The present study tests the effectiveness of the Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS) and an adaptation of the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory (BDHI) to differentiate between aggressive and nonaggressive inner city Black adolescent males. The CTS provided measures of conflict-resolution behavior
toward “others” except siblings and parents; the adapted version of the BDHI provided measures of aggression toward “friends” and “strangers”. The sample consisted of 83 males, ranging in age from 12 to 17 with a mean age of 13.9 years, who were classified
as institutionalized aggressive subjects, noninstitutionalized aggressive subjects, and noninstitutionalized nonaggressive subjects on the basis of their behavior before the CTS and adapted version of the BDHI were administered. The results indicated that the adapted version of the BDHI discriminated
between the aggressive and nonaggressive subjects as well as institutionalized and noninstitutionalized subjects. The results showed that the verbal physical aggression scales of the CTS differentiated between the institutionalized aggressive and noninstitutionalized nonaggressive subjects.
Positive correlations were obtained between the CTS and subscales of the adapted version of the BDHI The results indicated that the scales may be useful for assessing aggression and conflict-resolution behaviour among inner-city Black adolescent males.
Aggression scores were obtained for 132 preadolescent inner-city males to test the hypothesis that paternal absence may differentially influence aggressive behavior. A statistically significant, two-way race by paternal absence interaction (p less than .01) indicated that, when compared to their racial-ethnic counterparts living with both parents, father-absent Puerto Ricans were equally as aggressive, father-absent blacks were less aggressive, and father-absent whites were more aggressive. Tentative interpretations of these findings were developed with a view to the demographic realities of an American inner-city.
Aggression scores were obtained for 50 inner-city Hispanic males. An analysis of variance indicated a statistically significant interaction between birth order and number of parents in the household. Post hoc analysis indicated that last-born subjects reared in low-income families with fathers absent displayed more aggressive behavior than firstborn, middle-born, or last-born subjects in families with fathers present. Moreover, there was an indication that firstborn and middle-born subjects in families with fathers absent may be more aggressive than their counterparts in families with fathers present. These results suggest that birth order should be considered in studies of the behavior and personality development of males in father-absent families. Research designs should differentiate between last-born and middle-born siblings.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.