The influence of psychological suzhi on relational aggression in Chinese adolescents: The mediating role of perceived social support

Relational aggression refers to a type of adolescent aggressive behavior that seriously endangers adolescents’ mental health and development. The aim of this study was to reveal the role of perceived social support in the relationship between psychological suzhi and adolescents’ relational aggressive behavior. A total of 502 adolescents from Southwestern China participated in the questionnaire survey, including 252 boys, 230 girls, and 20 adolescents who did not disclose their gender. Their mean age was 13.20 years. The results showed that there were significant correlations between psychological suzhi, perceived social support, and relational aggression among adolescents. Psychological suzhi had both direct and indirect effects on adolescents’ relational aggression, and perceived social support was an important mediator between psychological suzhi and adolescent aggressive behavior. Psychological suzhi could enable adolescents to perceive more social support and thus reduce the risk of them attacking others’ interpersonal relationships.