In a longitudinal study of children followed for 8

Theory suggests that shame should be positively related to aggression while guilt may serve as a protective factor. Little research has examined mediators between the moral emotions and aggression. Results using path analyses in four diverse samples were consistent with a model of no direct relationship between shame-proneness and aggression. There was, however, a significant indirect relationship through externalization of blame, but mostly when aggression was measured using self-report. Guilt-proneness, on the other hand, showed a direct negative relationship to aggression whether using self-report or other reports of aggression. Guilt was also inversely related to aggression indirectly through externalization of blame and empathy. Identifying these differing mechanisms may be useful in developing more effective interventions for aggressive individuals.

This study examines the link between different forms of family aggression and children's symptoms of psychopathology. The goal of the study was to understand what forms children's problems might take in violent homes and whether close ties within the family (to the mother or a sibling) buffered children. Interviews with 365 mothers and 1 of their children between the ages of 6 and 12 about abuse in the home, support and closeness within the nuclear family, and mother's and children's mental health formed the basis of this study. Families were recruited from battered women's shelters and the community. We found that different forms of abuse in the home were highly interrelated and that children of battered women were at risk for child abuse. Domestic violence predicted children's general psychopathology, but we uncovered little evidence for the presence of specific sorts of disorders as a result of family dysfunction. Although mothers experiencing conjugal violence were more likely to have mental health problems, their mental health did not mediate the children's response to family conflict. Finally, there was less sibling and parental warmth in families marked by aggression, although when it was present, family social support failed to buffer children. Although the general pattern of results was consistent across respondents (mother and child), there was low agreement on symptoms of child psychopathology.

No abstract

Different forms of aggression were measured in 296 young men and women participating in a study dating from their childhood that included families with marital violence. The youth reported on their perpetration of physical aggression with same-sex peers, dating partners, and parents. Measures were also collected on youth depression and empathy. Childhood exposure to marital violence predicted aggression toward peers for all youth. Marital violence was also related to child-to-parent aggression but only for youth older than 18. Youth from maritally violent homes were more likely to be depressed as adolescents. Elevated depression partially mediated the impact of marital violence on peer aggression and was associated with dating aggression among girls. Although marital violence in childhood was unrelated to empathy scores in adolescence, empathic youth were less likely to engage in dating aggression and peer aggression. Findings indicate that further emphasis should be placed on mental health problems and empathy building in youth exposed to marital violence.