Aggression and Fighting Behavior Among African-American Adolescents: Individual and Family Factors

• NCJ Number: 157877
• Journal: American Journal of Public Health Volume: 84 Issue: 4 Dated: (April 1994) Pages: 618-621
• Author(s): N U Cotten; J Resnick; D C Browne; S L Martin; D R McCarraher; J Woods
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 4 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Free online PDF and HTML access to the American Journal of Public Health is provided by the publisher 24 months after individual issues are released.

Annotation

This study examined the extent to which individual characteristics of black adolescents and family factors predicted their aggression and fighting behavior.

Abstract

Data were obtained through self-report questionnaires completed by 436 black children attending two middle schools. The results showed that individual characteristics of the respondents, including age, gender, weapon-carrying behavior, and attitude toward violence were positively correlated with their reports of aggressive behavior and fighting at school. The findings suggest that violence prevention programs implemented at the elementary and middle school levels could reduce the incidence of aggression and violence among black adolescents by teaching nonviolent attitudes and conflict resolution strategies. School suspension records were related to family poverty and which school the student attended, but family and school factors were not related to student reports of aggression and fighting. 3 tables and 13 references