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Teacher Reports of Peer Aggression in Preschool: its Relationship to DSM-IV Externalizing Symptoms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 April 2014

Edelmira Domènech-Llaberia ,
M. Claustre Jané ,
Teresa Corbella ,
Sergi Ballespí ,
Mercè Mitjavila  and
Josepa Canals
Edelmira Domènech-Llaberia*
Affiliation:
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain)
M. Claustre Jané
Affiliation:
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain)
Teresa Corbella
Affiliation:
Universitat Rovira i Virgili (Spain)
Sergi Ballespí
Affiliation:
Universitat de Barcelona (Spain)
Mercè Mitjavila
Affiliation:
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain)
Josepa Canals
Affiliation:
Universitat Rovira i Virgili (Spain)
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be adressed to Edelmira Doménech-Llaberia, Departamento de Psicología Clínica y de la Salud, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Campus de Bellaterra, Edifici B, 08913-Bellaterra, Spain. E-mail: edelmira.domenech@uab.es
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Abstract

Objective: to establish the prevalence and associations of peer aggression as manifested in preschool children, in community-based populations and to study links with DSM-IV externalizing diagnoses. Method: Subjects were 1,104 children, 3-to-5-year-olds attending rural and urban pre-schools classes. Teachers completed the Peer Conflict Scale (PCS) to inform about direct physical and verbal aggression, object aggression and symbolic aggression and the questionnaire on psychopathology ECI-4. Results: 6.6% (n = 73) had at least one positive item on the PCS. This percentage dropped to 2.6% (n = 29) if we take into account a minimum of three positive items. Physical direct aggression was the more prevalent type of aggressive behavior, followed by verbal aggression, object aggression and symbolic aggression. Significant differences by gender and age were found. Peer aggression was associated with male gender from three years of age. Physical, object and verbal aggressive behavior was linked with externalizing disorders. This association was very strong with oppositional disorder. Conclusions: The present research with a Spanish population confirms the existence of peer aggression in preschoolers and the gender differences. Our chief contribution is about the age of emergence of sex differences and gender differences in different types of peer aggression.

Objetivo: Determinar la prevalencia de agresión preescolar hacia iguales en la comunidad y su correlación con categorías externalizantes del DSM-IV. Método: La muestra fue de 1104 niños de 3 a 6 años, procedentes de aulas preescolares urbanas y rurales. Se aplicó a los maestros la Peer Conflict Scale (PCS), para recabar información de agresiones físicas directas, verbales, con objetos y simbólicas, y el cuestionario de psicopatología ECI-IV. Resultados: Un 6.6% (n = 73) puntuó positivamente por lo menos en un item de la PCS. Este porcentaje decreció hasta un 2.6 % (n = 29) con una definición de caso más exigente (mínimo tres ítems positivos). La agresión física directa fue la forma más frecuente de agresión seguida de agresión verbal y agresión con objetos. Hubo diferencias significativas según edad y sexo. La agresión dirigida a iguales se asocia al sexo masculino desde los 3 años. La agresión física directa, con objetos y verbal correlaciona con trastornos externalizantes, principalmente con trastornos oposicionistas. Conclusiones: Esta investigación en población española confirma la existencia de agresividad hacia iguales en preescolares así como diferencias según sexo. Nuestra principal aportación es haber encontrado diferencias de sexo en el inicio y en los tipos de agresividad hacia iguales.

Keywords

preschool peer aggressionpreschool externalizing disorderspeer conflict scale (PCS)agresión preescolar hacia igualestrastornos preescolares externalizantesPCS
Type
Articles
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 11 , Issue 2 , November 2008 , pp. 433 - 442
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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