Social status and shaming experiences related to adolescent overt aggression at school

• Feelings of rejection and humiliation in interpersonal interaction are strongly related to aggressive behavior. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between social status, shaming experiences, gender and adolescent aggressive behavior by using a status-shaming model. A population-based sample of 5396 adolescents aged from 15 to 18 completed a questionnaire which asked questions regarding psychosocial background, shaming experiences, social status of family, peer group and school, and involvement in physical or verbal aggression at school. Shaming experiences, i.e. being ridiculed or humiliated by others, were strongly related to aggressive behavior. Social status and shaming were related in the prediction of aggressive behavior, suggesting that a person’s social status may influence the risk for taking aggressive action when subjected to shaming experiences. Medium social status seemed to have a protective function in the association between shaming experiences and aggression. The study confirms the importance of further evaluation of the role of perceived social status and shaming experiences in the understanding of aggressive behavior. Moreover, the results indicate the need for different kinds of status measures when investigating associations between status and behavior in adolescent populations. The results may have important implications for the prevention of bullying at school as well as other deviant aggressive behavior among adolescents.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

physical and verbal aggression

social status

shame

adolescence

gender differences

MEDICINE

MEDICIN

Barn- och ungdomspsykiatri

Child and Youth Psychiatry

Sociologi

Sociology

Psychology

Psykologi

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)