulsivity. Along with this, other socio-demographic variables such as socioeconomic and sociocultural level of parents, parenting styles, attitudes toward violence, or the influence of the peer group could favor aggression in youth.
Although adolescents typically fall along a bully–victim continuum there is a another predictor predictor of aggression that is often not mentioned - that of the individual previously a victim of bullying who then becomes the aggressor. Gender and academic performance are also predictors
agree with you. In addition, other variables that may influence this type of violent behavior are impulsivity, and attitudes toward violence, developed primarily for family socialization.
You may wish to consider our recent paper on bullying victimization:
Bifulco, A., Schimmenti, A., Jacobs, C., Bunn, A., & Rusu, A. C. (2014). Risk factors and psychological outcomes of bullying victimization: A community-based study. Child Indicators Research, 7, 633-648.
It also addresses the aggressive victim issue. Here it is the abstract:
To understand the negative impact of bullying on the psychological wellbeing of children and adolescents we need to examine the associated context of adverse home life, problem peer relationships and school experience. Standardized retrospective in-depth interviews provide a useful method. A sample of 160 high-risk community-based emerging adults in the UK (age 16–30) were interviewed to rate familial and peer/school relationships, and severity of bullying with or without aggression before age 17. A clinical interview assessed psychiatric disorders in teenage years. Statistical analyses showed a differential model for bullying victims versus aggressive victims and internalizing versus externalizing disorders. Both types of bullying experiences were associated with parental neglect and abuse, parental discord and inadequate supervision; victimization alone related to problem school context and internalizing disorders (anxiety disorders and major depression); in contrast, bullying victimization with aggression was distinctly associated with experiences of violence in family, problem peer group, and externalizing disorders (conduct disorder and substance use disorder). Thus differentiation of context of young people’s experience can inform effective psychosocial, educational and clinical approaches to reduce the risks associated with bullying victimization.
I have looked at how various socioeconomic factors relate to school bullying, following a breakdown of a nationwide study in Ireland. I have also been looking at how school bullying relates to prejudice, such as alterophobia and homophobia. I am not sure if you are interested in these, but if you are, I can point you towards some of my published outputs on these issues.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Psychology