Citation

Rotenberg KJ, Fonseca AC. Aggressive Behav. 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, International Society for Research on Aggression, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/ab.22119

PMID

37936509

Abstract

The study examined the relationship between mistrust and aggression from childhood to adulthood. The participants resided in Portugal and were tested during middle childhood (Mage = 7.5, SD = 0.81 years, n = 445, 240 male), preadolescence (Mage = 11.92, SD = 0.96 years, n = 431, 200 male), mid-adolescence (Mage = 14.70, SD = 0.91 years, n = 326, 201 male), late adolescence (Mage = 18.14, SD = 1.19 years, n = 410, 216 male), and adulthood (Mage = 26.56, SD = 1.13, years, n = 417, 197 male). Mothers reported the participants' mistrust during childhood and preadolescence on items from the Child Behavior Checklist. Aggression was assessed by standardized self-report measures at each age period. It was found that mistrust was associated with aggression during preadolescence and predicted changes in aggression to mid-adolescence and adulthood. The findings supported the conclusion that mistrust during preadolescence predisposes individuals to show aggression later in the life course.

Language: en

Keywords

aggression; life-course; mistrust