Links between self-regulation competences and aggressive and non-aggressive antisocial behavior in middle childhood...

Self-regulation (SR) competences have consistently been associated with aggressive and non-aggressive antisocial behavior (AAB). However, their relative importance remains unclear when various SR competences are simultaneously considered and when they are related to different long-term trajectories of AAB. In addition, little is known about potential differential associations with AAB measures.

This study investigated developmental trajectories of physical, relational, reactive, and proactive aggression; non-aggressive antisocial behavior; and an AAB total score in relation to multiple SR competences in 1,657 children (52% girls; aged 6-11 years; M = 8.36, SD = 0.95) from Germany across three measurement points over three years (data on ethnicity not collected).

Latent class growth analyses indicated four trajectories for all AAB measures, mostly a stable low, increasing, decreasing, and stable high trajectory, or four rather parallel trajectories. Multinomial logistic regressions suggested that particularly planning behavior (OR: 1.40-4.38) and parent-rated inhibition (OR: 1.24-3.76) predicted a higher probability of belonging to trajectories reflecting low AAB compared with all other trajectories. Additional analyses of variance further indicated the relevance of experimentally assessed inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and emotional reactivity ( ${\eta }_p^2$ = 0.006-0.179).

These findings underpin that SR competences-particularly inhibition and planning-may serve as longitudinal protective factors and suggest that universal prevention programs are more effective than highly specific interventions to tackle AAB in the long run.