A Short-Term Longitudinal Investigation of Turkish Preschoolers' Aggressive Behavior and Emotion Regulation Skills

Aggression in early childhood is a multifaceted phenomenon that significantly impacts social development and long-term behavioral outcomes. Identifying the precursors of such behaviors and understanding the role of emotion regulation is crucial for effective intervention. This short-term longitudinal study investigates the developmental trajectory of physical and relational aggression among Turkish preschool children and examines whether early emotion regulation skills predict subsequent aggressive tendencies. Data were collected from 289 children (148 girls, 141 boys) aged 4 to 5 years, residing with their parents in Alanya, Antalya. Assessments were conducted at two time points over a seven-month period using the 'Aggression Orientation Scale' and the 'Emotion Regulation Scale'. While teachers reported on children’s aggression levels, mothers evaluated their children's emotion regulation skills. Data analysis involved independent and paired sample t-tests to identify gender and temporal differences, alongside path analysis to test predictive relationships. The findings revealed that boys exhibited significantly higher levels of physical aggression than girls across both measurement points. Notably, relational aggression among all participants showed a significant increase from the first to the second assessment, whereas physical aggression levels remained relatively stable over time. Contrary to expectations, path analysis indicated that children's initial emotion regulation skills did not significantly predict physical or relational aggression at the second measurement. These results suggest that as children mature during the preschool years, they may increasingly adopt more subtle, relational forms of aggression. The study highlights the complexity of socio-emotional development and the need for culturally sensitive longitudinal research in early childhood.