Determinants of aggressive behaviour in children and adolescents: influence of gender, age, and level of intellectual functioning

Cilj ovog istraživanja je sagledavanje uloge pola, uzrasta i nivoa intelektualnog funkcionisanja u agresivnom ponašanju dece i adolescenata. Uzorak čini 724 dece i adolescenata, oba pola (55,3% dečaka i 45,7% devojčica), uzrasta 6–18 godina (AS=10,3; SD=3,33), sa različitim nivoom intelektualnog funkcionisanja (50% normativni nivo, 33% laka IO i 17% umerena IO). Podaci su prikupljeni od vaspitača i nastavnika primenom ASEBA TRF/6–18. Otkrivene su značajne polne razlike u pravcu višeg nivoa agresivnog ponašanja kod dečaka u odnosu na devojčice (t=7,090; df=722; p=0,000). Uzrasne razlike nisu statistički značajne (F2,721=2,718; p=0,068). Između poduzoraka ispitanika sa različitim nivoom intelektualnog funkcionisanja postoje značajne razlike u agresivnom ponašanju. Prema rezultatima post hoc testa, nivo agresivnog ponašanja ispitanika sa normativnim nivoom intelektualnog funkcionisanja niži je nego kod ispitanika sa lakom i umerenom IO (p=0,000), dok između ispitanika sa lakom i umerenom IO nema značajnih razlika (p=0,375). Rezultati regresione analize pokazuju da pol, uzrast i nivo intelektualnog funkcionisanja objašnjavaju 17,3% varijanse agresivnog ponašanja. Promenljiva koja daje najznačajniji doprinos predikciji zavisne varijable je nivo intelektualnog funkcionisanja (β=0,321), a u nešto manjoj meri pol (β=–0,222). Obe promenljive daju značajan, jedinstven doprinos predikciji agresivnog ponašanja (p=0,000). Uzrast nema uticaj na agresiju (β=0,036; p=0,229). Dobijeni rezultati su diskutovani u kontekstu savremenih teorijskih i empirijskih saznanja o razvoju agresivnog ponašanja i efektivnim pristupima u prevenciji i tretmanu.The objective of this study is to determine the role of gender, age, and intellectual functioning in children’s and adolescents’ aggressive behaviour. The sample consisted of 724 children and adolescents of both sexes (55.3% boys and 45.7% girls), aged from 6 to 18 (M=10.3; SD=3.33), functioning at different intellectual levels (50% with average intelligence, 33% with mild intellectual disability and 17% with moderate intellectual disability). Data were collected from kindergarten and elementary school teachers, using the ASEBA TRF/6–18. The boys display higher rates of agreessive behaviour than the girls (t=7.090; df=722; p=0.000). Age differences are not statistically significant (F2,721=2.718; p=0.067). There are significant differences in aggressive behaviour between different subsets according to their intellectual level. Post hoc test reveals that the participants with average intellectual abilities have lower level of aggressive behaviour than participants with mild and moderate intellectual disability (p=0.000), while there are no significant differences between two subsets with mild and moderate intellectual disabilities (p=0.375). The regression analysis shows that altogether, gender, age and level of intellectual functioning, explain 17.3% of the variance of aggressive behaviour. The independent variables that provides the most significant contribution to the prediction of the dependent variable are intellectual functioning (β=0.321) and, to a lesser extent, gender (β=–0.222). Both variables provide a significant, unique contribution to the prediction of aggressive behaviour (p=0.000). Age has no effect on aggression (β=0.036; p=0.299). The obtained results are discussed in the context of contemporary theoretical and empirical knowledge on development of aggressive behaviour and effective approaches to its prevention and treatment