title: The Cycle of Violence: Associations Between Exposure to Violence, Trauma-Related Symptoms and Aggression--Findings from Congolese Refugees in Uganda.
abstract: War-related trauma exposure has been linked to aggression and enhanced levels of community and family violence, suggesting a cycle of violence. Reactive aggression--an aggressive reaction to a perceived threat--has been associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In contrast, appetitive aggression--a hedonic, intrinsically motivated form of aggression--seems to be negatively related to PTSD in offender and military populations. This study examined the associations between exposure to violence, trauma-related symptoms and aggression in a civilian population. In semistructured interviews, 290 Congolese refugees were questioned about trauma exposure, PTSD symptoms, and aggression. War-related trauma exposure correlated positively with exposure to family and community violence in the past month (r = .31, p < .001), and appetitive (r = .18, p = .002) and reactive aggression (r = .29, p < .001). The relationship between war-related trauma exposure and reactive aggressive behavior was mediated by PTSD symptoms and appetitive aggression. In a multiple sequential regression analysis, trauma exposure (β = .43, p < .001) and reactive aggression (β = .36, p < .001) were positively associated with PTSD symptoms, whereas appetitive aggression was negatively associated (β = -.13, p = .007) with PTSD symptoms. Our findings were congruent with the cycle of violence hypothesis and indicate a differential relation between distinct subtypes of aggression and PTSD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.|Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.|vivo international, www.vivo.org.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hecker
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fetz
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda.
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ainamani
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.|Department of Psychology, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda.|vivo international, www.vivo.org.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Elbert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo / Q000208:ethnology; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D000069581:Exposure to Violence / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D012036:Refugees / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology; D014857:Warfare