Inter-and Intragenerational Transmission of Aggressive Tendencies among Adolescents

The present study analyzes the extent to which the aggressive tendencies of male and female adolescents are associated with the same tendencies of significant others in and outside the family. Aggressive tendencies are defined as the participants subjective evaluation of their own intention to react to aggression, and their evaluation of their father’s, mother’s, and closest same-gender friends intentions. The study is based on a sample of 292 male and female adolescents. Results indicate that aggressive tendencies of both male and female adolescents are associated only with those of their same-gender parents and closest same-gender friend. The consistency of the finding with Sutherland’s differential association theory and Bandura’s social learning theory is discussed.