Parental Influences on Students' Aggressive Behaviors and Weapon Carrying

This article describes the association between four family constructs (family structure, relationship with parents, parental monitoring, and perception of parental attitudes toward fighting) and aggressive behaviors and weapon carrying among middle school students. Results are based on a cross-secti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health education & behavior 1999-12, Vol.26 (6), p.774-787
Main Authors: Orpinas, Pamela, Murray, Nancy, Kelder, Steven
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adolescent Behavior - psychology
Adolescents
Aggression
Aggression - psychology
Aggressiveness
Analysis of Variance
Answer Sheets
Attitude
Attitudes
Child
Cross-Sectional Studies
Families & family life
Female
Firearms - statistics & numerical data
Grade 4
High School Students
Humans
Learning Theories
Male
Middle school students
Parent-Child Relations
Parents & parenting
Parents - psychology
Risk Factors
Social Support
Students - psychology
Surveys and Questionnaires
Texas
Urban Population
Urban Schools
Weapons
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Summary:This article describes the association between four family constructs (family structure, relationship with parents, parental monitoring, and perception of parental attitudes toward fighting) and aggressive behaviors and weapon carrying among middle school students. Results are based on a cross-sectional survey of 8,865 6th, 7th, and 8th graders from eight urban schools in Texas (88.5% response rate). The sample was ethnically diverse. An inverse relationship was observed between aggression scores, fighting, injuries due to fighting, and weapon carrying and the family variables: parental monitoring, a positive relationship with parents, and the lack of parental support for fighting. Students who lived with both parents were less likely to report aggression than students in other living arrangements. These four family constructs accounted for almost one-third of the total variance in the aggression score. The perception of parents' attitudes toward fighting was the strongest predictor of aggression. Results provide support for including a strong parental component in the development of violence prevention programs for young people.
ISSN:1090-1981
1552-6127
DOI:10.1177/109019819902600603