Links between perceived containment and proactive and reactive functions of aggression toward siblings

There is growing literature establishing associations between perceived containment (children’s beliefs about whether adults can control their behavior) and aggression among children. However, there are mixed findings with regard to how perceived containment is linked to proactive and reactive functions of aggression. Further, although aggression is common among siblings, no research to date has examined how perceived containment is associated with proactive and reactive aggression toward siblings. Finally, gender differences in associations have not been readily studied. Data from 290 (54.8% male) elementary school-aged children were used for analyses. Participants self-reported on their perceived containment and aggressive behavior. Both correlation and regression analyses indicated that perceived containment was statistically significantly negatively associated with proactive but not reactive aggression. Further, associations were consistent across genders. Findings further support the need to understand the role of perceived containment in the etiology and developmental progression of aggressive behavior, particularly proactive aggression toward siblings, for both boys and girls.