Aggressive behavior and quality of friendships: Linear and curvilinear associations
Date
2009Author
Fanti, Kostas A.Brookmeyer, Kathryn A.
Henrich, Christopher C.
Kuperminc, G. P.
ISSN
02724316 (ISSN)Source
Journal of Early AdolescenceVolume
29Issue
6Pages
826-838Google Scholar check
Keyword(s):
Metadata
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The current study investigates linear and curvilinear associations between overt aggressive behavior and the adolescents' reports of the quality of their friendships over time. Moderation by gender was also investigated. The sample consisted of 246 boys and 253 girls from the sixth and seventh grades of a large public middle school. Findings suggested a curvilinear association between aggression and friendship quality for boys such that nonaggressive and highly aggressive boys tended to perceive their relationships with friends more positively than did boys who exhibited moderate levels of overt aggression. In contrast, a negative linear association was found between aggression and friendship quality for girls. These findings provide evidence that the association between friendship quality and overt aggression is a complex phenomenon and point to the importance of examining gender differences and the curvilinear association between aggression and friendship quality. © 2009 SAGE Publications.