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Indirect But Lasting: Linking Indirect Aggression Use Over Childhood to Future Adjustment While Considering Conduct
Stéphanie Boutin1, Émiliane Larrivée1, Michèle Déry2
1Department of Psychology, University of Quebec in Montreal, Montreal, Canada.
Aggressive Behavior
|July 31, 2026
Summary
Frequent indirect aggression (IA) in children predicts later substance use, delinquency, and school dropout, even when controlling for conduct problems. Early identification of high IA use is crucial for intervention.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Frequent indirect aggression (IA) is linked to negative long-term consequences.
- High IA use is prevalent in children with conduct problems, complicating outcome attribution.
- Distinguishing the unique impact of IA beyond conduct problems is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if a high trajectory of indirect aggression (IA) from ages 8 to 13 predicts negative outcomes at age 17.
- To control for conduct problems and other confounding variables (age, sex, income) in the analysis.
- To determine if IA makes a distinct contribution to maladjustment.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 744 children (46.8% girls) from Quebec, Canada.
- IA and conduct problems assessed via parent and teacher ratings.
- Outcomes measured by self-report: depressive/anxiety symptoms, life satisfaction, substance use, delinquency, social support, school dropout risk.
- Statistical analysis using the manual BCH method in Mplus.
Main Results:
- High and stable indirect aggression (IA) use significantly predicts increased substance use.
- Persistent IA is associated with higher rates of delinquent behaviors.
- A significant probability of school dropout is linked to sustained high IA use.
- IA explains unique variance in negative outcomes, beyond conduct problems.
Conclusions:
- Indirect aggression (IA) is a significant independent predictor of adolescent maladjustment.
- Conduct problems explain a substantial portion of negative outcomes, but IA's contribution is distinct.
- IA should be considered an important screening indicator for identifying at-risk youth.
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