Agresión manifi esta y ajuste psicosocial en la adolescencia

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyze the differences between adolescents with low and high overt aggression in psychosocial variables such as loneliness, life satisfaction, attitude towards breaking school rules and attitude to institutional authority. The sample was composed of 565 adolescents aged from 11 to 17 years old. Statistical analysis were conducted using MANOVAs and t tests. The classifi cation of overt aggression in three dimensions: pure, reactive and instrumental, proposed by Little, Henrich, Jones and Hawley (2003), was used to establish the analysis groups. Data suggested that those adolescents showing higher levels of aggression, informed of more feelings of loneliness, lower satisfaction with their lives, less respect for school rules and a more negative attitude towards institutional authority, in comparison to less aggressive adolescents. These results are consistent in all dimensions except for the feeling of loneliness, which is not present in the reactive dimension.