Aim. The aim of this research was to contribute to the necessary knowledge for preventive action in reducing the development of aggressive behavior. Currently, many trainings and interventions...Show moreAim. The aim of this research was to contribute to the necessary knowledge for preventive action in reducing the development of aggressive behavior. Currently, many trainings and interventions focus on dealing with aggressive behavior reactively. The literature discusses the origin of aggressive behavior and how it can be influenced by both biological and environmental factors. Increased insight into these factors might also allow for more preventive action. However, little is known about the risk factors that can influence the development of aggressive behavior, even though this knowledge is crucial for recognizing these signs and taking. Design. The data for this quantitative study comes from the Mother-Infant Neurodevelopment Study (MINDS). For the current study, 253 mother-child pairs participated. The participants completed several questionnaires for this study: the Cardiff Infant Contentiousness Scale (CICS), the Self-efficacy in the Nurturing Role Scale (SENR), and the Physical Aggression Scale for Early Childhood (PASEC). The questionnaires were about the precursors of aggressive behavior in the child, the mother's sense of parental competence, and the expression of aggressive behavior. Findings. To examine these factors, a multiple regression with interaction effects was conducted. Both the interaction effect and the individual factors were analyzed. It was found that there is no significant interaction effect. However, both the early signs of aggression and the sense of parental competence proved to be significant predictors separately for the development of aggressive behavior in the child. This suggests that if a child exhibits more early signs of aggressive behavior at a younger age (6 months old), the child is more likely to develop aggressive behavior at a later age (12 months). Additionally, this means that if a mother experiences a lower sense of parental competence when the child is younger (6 months old), it can also be a predictor for the development of aggressive behavior in the child. Conclusion. This study confirms that there are already risk factors visible at a young age that increase the likelihood of developing aggressive behavior. For this reason, it is essential to conduct more research on additional possible risk factors and how professionals in practice can identify these factors. Subsequently, interventions for these risk factors can also be explored to take preventive action in combating the development of aggressive behaviorShow less
