Mapping Adolescent Anger in Bangladesh: Sociodemographic Differences in Anger Dimensions

Adolescence is a critical developmental period during which difficulties in anger regulation may adversely affect psychological well-being, interpersonal relationships, and behavioral adjustment. Despite its importance, evidence on adolescent anger in Bangladesh remains limited. The present study examined whether instrumental anger, reactive anger, and anger control differ according to selected sociodemographic characteristics among Bangladeshi adolescents. A cross-sectional survey design was employed. A total of 360 adolescents aged 13–19 years (M = 15, SD = 1.61 years) were selected using a two-stage non-probability sampling procedure from educational institutions and residential communities in Bangladesh. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and the validated Bangla version of the Adolescent Anger Rating Scale (AARS). Independent-samples t-tests were conducted to examine differences by gender and family type, whereas one-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) were used to assess differences according to place of residence and parents' educational attainment. No significant differences were found in instrumental anger, reactive anger, or anger control according to gender or family type (p > .05). Place of residence was significantly associated with anger control, with urban adolescents reporting higher anger control than adolescents from suburban and rural areas. No significant differences were observed for instrumental or reactive anger. Significant differences were also found across fathers' and mothers' educational attainment for instrumental anger, reactive anger, and anger control (all p < .001). Lower paternal educational attainment was generally associated with higher instrumental and reactive anger and lower anger control, whereas the pattern across maternal education groups was less consistent. These findings suggest that parental educational attainment and residential context are important correlates of adolescent anger regulation in Bangladesh and support the development of targeted school- and family-based emotional regulation interventions.