Aggressive behavior in adolescence as a predictor of personal, family, and school adjustment problems

The goal of the present study was to determine the extent to which aggressive behavior towards peers predicts greater personal, school, and family maladjustment in adolescent aggressors of both sexes. The sample consisted of 1510 Spanish adolescents from 12 to 17 years old, who anonymously and voluntarily completed self-report questionnaires. Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that, regarding personal adjustment, aggressive behavior was significantly associated with high scores in depressive symptomatology, perceived stress and loneliness, and low scores in self-esteem, life satisfaction and empathy, for both sexes. In the school setting, aggressive behavior was related to low scores in academic engagement, friends in the classroom, perception of teacher support, and a positive attitude towards school. At the family level, significant relationships were observed between aggressive behavior and high scores in offensive communication and family conflict, and low scores in open communication with parents, general expressiveness, and family cohesion. In cases of peer violence it is necessary to give urgent attention to all those involved, since maladjustment in aggressors can be predicted in many levels of intervention.