Transactional Relations between Functions of Aggression and Peer Likeability in Elementary School Children

The extent to which children are liked by their peers is a robust predictor of their psychosocial adjustment (August, Egan, Realmuto, & Hektner, 2003). Child aggression has implications for peer relations, but those implications seem to depend, in part, on the motivation that underlies aggressive behavior. Reactive aggression (e.g. “hot-headed,” impulsive) is associated with peer rejection more than proactive aggression (Poulin & Boivin, 2000). Although studies have examined the associations between functions of aggression and peer rejection or sociometric status, no study has considered whether these functions are differentially associated with forms of likeability (i.e. unilateral or reciprocated).

The current study examined the transactional associations between proactive and reactive aggression and likeability in elementary school children and tested whether the associations were conditional on gender. It was hypothesized that proactive aggression would be positively associated with receiving and reciprocated likeability while reactive aggression would be negatively associated with receiving and reciprocated liking but positively associated with sending liking.

Analyses were based on a sample of 442 children (52.3% girls, 61.8% white) in 2^nd through 5^th grade (M age at consent = 8.75, SD = .99). Data was collected at four time points over two academic years. Proactive and reactive aggression were measured via self-report (Dodge & Coie, 1987). Likeability was assessed through a peer nomination inventory (Coie, Dodge, & Coppotelli, 1982) and broken down into sending “like most” nominations (e.g., I like you best but you did not say you like me), receiving nominations (e.g., you like me best and I did not say I like you), and reciprocated nominations (e.g., we both said we like each other the most).

Results from a cross-lagged longitudinal panel model provide evidence that the relation between reactive aggression and reciprocated and receiving liking nominations is transactional for girls. Girls scoring higher on reciprocated liking in the fall of year 1 displayed less reactive aggression in the spring and subsequently higher scores on reciprocated liking in the fall of the next year. Girls scoring higher on reactive aggression in the fall of year 1 received fewer received liking nominations in the spring and subsequently displayed higher levels of reactive aggression in the fall of the next year. The current study suggests that reactively aggressive girls’ involvement in positive peer relations is diminished over time, and that decreasing positive peer relations influences the extent to which girls display reactive aggression. The study has implications for creating tailored interventions to address the unique needs of reactively aggressive girls.