Role of self-esteem and family-level social capital in the pathway from victimization to aggression

Children's aggressive behaviors remain a critical global concern that may cause harm to other children's behavioral, emotional and psychological, social, and academic functions. However, in this context, the possibility that children's aggressive behaviors might be responsive consequences triggered by the antecedent victimization should not be dismissed. In order to explore the pathway from victimization to later aggression, the structural relationships among victimization, self-esteem, social capital within the family, and aggression were tested, followed by further examination of the mediating roles of social capital within the family and the sequential mediating role of self-esteem and social capital in the pathway. To test this hypothesized model, the responses of 2,844 fourth graders (48.4 % female), extracted from the Korean Youth Panel Survey (KYPS) were used. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to test the hypothesized model using Mplus 7.4. According to the findings, victimization indirectly influenced later displays of aggression, but not directly. In addition, social capital either from parent(s) or sibling(s) was significantly mediated in the pathway from victimization to aggression. Lastly, when considering self- esteem in the model, the sequential mediating role of self-esteem and social capital from parent(s) was confirmed in the pathway, but not for the other sequential mediating role of self-esteem and social capital from sibling(s). The study's findings reveal the necessity of reconsidering the adequacy of a punitive approach towards children who display aggression. They also provide guidance for determining where to intervene in preventing victimized children from developing aggression. Practical implications are discussed accordingly.