Exposure to Community Violence and Aggression in Afghan Refugee Children: A Cross- Sectional Study of the Associations of Hostile Attribution of Intent and Normative Beliefs

Background Afghan refugee children are frequently confronted with community violence, a significant threat to their psychological well-being. While exposure to violence is a known precursor to aggression, the specific cognitive and emotional mechanisms that explain this link within this vulnerable population remain underexplored. Objective This study investigates the impact of community violence exposure on reactive-proactive aggression among Afghan refugee adolescents. It specifically examines the associations of hostile attribution of intent, lack of guilt, and normative beliefs about aggression with this outcome. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 300 Afghan refugee adolescents (190 boys, 110 girls; aged 14–18) residing in refugee camps in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan. Data were collected using the 'Things I Have Seen and Heard' scale (community violence), the 'Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire', a scenario-based measure for hostile attribution, the 'Guilt and Shame Proneness Scale', and the 'Normative Belief About Aggression Scale'. Hierarchical (sequential) multiple regression was used to examine the associations among these variables; because the design was cross-sectional, no formal mediation was tested. Findings: A significant positive correlation was found between community violence exposure and reactive-proactive aggression. Community violence exposure was significantly and positively associated with aggression. Hostile attribution of intent was independently associated with aggression after accounting for community violence exposure. Normative beliefs about aggression were similarly associated with aggression. However, lack of guilt was not significantly associated with aggression in this sample. Conclusions The findings highlight a complex interplay between environmental stressors like community violence and the development of social cognitions in displaced adolescents. The link between violence exposure and aggression is explained, in part, by the tendency to interpret others' actions as hostile and the adoption of beliefs that aggression is an acceptable behavior. Clinical implications The results underscore the need for targeted interventions within refugee communities. These programs should not only address trauma from violence exposure but also focus on modifying maladaptive social cognitions to reduce aggression and foster mental health resilience among refugee youth.