Cumulative risk and promotive factors and physical and relational aggression during early adolescence

Background: The presence of risk and promotive factors may increase or decrease the likelihood that adolescents will engage in physical or relational aggression (i.e., bullying). To date, most research has focused on single risk and promotive factors, without considering how the effects of cumulative risks and cumulative promotive factors influence physical and relational aggression. Methods: Hierarchical multiple regression was used to examine the association between cumulative risks and promotive factors and aggressive behaviors, and test two models of resilience (compensatory and risk-protective model) in a diverse sample of urban 7th grade youth (mean age = 13 years; N = 196; 60% female; 60% African American). Cumulative measures of risks and promotive factors included individual characteristics and peer, parental/familial, and school influences. Based on findings in the initial models, the association between cumulative risk and promotive factors and aggressive behavior was examined by race/ethnicity. Results: Higher cumulative risk was associated with higher levels of relational and physical aggression. Higher levels of promotive factors were associated with lower levels of physical and relational aggression, but did not moderate the association between cumulative risks and physical or relational aggression. Race/ethnic differences in the compensatory and risk-protective models by race/ethnicity will be discussed. Conclusions: Overall, our findings support a compensatory model of resiliency, but not a risk-protective model. Violence prevention programs focused on promotive factors may have a positive effect on adolescent aggressive behaviors. We will discuss the implications of our findings and its' application to the prevention of physical and relational aggression.