The present study aimed to develop a Japanese version of Bandura’s Moral Disengagement Scale for junior high and high school students and to examine its reliability and validity. A total of 1,262 ...junior high and high school students participated in a questionnaire survey; among them, 1,081 participants were included in the analysis. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on the participants, and the results showed that in a similar fashion to the original version, the Japanese version of the Moral Disengagement Scale had a one-factor structure and weak measurement invariance across gender. The scale demonstrated reliability and validity. These results suggest that the Japanese version of the Moral Disengagement Scale can be applied to Japanese junior high and high school students of both genders.
There is an important relationship between the immune system and aggressive behavior. Aggressive encounters acutely increase the levels of proinflammatory cytokines, and there are positive ...correlations between aggressive traits and peripheral proinflammatory cytokines. Endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment, which results in peripheral immune activation, decreases aggressive behavior as one of the sickness behavioral symptoms. In contrast, certain brain infections and chronic interferon treatment are associated with increased aggression. Indeed, the effects of proinflammatory cytokines on the brain in aggressive behavior are bidirectional, depending on the type and dose of cytokine, target brain region, and type of aggression. Some studies have suggested that microglial activation and neuroinflammation influence intermale aggression in rodent models. In addition, pathological conditions as well as physiological levels of cytokines produced by microglia play an important role in social and aggressive behavior in adult animals. Furthermore, microglial function in early development is necessary for the establishment of the social brain and the expression of juvenile social behaviors, including play fighting. Overall, this review discusses the important link between the immune system and aggressive traits and the role of microglia as mediators of this link.
This article is part of the Special Issue on "Personality Disorders".
Heterogeneity of cytokine/microglial involvement in aggressive behavior. CC: cingulate cortex, HIP: hippocampus, DRN: dorsal raphe nucleus, PAG: periaqueductal grey, MH: medial hypothalamus. Display omitted
•Proinflammatory cytokines have bidirectional effects in aggressive behavior.•Both neuroinflammation and physiological levels of cytokines produced by microglia influence aggressive behavior.•Microglial function during early development is necessary for juvenile social behavior including play fighting.
Bipolar disorder (BD) in childhood and adolescence is associated with aggressive behaviors, which might be common and in turn associated with poor clinical outcomes. This is the first systematic ...review to provide a comprehensive view of the current status of the knowledge about aggressive behaviors in youth with BD.
We conducted a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)–compliant systematic review of studies investigating aggressive behaviors in children and adolescents with BD (PROSPERO: CRD42023431674). A systematic multi-step literature search was performed on PubMed and the Web of Science. Literature search and data extraction were carried out independently. We provided a systematic synthesis of the findings from the included studies We assessed risk of bias using a modified version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for cross-sectional and cohort studies.
Of the 2,277 identified records 35 were included; mean age was 12.4 years, and 57.1% were male individuals. 7 studies reported on the prevalence of aggressive behavior among BD children and adolescent population, with 5 of them reporting a prevalence of over 69.0%. Aggressive behaviors were more common in children and adolescents with BD than in those with ADHD or depression. Aggressive behaviors were associated with borderline personality disorder features and poor family functioning. Valproic acid received empirical support for its efficacy in reducing aggressive behavior in BD.
Aggressive behaviors are prevalent among youth with BD and warrant clinical attention and specific evidence-based management. Further research on prognostic factors and psychosocial interventions evaluated prospectively is required.
One or more of the authors of this paper self-identifies as a member of one or more historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science. One or more of the authors of this paper self-identifies as a member of one or more historically underrepresented sexual and/or gender groups in science. One or more of the authors of this paper self-identifies as living with a disability. We actively worked to promote sex and gender balance in our author group. We actively worked to promote inclusion of historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science in our author group.
Anti-social behavior and violence are major public health concerns. Globally, violence contributes to more than 1.6 million deaths each year. Previous studies have reported that social rejection or ...neglect exacerbates aggression. In rodent models, social isolation stress is used to demonstrate the adverse effects of social deprivation on physiological, endocrinological, immunological, and behavioral parameters, including aggressive behavior. This review summarizes recent rodent studies on the effect of social isolation stress during different developmental periods on aggressive behavior and the underlying neural mechanisms. Social isolation during adulthood affects the levels of neurosteroids and neuropeptides and increases aggressive behavior. These changes are ethologically relevant for the adaptation to changes in local environmental conditions in the natural habitats. Chronic deprivation of social interaction after weaning, especially during the juvenile to adolescent periods, leads to the disruption of the development of appropriate social behavior and the maladaptive escalation of aggressive behavior. The understanding of neurobiological mechanisms underlying social isolation-induced escalated aggression will aid in the development of therapeutic interventions for escalated aggression.
•Social isolation stress during adulthood increases aggressive behavior.•Effect of maternal separation on aggressive behavior varies.•Chronic post-weaning social isolation exacerbates aggressive behavior.•The medial prefrontal cortex and ventral hippocampus are sensitive to social isolation stress.
There is limited evidence for the association among soft drink consumption, aggressive behaviors, and depressive symptoms among the adolescents.
Data were derived from a national representative ...sample of Youth Risk Behavior Surveys of United States during 2011 to 2019. Binary logistic regression models with complex sampling design were used to estimate the effect of soft drink consumption on aggressive behaviors and depressive symptoms. Mediating analysis was used to explore the association between soft drink consumption and depressive symptoms by aggressive behaviors.
The total prevalence of depressive symptoms was 3l.2 % (30.3 %–32.0 %). Compared with none of soft drink consumption, <1 time/day (OR: 1.29, 95%CI: 1.19–1.41), 1–2 times/day (OR: 1.49, 95%CI: 1.33–1.67), and ≥3 times/day (OR: 1.95, 95%CI: 1.70–2.24) were significantly associated with increased risk of aggressive behaviors. High levels of soft drink consumption (1–2 times/day, OR: 1.19, 95%CI: 1.07–1.32; ≥3 times/day, OR: 1.61, 95%CI: 1.42–1.81) and aggressive behaviors (OR: 1.98, 95%CI: 1.84–2.13) were found to be significantly associated with increased risk of depressive symptoms. A linear dose-response relationship of soft drink consumption with aggressive behaviors and depressive symptoms was found in this study (all p < 0.001). Aggressive behaviors partially mediated the association between soft drink consumption and depressive symptoms and each pathway was statistically significant.
The causal relationship was not able to certain because of the cross-sectional design.
The mediating role of aggressive behaviors on the association of high levels of soft drink consumptions with depressive symptoms should be paid more attention among the adolescents.
•Aggressive behaviors mediated the association between soft drink consumption and depressive symptoms among the adolescents.•A linear dose-response relationship of soft drink consumption with aggressive behaviors and depressive symptoms was found.•Sex- and age-specific relationship of soft drink consumption with aggressive behaviors and depressive symptoms were reported.
This study aims to examine the mediating role of self-efficacy (SE) and self-control (SC) in the relationship between physical activity (PA) and aggressive behaviors (AB) among college students. It ...provides a basis for the prevention and control of AB among college students. This study employed a survey research methodology, including the PA Level Scale, the General Self-efficacy Scale, the Self-control Scale, and the Chinese Aggressive Behaviors Scale on 950 college students. The chain mediating effect test and Bootstrap analysis were applied. The results were as follows: (1) There was a main effect of PA on SE, SC, and AB as well as all sub-indicators (physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, hostility, self-directed aggression), i.e., PA had a direct effect on the control of all three; (2) PA level was significantly negatively correlated with AB and significantly positively correlated with SE and SC. That is, the higher the level of PA, the better the SE and SC, and the lower the probability of AB; (3) The three pathways had mediating effects: PA → SE → AB, PA → SC → AB, PA → SE → SC → AB, with effect sizes of 8.78%, 28.63%, and 19.08%, respectively. It is concluded that regular PA is a potent method for decreasing aggressive behavior and psychological issues in university students while additionally promoting self-efficacy and self-control. Increasing the intensity of PA may enhance the effectiveness of these chain benefits.
Fishes show remarkably diverse aggressive behaviour. Aggression is expressed to secure resources; adjusting aggression levels according to context is key to avoid negative consequences for fitness ...and survival. Nonetheless, despite its importance, the physiological basis of aggression in fishes is still poorly understood. Several reports suggest hormonal modulation of aggression, particularly by androgens, but contradictory studies have been published. Studies exploring the role of chemical communication in aggressive behaviour are also scant, and the pheromones involved remain to be unequivocally characterized. This is surprising as chemical communication is the most ancient form of information exchange and plays a variety of other roles in fishes. Furthermore, the study of chemical communication and aggression is relevant at the evolutionary, ecological and economic levels. A few pioneering studies support the hypothesis that aggressive behaviour, at least in some teleosts, is modulated by “dominance pheromones” that reflect the social status of the sender, but there is little information on the identity of the compounds involved. This review aims to provide a global view of aggressive behaviour in fishes and its underlying physiological mechanisms including the involvement of chemical communication, and discusses the potential use of dominance pheromones to improve fish welfare. Methodological considerations and future research directions are also outlined.
Two major types of aggression, proactive and reactive, are associated with contrasting expression, eliciting factors, neural pathways, development, and function. The distinction is useful for ...understanding the nature and evolution of human aggression. Compared with many primates, humans have a high propensity for proactive aggression, a trait shared with chimpanzees but not bonobos. By contrast, humans have a low propensity for reactive aggression compared with chimpanzees, and in this respect humans are more bonobo-like. The bimodal classification of human aggression helps solve two important puzzles. First, a long-standing debate about the significance of aggression in human nature is misconceived, because both positions are partly correct. The Hobbes–Huxley position rightly recognizes the high potential for proactive violence, while the Rousseau–Kropotkin position correctly notes the low frequency of reactive aggression. Second, the occurrence of two major types of human aggression solves the execution paradox, concerned with the hypothesized effects of capital punishment on self-domestication in the Pleistocene. The puzzle is that the propensity for aggressive behavior was supposedly reduced as a result of being selected against by capital punishment, but capital punishment is itself an aggressive behavior. Since the aggression used by executioners is proactive, the execution paradox is solved to the extent that the aggressive behavior of which victims were accused was frequently reactive, as has been reported. Both types of killing are important in humans, although proactive killing appears to be typically more frequent in war. The biology of proactive aggression is less well known and merits increased attention.
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