Aggressive Attitudes Predict Aggressive Behavior in Middle School Students

This prospective study found that self-reported attitudes toward peer aggression among 403 middle school students were both internally consistent (Cronbach's alphas = .81 and .82) and stable over time (7-month test—retest r = .66). Most notably, aggressive attitudes were correlated with 4 outcome criteria for aggressive behavior: student self-report of peer aggression, peer and teacher nominations of bullying, and school discipline referrals. Significant correlations ranged from .09 to .37. Receiver operating characteristic analyses resulted in effect sizes ranging from .59 to .75. Overall, this study demonstrates that assessment of student attitudes toward aggression yields concurrent and predictive information related to a range of aggressive and disruptive behaviors in middle school.