Aggression and its predictors among elementary students.

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Aggression is a significant psychopathological risk factor impacting students' well-being.
• Understanding factors influencing aggression is crucial for student social, mental, and physical health.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate factors associated with aggression in elementary school students.
• Utilize the Social Cognitive Theory framework to analyze aggression predictors.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 900 students (4th-6th grade) in Kermanshah, Iran.
• Used the Adolescent Peer Relations Instrument (APRI) for aggression and a researcher-made questionnaire for Social Cognitive Theory variables.
• Employed proportionate stratified random sampling and analyzed data using SPSS.

Main Results:

• 29% and 10% of students exhibited moderate and high aggression levels, respectively.
• Significant predictors of aggression included self-efficacy, perceived social norms, observational learning, and outcome expectations.
• Parental and teacher factors, such as knowledge and attitudes, also showed significant relationships with student aggression.

Conclusions:

• Aggression is increasingly prevalent among children and adolescents.
• Social Cognitive Theory effectively predicts aggression behaviors in young populations.
• Educational interventions grounded in Social Cognitive Theory are recommended for managing aggression.