Correlates of adolescents' aggression

This study focused on exploring the attitudes of adolescents in the Caribbean and the United States toward aggression. The comparison of adolescents on the measure of aggression from these two diverse cultures could provide valuable information in understanding how culture and its effect on adolescents' aggression. There were 279 Black students from St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands (U.S.V.I.) and Knoxville, Tennessee (TN) participated in this study. They completed measures of self-esteem, aggressive behavior in specific domains (school, peers, and home), problem solving (religious perspective), beliefs about aggression, and general information about themselves, such as church attendance and frequency of punishment. Subjects were recruited from a junior high school in St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. and the Boys and Girls Club in Knoxville, TN. All the measures in this study were self-reported instruments. Significant differences were found between Knoxville and St. Thomas adolescents on their use of aggression and their beliefs about aggression. Knoxville adolescents were found to be more likely to use aggression at home than the St. Thomas adolescents. They were also found to be more likely than the St. Thomas adolescents to legitimize their use of aggression and to use their aggression to avoid negative image. Gender differences were also found within groups on their use of aggression and beliefs about aggression. St. Thomas females were more likely than the St. Thomas males and the Knoxville females to use aggression at school. They were similar to the Knoxville males in their use of aggression at school. Some support was found for a positive relationship between aggression and self-esteem. Additional support was also found for church attendance having a positive effect on lessening subjects' beliefs about aggression. A self-directing religious problem solving approach was positively related to the subjects' beliefs about aggression. Aggressive discipline by parents was found to be related to aggressive behavior. Suggestions were made regarding future directions that research should head, such as the need for more research among Black cultural groups, the need to investigate how religion can best be incorporated in violence prevention programs, and the need for more research on self-esteem and aggression.