The Alienation of Aggressive Children: A Correlational Analysis Among Child and Maternal Measures of Depression and Behavior

The social alienation of aggressive children often leads to the child's experience of isolation, frustration, rejection and/or depression. The aggressive child's experience of depressive symptoms was examined to determine relationships between depressive symptomatology and mother-child interactions. Using a multimethod approach which included self report, parent report and observational measures, child self reported depression was found to be significantly related to mother aversive behavior. Children with lower self reported depression had mothers who were more aversive. In addition, mothers who were more aversive had children who exhibited more aversive as well as more positive behaviors. Thus, the children of highly aversive mothers appeared to be more socially active. Maternal aversiveness seemed to serve as a "marker" for social activity which reduced the child's feelings of depression.