COVID-19 stress, aggressiveness, and deviant behaviour: a mediation analysis of youth in the pandemic era

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply affected adolescents’ psychosocial development, increasing vulnerability to distress and risk behaviors. This study examined whether aggression mediates the association between COVID-19–related stress and deviant behavior. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 638 adolescents and young adults (M = 18.8, SD = 3.51) from central Italy. Participants completed standardized self-report measures on COVID-related stress, aggression, and deviance. Analyses included Spearman correlations, regression models, and mediation testing. Results: Social isolation was positively associated with aggression, whereas fear of COVID was negatively associated with aggression. Only physical aggression was significantly linked to deviant behavior. Mediation analysis showed that physical aggression partially mediated the relationship between COVID-19 stress and deviance: social isolation predicted higher physical aggression (β = 0.38, p <.001), which was associated with deviance (β = 0.07, p <.001); the indirect effect was significant (β = 0.027, p =.002). Fear of contagion showed a small but significant negative indirect effect (β = –0.006, p =.022). Conclusion: Social isolation increased risk, whereas fear of contagion appeared to have a potential protective function.