Love and romantic relationships have the capacity to influence one's welfare in the most profound ways. Intimate partner psychological aggression (IPPA), defined as verbal and nonverbal behaviours that aim to belittle, coerce, isolate, or control (Baldry, 2003; Shorey et al., 2012), is the most prevalent form of partner aggression (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019), and can have significant negative outcomes on its victims. The detrimental outcomes of IPPA warrant additional research on factors that may be associated with its sustained prevalence in men and women. While various studies have revealed that justifying a harmful behaviour can maintain and, in some cases, aggravate the behaviour (e.g., Martens & Kosloff, 2012; Mulder & van Dijk, 2020), few have explored its associations to IPPA. This doctoral dissertation focuses on IPPA and how it is justified. Specifically, the two complementary studies investigated how justifications for using IPPA relate to other features of psychological functioning (e.g., adult romantic attachment, relationship satisfaction, anger management, psychopathy, childhood trauma, drug and alcohol use) to better understand the IPPA phenomenon. The present dissertation is in article format and contains four sections: a general introduction, two articles, and a general discussion. The general introduction presents the topic of the dissertation, defines the primary constructs, states the problem statement, provides a robust theoretical basis, and specifies its main objectives. The two articles contain the following sections: introduction, objectives and hypotheses, method, analyses, results and discussion. Both articles are presented according to the format requested by their respective peer-reviewed journal. Lastly, the general discussion summarizes the findings of both articles, presents their implications and outlines limitations and future directions for prospective studies. All study materials (i.e., ethics approval notice, consent form, self-report measures) are included as appendices. The first study explored the association between how individuals justify their use of IPPA and their adult romantic attachment (i.e., defined through levels of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) in Canadian community couples experiencing bi-directional aggression. The sample consisted of 162 adult participants (81 mixed-sex couples). The data were analyzed using structural equation modelling (i.e., actor-partner interdependence model) to test the study's hypotheses, as it is one of few statistical models to account for variances between and within partners. Path analysis based on the APIM model revealed statistically meaningful associations between attachment anxiety and all types of justifications, as well as no statistically significant associations between attachment avoidance and the justifications. In addition, a small but significant association was found between men's attachment avoidance and women's use of external justifications for their use of IPPA. The results are discussed using the theoretical lenses of attachment theory and cognitive dissonance, and highlight the significance of justifications in adults with higher levels of attachment anxiety. The second study investigated a new typology of men's use of IPPA. A sample of 456 men seeking therapeutic services for their couple relationship problems was recruited to complete a battery of questionnaires. Latent profile analyses revealed a final five-profile solution model. The five profiles were then compared on a series of IPPA-related variables to offer more descriptive information on each profile. Overall, the results emphasize the importance of inquiring about the justifications accompanying men's use of IPPA to support the conceptualization and orient treatment for this population. Taken together, these independent studies provide a complementary overview of the associations between justification for IPPA use and other features of psychological functioning. While the first study focuses on the associations between justifications and romantic attachment, the second uses justifications as an indicator variable to classify participants and then compares the profiles on a multitude of variables, including adult romantic attachment. Moreover, the studies' complementary analytical and methodological approaches offer results that, combined, refer to men and women, individuals and couples, and investigates justification across a community and a middle-ground sample (i.e., sharing characteristics of both a community and a clinical sample). Moreover, the combination of the studies’ variable-centered analyses (i.e., study 1; focus the analysis on the relationship among variables) and person-centered analyses (i.e., study 2; focus the analysis on the classification of individuals) reflects an important strength of this dissertation. The results highlight the importance of considering the justifications for using IPPA and stress its relevance with other dimensions of psychological functioning. The results contribute to the literature and overall understanding justifications for intimate partner aggression and add support to some of the theories that inform conceptualizations and treatment of individuals who are dealing with IPPA.

This study examined whether spirituality and dyadic coping protected partners from becoming psychologically aggressive toward each other using secondary, cross-sectional data from a sample of 104 couples living in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The model tested was based on Bodenmann's Systemic Transactional model (1997) and incorporated an Actor-Partner Interdependence Model approach (Kenny, Kashy, & Cook, 2006). SEM results indicated that each partner's spirituality had a direct negative effect on their own psychological aggression, and a direct positive effect on their own supportive dyadic coping, and the couple's common dyadic coping. Each partner's spirituality also had an indirect effect on both partners' psychological aggression through increases in the couple's common dyadic coping. Supportive dyadic coping was not found to mediate the relation between spirituality and psychological aggression. Limitations of the study as well as clinical, programmatic, and research implications are discussed. / Master of Science

According to adult attachment theory (Hazan and Shaver, 1987), people's levels of insecure attachment, both anxious and avoidant, are associated with their abilities to regulate emotions in a relational context. This study is the first to test emotion dysregulation as a mediator for the relationships between levels of insecure attachment and psychological aggression using dyadic data. Cross-sectional, self-report data were collected from 110 couples presenting for couple or family therapy at an outpatient clinic. Data were analyzed using path analysis informed by the Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediational Model (APIMeM; Ledermann, Macho and Kenny, 2011). While the findings did not support a mediating role of emotion dysregulation between levels of anxious or avoidant attachment and psychological aggression, results indicated direct partner effects between people's own levels of anxious attachment and their partners' psychological aggression. Higher levels of anxious attachment were associated with higher levels of emotion dysregulation in both males and females; higher levels of avoidant attachment were only associated with higher levels of emotions dysregulation in females. Limitations and clinical implications for couple therapists are discussed. / Master of Science / People have characteristic ways of interacting with their partners when experiencing distressing emotions—described as attachment dimensions—depending on factors like their comfort with vulnerability, self-worth, and confidence in their partners to provide support. Difficulties managing distressing emotions have been linked with psychological aggression between partners. This study examined if and how much difficulties managing emotions explain the relationships between people’s attachment dimensions and psychological aggression between partners. Although difficulties managing emotions did not explain this relationship, they were related to people’s own attachment orientations. People who were preoccupied with seeking reassurance from their partners, and who had low self-concept, were more likely to experience psychological aggression from their partners. Knowing that this way of interacting with partners is linked with increased likelihood of psychological aggression, couple therapists can work with partners to learn strategies to better self-regulate their own emotions and manage reactivity to each other to decrease psychological aggression. <i>Keywords</i>: emotion dysregulation, adult attachment, psychological aggression, couples

Parental use of aggressive discipline, specifically corporal punishment (CP) and psychological aggression (PA), has been shown to increase the risk of problem behaviours in children and adolescents. A major gap in the research concerns our lack of understanding regarding how CP and PA contribute to adverse development in adulthood. Because these techniques do not occur in isolation, a number of protective factors were also considered. Both CP and PA were associated with lower levels of parental warmth/support and responsiveness, and more inconsistency in discipline; whereas high induction was associted with more frequent CP and PA. CP predicted later partner violence, and PA predicted anxiety and lower self-esteem in adulthood, even after the effects of positive parenting were considered. These findings suggest that not only do CP and PA tend to occur within environments that are less conducive to positive development, but also predict problematic outcomes in adulthood even after protective factors are considered.

Parental use of aggressive discipline, specifically corporal punishment (CP) and psychological aggression (PA), has been shown to increase the risk of problem behaviours in children and adolescents. A major gap in the research concerns our lack of understanding regarding how CP and PA contribute to adverse development in adulthood. Because these techniques do not occur in isolation, a number of protective factors were also considered. Both CP and PA were associated with lower levels of parental warmth/support and responsiveness, and more inconsistency in discipline; whereas high induction was associted with more frequent CP and PA. CP predicted later partner violence, and PA predicted anxiety and lower self-esteem in adulthood, even after the effects of positive parenting were considered. These findings suggest that not only do CP and PA tend to occur within environments that are less conducive to positive development, but also predict problematic outcomes in adulthood even after protective factors are considered.

No description available.

No description available.

Dabar ne tik suaugę, bet ir vaikai tampa vis piktesni, agresyvesni, linkę savo problemas, konfliktus spręsti pasitelkdami psichologinę ar fizinę agresiją. Pastaruoju metu paskelbta daug straipsnių, psichologinių knygų apie agresiją, kalbama apie šias problemas įvairių televizijos, radijo laidų metu. Reikia atlikti dar daug tyrimų, kurie padėtų veiksmingai spręsti problemas, susijusias su agresijos raiškos būdais ir naudojimu, o ypač tarp vaikų. Keliama hipotezė: Jaunesniajame mokykliniame amžiuje agresyvus elgesys pakankamai paplitęs ir turi įvairias raiškos formas. Tyrimo objektas: Dviejų Vilniaus pradinių mokyklų 2-4 klasių mokiniai bei juos mokantys mokytojai. Tyrimo tikslas: Atskleisti mokinių agresyvaus elgesio raiškos pradinio lavinimo mokykloje ypatumus ir numatyti problemos sprendimo būdus. Uždaviniai: 1) Išanalizuoti agresijos aiškinimo teorinius aspektus. 2) Ištirti agresijos raišką pradinėje mokykloje. 3) Išsiaiškinti agresijos raiškos formas mergaičių ir berniukų grupėse.. 4) Numatyti mokinių agresyvaus elgesio prevencijos galimybes. Šis darbas padės daugiau atkreipti dėmesį agresyvaus elgesio apraiškas pradinėse klasėse. Padės giliau susimąstyti apie agresyvius vaikus, kurių netinkamais elgesys ilgainiui gali keistis, vis sudėtingėti. Mokykloje svarbu laiku identifikuoti vaikus, turinčius polinkį į agresyvų elgesį ir suteikti jiems profesionalią pagalbą. Vaiko problema yra svarbi visai mokyklos bendruomenei, todėl visi jos nariai turi kryptingai dirbti ir... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Nowadays not only adults but also children are becoming angrier, more aggressive and inclinable in solving their problems using physical or psychological aggression. A lot of articles, psychological books about aggression has been announced, these problems are discussed during various TV and radio shows. Many researches have to be done which would help to efficiently solve the problems associated with aggression expression manner and usage, especially among children Hypothesis: aggressivebehavior is common use and it has variaus forms of vent in junior school age. The object of research: 2-4 grade children and their teachers of 2 Vilnius primary schools. The aim of research: To exhibit the peculiarities of children aggressive behavior expression in primary schools and to provide the solutions for this problem. Goals: 1. To analyze the theoretic aspects of aggression explanation. 2. To research the expression of aggression in primary schools. 3. To find aggression expression forms in boys and girls groups. 4. To foresee the prevention possibilities of aggressive pupils behavior. This paper will help to attract attention to aggressive behavior manifestations in primary schools. It will also help to give a further thought about aggressive children, whose inappropriate behavior may change in the future and become more complicated. It is essential in schools to early identify children who have tendency in aggressive behavior and give them proper professional help. The child’s... [to full text]

Bullying é o comportamento agressivo, ofensivo, repetitivo e frequente, perpetrado por uma pessoa ou grupo contra outra ou outros, com a intenção de ferir e humilhar, em uma relação desigual de poder. O bullying está associado a uma série de transtornos mentais, com repercussões importantes na vida adulta tanto das vítimas como dos agressores. O envolvimento com a prática de bullying na escola por crianças e adolescentes demonstra uma falha no processo de socialização, do desenvolvimento de empatia e de autocontrole, que uma disciplina parental apropriada deveria prover. Assim, torna-se importante compreender como as práticas utilizadas pelos pais para disciplinar estão associadas à prática de bullying na escola, de forma que intervenções mais abrangentes, além do âmbito escolar, possam ser implementadas. O presente estudo teve como objetivo verificar como práticas usualmente utilizadas pelos pais para disciplinar e controlar o comportamento de seus filhos estão associadas à prática de bullying por seus filhos, comparados com o grupo de adolescentes que não praticam bullying. Tanto práticas punitivas e assertivas, quanto práticas indutivas, positivas, foram investigadas. Especificamente, buscou-se verificar a associação entre o uso parental de punições corporais e agressão psicológica e a prática de bullying por seus filhos no ambiente escolar. Os participantes do estudo foram randomicamente selecionados a partir de uma amostra comunitária de 2.457 adolescentes que participaram do Projeto Transtornos de Ansiedade da Infância e Adolescência (PROTAIA), realizado em seis escolas públicas pertencentes à área de abrangência da Unidade Básica de Saúde Santa Cecília, do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, realizado entre 2008 e 2009. Como critérios de inclusão do estudo atual, os adolescentes deveriam ter entre 10 e 15 anos, estarem ainda estudando nas escolas onde foram anteriormente avaliados e estarem presentes na escola no dia da coleta de dados. Uma versão brasileira para o Questionário de Bullying de Olweus foi utilizada para medir a frequência de bullying entre os alunos. O Dimensions of Discipline Inventory (DDI) – Child Report foi utilizado para avaliar a frequência de utilização de práticas parentais de disciplina punitivas e indutivas. Os instrumentos foram respondidos pelos adolescentes após a autorização dos pais. A associação entre prática de bullying e práticas parentais de disciplina foi verificada através de regressão logística. Dos 247 adolescentes avaliados, 98 (39,7%) praticavam bullying na escola uma ou mais vezes por semana, 107(43,3%) informaram terem sido fisicamente punidos no último ano e, destes, 38 (35,5%) referiram receber punições uma ou mais vezes por semana. A maior frequência de utilização de práticas punitivas, tanto pela mãe, quanto pelo pai, mostrou-se significativamente associada à prática de bullying por seus filhos. As mães que mais frequentemente utilizavam punição como disciplina apresentaram quatro vezes maior chance de ter um filho que pratica bullying na escola (OR= 4,36; IC95%= 1,87-10,16; p<0,001). Entre as diversas práticas de disciplina assertiva e punitiva, a agressão psicológica e as punições corporais foram as que apresentaram maior odds ratio; porém, a disciplina indutiva não apresentou associação. Os adolescentes que identificaram a figura paterna como não sendo o pai biológico apresentaram o dobro de chance de praticar bullying (OR=2,21; IC95%=1,25-3,91; p=0,009). O estudo demonstrou que práticas punitivas, usualmente utilizadas pelos pais com o objetivo de disciplinar e controlar o comportamento dos filhos, estão associadas à prática de bullying. Pesquisas que visem identificar por quais processos os diferentes membros da família influenciam o comportamento de bullying são necessárias. / Bullying is conceptualized as repeated behaviors performed by individuals with the intention of imposing psychological and physical harms to, or social isolation for, less powerful peers, through physical, verbal, and relational aggression for an extended period of time. It is associated with mental health problems and it has major consequences through the lifetime. Bullying perpetration at school reveals an impairment in both socialization process and development of empathy and self-control skills; characteristics that a good range of parental discipline should provide. Understanding how parental discipline practices are associated with bullying perpetration may furnish grounds for broader interventions involving families. The present study aimed to investigate the association between common parental discipline practices, either power assertive/punitive or inductive, and adolescent bullying perpetration, compared to students who were not classified as being bullies. Specifically, we looked for associations of corporal punishment and psychological aggression by parents with bullying at school. A random list of adolescents was created out of the database of 2,457 participants from the community screening phase of the PROTAIA Project (Childhood and Adolescence Anxiety disorders Project) , involving six schools of the catchment area of the Primary Care Unit of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. The study was carried out between 2008 and 2009. In order to be eligible, participants should still be attending the same school where they were previously assessed, should be present at school on the day of the current data collection, and at an age between 10 to 15 years old. A Brazilian modified version of the Olweus Bully Victim Questionnaire was used to measure the frequency of bullying behavior. The Dimensions of Discipline Inventory (DDI) – Child Report was used to assess the frequency of the parental discipline practices, either power assertive/punitive or inductive. Students completed the questionnaires after parental authorization through a dissent form approach. Associations between the independent variables and the outcome were tested using binary logistic regression. The final sample consisted of 247 students, from which 98 (39.7%) had bullied others at school at least once a week in the current year, and were classified as bullies. Nearly half (n=107; 43.3%) reported having been physically punished in the current year, whereas 38 (35.5%) reported parental corporal punishment at least once a week. The usage of power assertive/punitive discipline, either by the mother or by the father, was significantly associated with their children’s bullying behavior at school. Mothers who mostly used power assertion and punishment as discipline were 4.36 (CI95%: 1.87-10.16; p<.001) times more likely of having a child who bullied others at school. Inductive discipline was not overall associated with bullying (p>.05). Examining each specific parental method within the power assertive/punitive discipline scale, mild forms of corporal punishment, such as spanking, and psychological aggression, either by the mother or the father, had the highest odds ratios. Being disciplined by a father figure who was not the biological father had more than twice the odds (OR=2.21; IC95%=1.25-3.91; p=.009) of the adolescent being a bully. Our study showed that bullying perpetration is strongly associated with common punitive practices used by parents to control their children’s behavior. More research is needed to identify the precise mechanisms by which family member may influence children's bullying behavior.

Bullying é o comportamento agressivo, ofensivo, repetitivo e frequente, perpetrado por uma pessoa ou grupo contra outra ou outros, com a intenção de ferir e humilhar, em uma relação desigual de poder. O bullying está associado a uma série de transtornos mentais, com repercussões importantes na vida adulta tanto das vítimas como dos agressores. O envolvimento com a prática de bullying na escola por crianças e adolescentes demonstra uma falha no processo de socialização, do desenvolvimento de empatia e de autocontrole, que uma disciplina parental apropriada deveria prover. Assim, torna-se importante compreender como as práticas utilizadas pelos pais para disciplinar estão associadas à prática de bullying na escola, de forma que intervenções mais abrangentes, além do âmbito escolar, possam ser implementadas. O presente estudo teve como objetivo verificar como práticas usualmente utilizadas pelos pais para disciplinar e controlar o comportamento de seus filhos estão associadas à prática de bullying por seus filhos, comparados com o grupo de adolescentes que não praticam bullying. Tanto práticas punitivas e assertivas, quanto práticas indutivas, positivas, foram investigadas. Especificamente, buscou-se verificar a associação entre o uso parental de punições corporais e agressão psicológica e a prática de bullying por seus filhos no ambiente escolar. Os participantes do estudo foram randomicamente selecionados a partir de uma amostra comunitária de 2.457 adolescentes que participaram do Projeto Transtornos de Ansiedade da Infância e Adolescência (PROTAIA), realizado em seis escolas públicas pertencentes à área de abrangência da Unidade Básica de Saúde Santa Cecília, do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, realizado entre 2008 e 2009. Como critérios de inclusão do estudo atual, os adolescentes deveriam ter entre 10 e 15 anos, estarem ainda estudando nas escolas onde foram anteriormente avaliados e estarem presentes na escola no dia da coleta de dados. Uma versão brasileira para o Questionário de Bullying de Olweus foi utilizada para medir a frequência de bullying entre os alunos. O Dimensions of Discipline Inventory (DDI) – Child Report foi utilizado para avaliar a frequência de utilização de práticas parentais de disciplina punitivas e indutivas. Os instrumentos foram respondidos pelos adolescentes após a autorização dos pais. A associação entre prática de bullying e práticas parentais de disciplina foi verificada através de regressão logística. Dos 247 adolescentes avaliados, 98 (39,7%) praticavam bullying na escola uma ou mais vezes por semana, 107(43,3%) informaram terem sido fisicamente punidos no último ano e, destes, 38 (35,5%) referiram receber punições uma ou mais vezes por semana. A maior frequência de utilização de práticas punitivas, tanto pela mãe, quanto pelo pai, mostrou-se significativamente associada à prática de bullying por seus filhos. As mães que mais frequentemente utilizavam punição como disciplina apresentaram quatro vezes maior chance de ter um filho que pratica bullying na escola (OR= 4,36; IC95%= 1,87-10,16; p<0,001). Entre as diversas práticas de disciplina assertiva e punitiva, a agressão psicológica e as punições corporais foram as que apresentaram maior odds ratio; porém, a disciplina indutiva não apresentou associação. Os adolescentes que identificaram a figura paterna como não sendo o pai biológico apresentaram o dobro de chance de praticar bullying (OR=2,21; IC95%=1,25-3,91; p=0,009). O estudo demonstrou que práticas punitivas, usualmente utilizadas pelos pais com o objetivo de disciplinar e controlar o comportamento dos filhos, estão associadas à prática de bullying. Pesquisas que visem identificar por quais processos os diferentes membros da família influenciam o comportamento de bullying são necessárias. / Bullying is conceptualized as repeated behaviors performed by individuals with the intention of imposing psychological and physical harms to, or social isolation for, less powerful peers, through physical, verbal, and relational aggression for an extended period of time. It is associated with mental health problems and it has major consequences through the lifetime. Bullying perpetration at school reveals an impairment in both socialization process and development of empathy and self-control skills; characteristics that a good range of parental discipline should provide. Understanding how parental discipline practices are associated with bullying perpetration may furnish grounds for broader interventions involving families. The present study aimed to investigate the association between common parental discipline practices, either power assertive/punitive or inductive, and adolescent bullying perpetration, compared to students who were not classified as being bullies. Specifically, we looked for associations of corporal punishment and psychological aggression by parents with bullying at school. A random list of adolescents was created out of the database of 2,457 participants from the community screening phase of the PROTAIA Project (Childhood and Adolescence Anxiety disorders Project) , involving six schools of the catchment area of the Primary Care Unit of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. The study was carried out between 2008 and 2009. In order to be eligible, participants should still be attending the same school where they were previously assessed, should be present at school on the day of the current data collection, and at an age between 10 to 15 years old. A Brazilian modified version of the Olweus Bully Victim Questionnaire was used to measure the frequency of bullying behavior. The Dimensions of Discipline Inventory (DDI) – Child Report was used to assess the frequency of the parental discipline practices, either power assertive/punitive or inductive. Students completed the questionnaires after parental authorization through a dissent form approach. Associations between the independent variables and the outcome were tested using binary logistic regression. The final sample consisted of 247 students, from which 98 (39.7%) had bullied others at school at least once a week in the current year, and were classified as bullies. Nearly half (n=107; 43.3%) reported having been physically punished in the current year, whereas 38 (35.5%) reported parental corporal punishment at least once a week. The usage of power assertive/punitive discipline, either by the mother or by the father, was significantly associated with their children’s bullying behavior at school. Mothers who mostly used power assertion and punishment as discipline were 4.36 (CI95%: 1.87-10.16; p<.001) times more likely of having a child who bullied others at school. Inductive discipline was not overall associated with bullying (p>.05). Examining each specific parental method within the power assertive/punitive discipline scale, mild forms of corporal punishment, such as spanking, and psychological aggression, either by the mother or the father, had the highest odds ratios. Being disciplined by a father figure who was not the biological father had more than twice the odds (OR=2.21; IC95%=1.25-3.91; p=.009) of the adolescent being a bully. Our study showed that bullying perpetration is strongly associated with common punitive practices used by parents to control their children’s behavior. More research is needed to identify the precise mechanisms by which family member may influence children's bullying behavior.