Hostile interpretation as a transdiagnostic factor for cooccurring anxiety in boys with aggressive behavior problems

Many children with aggressive behavior problems also suffer from anxiety. This cooccurrence may perhaps be explained by transdiagnostic factors. Identifying these factors seems crucial, as they may be important targets to treat these cooccurring problems effectively. This two-study paper investigates whether hostile interpretation of others’ intentions is a transdiagnostic factor for cooccurring aggression and anxiety problems, examining two samples of boys in middle childhood. We assessed boys’ aggression and anxiety using teacher-report in Study 1 (N = 84, Mage = 10.10), and parent-report in Study 2 (N = 115, Mage = 10.55). In both studies, we assessed hostile interpretation using vignettes describing ambiguous provocations by peers. Both studies revealed a strong association between aggression and anxiety problems, underscoring the necessity to examine factors that can explain this cooccurrence. However, in neither study was this association reduced when we added hostile interpretation to the model, suggesting that hostile interpretation did not function as a transdiagnostic factor in our samples. One possible explanation for these findings is that hostile interpretation predicts both aggression and anxiety problems, but in different children. We, therefore, encourage scholars to conduct more research to explain the high comorbidity of aggression and anxiety problems in children. Future research should also examine hostile interpretation as predictor or transdiagnostic factor for aggression and anxiety problems in more diverse population, including girls and other age groups

Treating children's aggressive behavior problems using cognitive behavior therapy with virtual reality: A multicenter randomized controlled trial

This multicenter randomized controlled trial investigated whether interactive virtual reality enhanced effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to reduce children's aggressive behavior problems. Boys with aggressive behavior problems (N = 115; Mage = 10.58, SD = 1.48; 95.7% born in Netherlands) were randomized into three groups: CBT with virtual reality, CBT with roleplays, or care-as-usual. Bayesian analyses showed that CBT with virtual reality more likely reduced aggressive behavior compared to care-as-usual for six of seven outcomes (ds 0.19–0.95), and compared to CBT with roleplays for four outcomes (ds 0.14–0.68). Moreover, compared to roleplays, virtual reality more likely enhanced children's emotional engagement, practice immersion, and treatment appreciation. Thus, virtual reality may be a promising tool to enhance CBT effectiveness for children with aggressive behavior problems

Self-views and aggression in boys referred for disruptive behavior problems: self-esteem, narcissism, and their interaction

How do children with aggressive behavior problems view themselves? The present research seeks to answer this question by examining the self-views (i.e., self-esteem and narcissism) of boys referred for disruptive behavior problems. In Study 1 (N = 85, Mage= 10.8 years), we examined relations between self-views and self-reported and parent-reported aggression; in Study 2 (N = 73, Mage= 11.8 years), we examined relations between self-views and teacher-reported aggression. We found narcissism to be related with self-reported aggression, but not with parent- and teacher-rated aggression. Children with narcissistic traits were more aggressive according to themselves, and these links were independent of children’s level of self-esteem. Self-esteem was not significantly associated with aggression according to children themselves, their parents, nor their teachers. We encourage scholars to explore the possibility that interventions that target characteristics of narcissistic self-views (e.g., perceived superiority, sensitivity to negative feedback) can effectively reduce aggressive behavior in boys referred for behavior problems

Ethnic Differences in Parent–Adolescent Agreement on Internalizing Disorders

Disagreement between parents and adolescents on the internalizing problems of adolescents poses a threat to diagnoses based on both parent- and adolescent-reported internalizing problems. In this article, we analyze ethnic differences in parent–adolescent agreement on internalizing disorders as reported in a diagnostic interview. A two-phase study design was used. In the first phase, a large sample of adolescents was screened for internalizing disorders using the Youth Self-Report. In the second phase, adolescents from each ethnic group (native Dutch, Surinamese Dutch, Turkish Dutch, Moroccan Dutch) were selected, with half scoring in the borderline/clinical range and half in the normal range. Diagnostic interviews were subsequently conducted with 348 parents and adolescents. Moroccan Dutch parents reported fewer internalizing disorders compared with native Dutch parents. Combining parent and adolescent reports therefore resulted in a lower amount of internalizing disorders among Moroccan Dutch adolescents. Results furthermore showed that (parent- and adolescent-reported) internalizing diagnoses were related to mental health service use in all ethnic groups. Professionals in the field should be sensitive to possible discrepancies between parents and adolescents when diagnosing adolescents’ internalizing disorders, in particular, because underreports of internalizing disorders among parents might contribute to lower levels of mental health service use among adolescents belonging to certain ethnic groups

Hostile Intent Attribution and Aggressive Behavior in Children Revisited: A Meta-Analysis

To test specific hypotheses about the relation between hostile intent attribution (HIA) and children’s aggressive behavior, a multilevel meta-analysis was conducted on 111 studies with 219 effect sizes and 29.272 participants. A positive association between HIA and aggression was found, but effect sizes varied widely between studies. Results suggested that HIA is a general disposition guiding behavior across a broad variety of contexts, whereas the strength of the relation between HIA and aggression depends on the level of emotional engagement. The relation is stronger for more reliable HIA measures, but is not stronger for reactive aggression or co-morbid attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder than for aggression in general. The importance of understanding specific moderators of effect size for theory development is discussed

Hostile Intent Attribution and Aggressive Behavior in Children Revisited: A Meta-Analysis

To test specific hypotheses about the relation between hostile intent attribution (HIA) and children’s aggressive behavior, a multilevel meta-analysis was conducted on 111 studies with 219 effect sizes and 29.272 participants. A positive association between HIA and aggression was found, but effect sizes varied widely between studies. Results suggested that HIA is a general disposition guiding behavior across a broad variety of contexts, whereas the strength of the relation between HIA and aggression depends on the level of emotional engagement. The relation is stronger for more reliable HIA measures, but is not stronger for reactive aggression or co-morbid attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder than for aggression in general. The importance of understanding specific moderators of effect size for theory development is discussed

Capturing mechanisms of change: Weekly covariation in anger regulation, hostile intent attribution, and children's aggression

Interventions for children's aggression typically target assumed underlying mechanisms, such as anger regulation and hostile intent attribution. The expectation here is that targeting these mechanisms will result in within-person changes in aggression. However, evidence for these mechanisms is mostly based on between-person analyses. We, therefore, examined whether within-person changes in adaptive anger regulation and hostile intent attribution covaried with within-person changes in children's aggression. Children (N = 223; age 7–12; 46% boys) filled out four weekly report measures to assess adaptive anger regulation, hostile intent attribution, and aggression. The psychometric properties of these novel measures were adequate. Results of multi-level analyses revealed within-person effects: weekly changes in adaptive anger regulation and hostile intent attribution covaried with changes in children's aggression. This corresponded with between-person findings on the same data: children with lower levels of adaptive anger regulation and higher levels of hostile intent attribution reported more aggression than other children. These findings support the idea that targeting anger regulation and hostile intent attribution in interventions may lead to changes in individual children's aggression

Ethnic Differences in Teacher–Student Relationship Quality and Associations With Teachers’ Informal Help for Adolescents’ Internalizing Problems

Ethnic minority adolescents receive not only less formal mental health services than their ethnic majority peers but also less school-based mental health services. Little is known about the extent to which adolescents indicate their teachers help them with their mental health problems. The aim of the current study was to investigate ethnic differences in teacher-provided informal help for adolescents’ internalizing problems, and whether these could be explained by differences in teacher-reported internalizing problems and teacher–adolescent relationship quality. A sample of adolescents at risk of internalizing problems and their teachers participated in the study (n = 229). Adolescents originated from four ethnic groups in the Netherlands: three ethnic minority groups (Surinamese Dutch, Turkish Dutch, Moroccan Dutch) and the ethnic majority (native Dutch). Results showed that only Moroccan Dutch adolescents reported considerably less informal help from their teachers for their internalizing problems than native Dutch adolescents, whereas Turkish Dutch and Surinamese Dutch adolescents were not found to differ from native Dutch adolescents. Teacher–student relationship quality and teacher-reported internalizing problems could not explain the differences in informal help between Moroccan Dutch and Dutch adolescents. Teachers reported significantly higher levels of conflict in their relationships with Moroccan Dutch than native Dutch adolescents, and for Moroccan Dutch adolescents, higher levels of conflict were associated with lower levels of informal help by the teacher

Capturing mechanisms of change: Weekly covariation in anger regulation, hostile intent attribution, and children's aggression

Interventions for children's aggression typically target assumed underlying mechanisms, such as anger regulation and hostile intent attribution. The expectation here is that targeting these mechanisms will result in within-person changes in aggression. However, evidence for these mechanisms is mostly based on between-person analyses. We, therefore, examined whether within-person changes in adaptive anger regulation and hostile intent attribution covaried with within-person changes in children's aggression. Children (N = 223; age 7–12; 46% boys) filled out four weekly report measures to assess adaptive anger regulation, hostile intent attribution, and aggression. The psychometric properties of these novel measures were adequate. Results of multi-level analyses revealed within-person effects: weekly changes in adaptive anger regulation and hostile intent attribution covaried with changes in children's aggression. This corresponded with between-person findings on the same data: children with lower levels of adaptive anger regulation and higher levels of hostile intent attribution reported more aggression than other children. These findings support the idea that targeting anger regulation and hostile intent attribution in interventions may lead to changes in individual children's aggression