From Childhood to Adolescence: Navigating Aggression through the Ecological Lens

Background and Purpose: Understanding early-childhood factors contributing to adolescent aggression is crucial for clarifying developmental pathways. Grounded in the ecological systems theory, this study investigates adolescent aggression by analyzing maternal, family interaction, and contextual factors during early childhood. It examines how financial hardship, parental stress, maternal mental health (including depression and impulsivity), and child attachment at age 3 contribute to the development of aggressive behaviors at age 15. Furthermore, this study examined the potential mediating role of children's adaptive social skills at age 9 in these associations.

Methods: Data were drawn from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a longitudinal investigation following a nationally representative sample of mostly non-marital births in major US cities. The sample comprised 4,898 participants. Survey data collected in Year 3 included measures of financial hardship, parental stress, maternal mental health (depression and impulsivity), and child attachment. Adaptive social skills of the children were assessed in Year 9 as a mediator, while aggressive behaviors were evaluated in Year 15 as outcome. The details of the measurements can be found in https://ffcws.princeton.edu/data-and-documentation/scales-and-concepts-documentation. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to examine the associations between the age-3 predictors and aggressive behavior in age 15, after controlling for child gender. The Baron and Kenny’s mediation analysis with Sobel test were used to examine the mediation effects.

Results: Among 4,898 participating mothers (mean age = 25, SD = 6.1), 32% were married to their children's fathers, while 25% were romantically involved. Approximately 21% of mothers reported depressive symptoms. Higher levels of financial hardship (β = .06, p = .01), parental stress (β = .08, p < .001), maternal depression (β = .20, p < .001), and impulsivity (β = .06, p = .01) at age 3 were associated with higher levels of aggressive behaviors at age 15. Secure attachments with their mothers at age 3 were associated with lower levels of aggression at age 15 (β = -.05, p =.025). However, this association became insignificant after considering age-9 social skills. The association was fully mediated by adaptive social skills at age 9 (Z = -4.78, p < .001). Early secure attachment was associated with enhanced social skills in middle childhood, which was in turn associated with lower levels of aggressive behaviors in adolescence.

Conclusions and Implications: This study, predominantly focused on unmarried mothers, highlights the detrimental effect of financial hardship, parental stress, and maternal mental health issues on the development of adolescent aggression. It underscores the protective role of early secure attachment in fostering adaptive social skills, thereby reducing the likelihood of adolescent aggression. These findings emphasize the importance of comprehensive prevention and intervention strategies that address both contextual and individual factors, while acknowledging the long-term significance of secure attachment for children's well-being. Overall, this research contributes to the existing literature by emphasizing the need to strengthen support for mothers, particularly those facing challenges such as financial hardship, parental stress, and mental health issues, to promote secure attachment bonds with their children and mitigate the risk of adolescent aggression.