Psychological predictors of aggressive behavior among men and women

This study examined the relationships among attitude towards violence, self-esteem, emotion dysregulation, anger, and aggression in community men and women, and male inmates. 166 community men, 197 community women, and 100 male inmates, completed a battery of questionnaires containing self-reported measures. Self-esteem and attitude towards violence were significant predictors of aggressive behavior, with emotion dysregulation mediating the relationship between self-esteem and the criterion variable. Anger mediated the relationship between emotion dysregulation and aggressive behavior only among community people. Among men, inmates reported a more favorable attitude towards violence, lower self-esteem, higher emotion dysregulation, more aggressive behaviors, and a lower tendency to get angry. Women showed a less favorable attitude towards violence, lower self-esteem, higher emotion dysregulation, and a higher tendency for anger than men, while no differences emerged for aggressive behavior. These findings suggest that self-related constructs and emotion regulation strategies represent key processes associated with aggressive behavior among all participants, while the role of anger is more prominent in community people. To reduce aggressive tendencies, treatment and prevention interventions might increase self-esteem, emotion regulation skills, and one’s ability to direct anger towards other goals. Moreover, programs aimed at changing attitudes towards violence could be useful.