Parental influences on students' aggressive behaviors and weapon carrying

This article describes the association between four family constructs (family structure, relationship with parents, parental monitoring, and perception of parental attitudes toward fighting) and aggressive behaviors and weapon carrying among middle school students. Results are based on a cross-sectional survey of 8,865 6th, 7th, and 8th graders from eight urban schools in Texas (88.5% response rate). The sample was ethnically diverse. An inverse relationship was observed between aggression scores, fighting, injuries due to fighting, and weapon carrying and the family variables: parental monitoring, a positive relationship with parents, and the lack of parental support for fighting. Students who lived with both parents were less likely to report aggression than students in other living arrangements. These four family constructs accounted for almost one-third of the total variance in the aggression score. The perception of parents' attitudes toward fighting was the strongest predictor of aggression. Results provide support for including a strong parental component in the development of violence prevention programs for young people.