Beliefs About Fighting and Their Relations to Urban Adolescents’ Frequency of Aggression and Victimization: Evaluation of the Beliefs About Fighting Scale

Abstract

This study investigated the structure and concurrent validity of the Beliefs About Fighting Scale (BAFS). Participants were 2,118 students from three urban middle schools who completed measures of their beliefs, frequency of physical aggression, victimization, and nonviolent intentions. Ratings of students’ frequency of physical aggression, physical victimization, and nonviolent behavior were also obtained from their teachers. The majority of the sample was African American (81%). Confirmatory factor analyses supported a model with separate factors representing beliefs against fighting, beliefs that fighting is sometimes necessary, beliefs supporting reactive aggression, and beliefs supporting proactive aggression. Support was also found for strong measurement invariance across sex, grade, and groups that differed in whether a violence prevention program was being implemented at their school. The four BAFS factors were associated with adolescents’ frequency of aggression, victimization, and nonviolent behavior. This study underscores the importance of assessing multiple aspects of beliefs associated with aggressive behavior.

Patterns of Parental Messages Supporting Fighting and Nonviolence Among Urban Middle School Students

“…Participants were asked to rate each item on a 4‐point scale ranging from 1 ( strongly disagree ) to 4 ( strongly agree ). Farrell et al (2019) found support for the factor structure of the measure and strong measurement invariance across grade, gender, and intervention status. Alpha coefficients in the present study ranged from .75 to .86.…”

“…The Beliefs about Fighting Scale (BAFS; Farrell et al, 2019) was used to assess adolescents’ beliefs about the acceptability of aggression and nonviolent alternatives in response to provocation. The BAFS includes four subscales: beliefs against fighting (6 items), beliefs fighting is sometimes necessary (6 items), beliefs supporting reactive aggression (6 items), and beliefs supporting instrumental aggression (5 items).…”

“…Despite theoretical support for the critical role of parents in shaping adolescents’ beliefs, prior studies have not examined the extent to which perceptions of parental messages influence adolescents’ own beliefs about aggressive behavior. Parents may influence adolescents’ beliefs about the circumstances under which aggressive behavior is acceptable (Farrell et al, 2010; Farrell, Bettencourt, & Mehari, 2019). Adolescents who believe their parents support nonviolent behavior may hold stronger beliefs against fighting under most circumstances.…”

“…Other adolescents who believe their parents consider fighting acceptable in response to peer provocation may have stronger beliefs supporting aggression in response to peer provocation (i.e., reactive aggression). On the other hand, adolescents who believe their parents consider fighting acceptable to prevent victimization or to defend their reputation may believe that fighting is sometimes necessary (Farrell et al, 2019). Although it is plausible that some adolescents perceive mixed parental messages that support both aggression and nonviolence, we were unable to identify any prior studies that have explored that possibility to determine the impact on adolescents’ beliefs and behaviors.…”

Association Between Attitudes Toward Violence and Violent Behavior in the School Context: A Systematic Review and Correlational Meta-Analysis

“…Just as with violent behavior, there is no consensus in the literature regarding the greater prevalence of attitudes toward school violence with respect to gender or age. Recent studies conclude that these attitudes (although present in all people) are more prevalent in boys and adolescents ( Ruiz-Hernández et al, 2020 ) whereas other studies do not show these differences ( Farrell et al, 2019 ; Werner & Nixon, 2005 ), being still the relationship between the variables attitude-violent behavior at school, sex and age a field of study that needs more evidence.…”