Reciprocal relations between interparental aggression and symptoms of oppositional defiant and conduct disorders: a seven-wave cohort study of within-family effects from preschool to adolescence

Temporal Order and Developmental Context of Aggressive Attitude and Aggressive Behavior: Testing a Within-Person Reciprocal Effects Model

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the relationship between aggressive attitude and aggressive behavior is reciprocal or bidirectional in nature.

METHOD

A sample of 845 early adolescent youth (406 boys, 439 girls) between the ages of 10 and 13 (mean = 11.21) served as participants in this study. Aggressive attitudes were assessed with 4 items from the Denver Youth Survey Neutralization scale and aggressive behavior was assessed with 5 items from the Self-Reported Offending scale.

RESULTS

A random intercepts cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) analysis revealed that aggressive attitude predicted aggressive behavior from Wave 1 to Wave 2 and from Wave 2 to Wave 3, whereas aggressive behavior only predicted aggressive attitude from Wave 1 to Wave 2. These findings insinuate that while aggressive attitude consistently predicted within-person increases in aggressive behavior, aggressive behavior may have been less consistent in predicting within-person increases in aggressive behavior.

CONCLUSION

A partial or restricted bidirectional relationship may link aggressive attitude to aggressive behavior such that the reciprocal effect between the two is only or most clearly evident during the transition from childhood to adolescence (i.e., the age 11-to-12-year transition). The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.

Commentary: Optimism for the future of research on disruptive behaviors - an appreciation of good science as illustrated by Nobakht, Steinsbekk & Wichstrom (2023)

This paper by Nobakht, Steinsbekk & Wichstrom (2023) is a model of good science in the study of oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder. Their approach illustrates a thoughtful research design, statistical modeling sufficient to empirically evaluate developmental processes, and a full consideration of the theoretical implications of their work. This contrasts with a broad history of research on ODD and CD that far too often has only reified biased assumptions about these phenomena rather than rigorously scrutinizing them. Their demonstration of a unidirectional developmental flow of influence from ODD to interparental aggression, and thence to CD highlights a set of complicated developmental processes involving these disorders and their environment. It expands on evidence of the toll that ODD exerts on parents and provides guidance for more specific intervention. Standards in developmental psychopathology research should include testing bidirectional processes and employing designs that could falsify rather than reify existing beliefs. Examining key mechanisms in such processes will more rapidly generate improvements in assessment and treatment.

Commentary: Early intervention for conduct problems as a child protection strategy - reflections on Nobakht et al. (2023)

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), including child maltreatment and interparental aggression, are known to have far-reaching consequences for mental health across the lifespan. Emerging evidence, such as that reported by Nobakht et al. (Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2023), indicates that child conduct problems (e.g. oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder) may not only result from adversity but also contribute to it through transactional cascades that amplify risk for adversity over time. This commentary addresses some of the key implications of this evidence for translation into practice. It is argued that child conduct problems can be viewed as modifiable determinants of adversity and that the early identification and treatment of child conduct problems may allow for the early identification and reduction of risk for numerous ACEs.