title: Dual Trajectories of Reactive and Proactive Aggression from Mid-childhood to Early Adolescence: Relations to Sensation Seeking, Risk Taking, and Moral Reasoning.
abstract: We examined the roles of sensation seeking, risk taking, and moral reasoning in the development of reactive and proactive aggression. Data were drawn from a multiethnic, longitudinal study of children from Switzerland (N = 1571; 52 % male; assessed annually over 6 years; 7-years-old at Time 1). At all 6 time points, teachers reported children's reactive and proactive aggression via questionnaire. Children's sensation seeking (at Time 1) and risk taking (at Time 2) were assessed with two interactive computer tasks and their moral reasoning was assessed at Time 2 in response to four hypothetical vignettes depicting moral transgressions. Parallel process Latent Class Growth Analysis (PP-LCGA) identified six dual trajectories of reactive and proactive aggression. Children with either childhood-limited or adolescent-onset aggression showed high sensation seeking. Children with persistent, high levels of both reactive and proactive aggression across time showed high levels of sensation seeking and risk taking, as well as low levels of moral reasoning. Children with only high risk taking were more likely to display moderate levels of aggression across time. These findings highlight the shared and differential roles of sensation seeking, risk taking, and moral reasoning in the dual development of reactive and proactive aggression from mid-childhood to early adolescence. We discuss implications for common and tailored strategies to combat these aggression subtypes.
authors.affiliation: NYU-ECNU Institute for Social Development, New York University Shanghai, 1555 Century Avenue, Pudong New District, Shanghai, China, 200122. lc145@nyu.edu.
authors.forename: Lixian
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5706-9525
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Tyler
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Colasante
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Malti
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ribeaud
authors.affiliation: Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Manuel P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Eisner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D041923:Adolescent Development / Q000502:physiology*; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D035863:Moral Development; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012919:Social Behavior; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Longitudinal study; Moral reasoning; Proactive aggression; Reactive aggression; Risk taking; Sensation seeking