Skip to main content
Intended for healthcare professionals
Restricted access
Research article
First published online May 1, 2009

Proactive and Reactive Aggression in a Child Psychiatric Inpatient Population: Relations to Psychopathic Characteristics

Paula J. Fite, Laura Stoppelbein, and Leilani GreeningView all authors and affiliations
Volume 36, Issue 5
https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854809332706

Abstract

The study examined relations between caregiver- and child-reported proactive and reactive aggression and psychopathic characteristics (callous/unemotional traits, narcissism, and impulsivity) in a sample of 105 children (69% male) ranging from 6 to 12 years of age (M = 9.61, SD = 1.83) who were admitted to a child psychiatric inpatient facility. Caregiver reports of aggression suggested that proactive and reactive aggression were similarly related to callous/unemotional traits and narcissism but that only reactive aggression was associated with impulsivity. In contrast, child reports of proactive aggression, but not reactive aggression, were associated with all three psychopathic characteristics. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.

Get full access to this article

View all access and purchase options for this article.

Get Access

References

Bailey, C.A., & Ostrov, J.M. (2008). Differentiating forms and functions of aggression in emerging adults: Associations with hostile attribution biases and normative beliefs. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 37, 713-722.
Google Scholar
Bandura, A. (1973). Aggression: A social learning analysis. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Google Scholar
Bandura, A. (1983). Psychological mechanisms of aggression. In R. G. Green & E. I. Donnerstein (Eds.), Aggression: Theoretical and empirical views (pp. 1-40). New York: Academic .
Google Scholar
Barry, T.D., Barry, C.T., Deming, A.M., & Lochman, J.E. (2008). Stability of psychopathic characteristics in childhood . Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35, 244-262.
Google Scholar
Barry, T.D., Thompson, A., Barry, C.T., Lochman, J.E., Adler, K., & Hill, K. (2007). The importance of narcissism in predicting proactive and reactive aggression in moderately to highly aggressive children. Aggressive Behavior, 33, 185-197.
Google Scholar
Baumeister, R.F., Bushman, B.J., & Campbell, W.K. (2000). Self-esteem, narcissism, and aggression: Does violence result from low self-esteem or from threatened egotism? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 9, 26-29.
Google Scholar
Berkowitz, L. (1993). Aggression: Its causes, consequences, and control . New York: McGraw-Hill.
Google Scholar
Brendgen, M., Vitaro, F., Tremblay, R.E., & Lavoie, F. (2001). Reactive and proactive aggression: Predictions to physical violence in different contexts and moderating effects of parental monitoring and caregiving behavior. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 29, 293-304.
Google Scholar
Brook, J.S., Whiteman, M.M., & Finch, S. (1992). Childhood aggression, adolescent delinquency, and drug use: A longitudinal study. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 153, 369-383.
Google Scholar
Bushman, B.J., & Anderson, C.A. (2001). Is it time to pull the plug on hostile versus instrumental aggression dichotomy? Psychological Review, 108, 273-279.
Google Scholar
Bushman, B.J., & Baumeister, R.F. (2002). Does self-love or self-hate lead to violence? Journal of Research Perspectives, 36, 543-545.
Google Scholar
Caputo, A.A., Frick, P.J., & Brodsky, S.L. (1999). Family violence and juvenile sex offending: Potential mediating roles of psychopathic traits and negative attitudes toward women . Criminal Justice and Behavior, 26, 338-356.
Google Scholar
Card, N.A., & Little, T.D. (2006). Proactive and reactive aggression in childhood and adolescence: A meta-analysis of differential relations with psychosocial adjustment. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 30, 466-480.
Google Scholar
Christian, R.E., Frick, P.J., Hill, N.L., Tyler, L., & Frazer, D.R. (1997). Psychopathy and conduct problems in children: II. Implications for subtyping children with conduct problems. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36, 233-241.
Google Scholar
Coie, J.D., & Dodge, K.A. (1998). Aggression and antisocial behavior. In W. Damon (Ed.) & N. Eisenberg (Vol. Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 3. Social, emotional, and personality development (pp. 779-862). New York: Wiley.
Google Scholar
Crick, N.R., & Dodge, K.A. (1996). Social information-processing mechanisms in reactive and proactive aggression. Child Development, 67, 993-1002.
Google Scholar
Day, D.M., Bream, L.A., & Pal, A. (1992). Proactive and reactive aggression: An analysis of subtypes based on teacher perceptions. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 21, 210-217.
Google Scholar
De Los Reyes, A., & Kazdin, A.E. (2005). Informant discrepancies in the assessment of childhood psychopathology: A critical review, theoretical framework, and recommendations for further study. Psychological Bulletin, 1, 483-509.
Google Scholar
Dodge, K.A. (1991). The structure and function of reactive and reactive aggression. In D. J. Pepler & K. H. Rubin (Eds.), The development and treatment of childhood aggression (pp. 201-218). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Google Scholar
Dodge, K.A., & Coie, J.D. (1987). Social-information-processing factors in reactive and proactive aggression in children's peer groups. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53, 1146-1158.
Google Scholar
Dodge, K.A., Lochman, J.E., Harnish, J.D., Bates, J.E., & Pettit, G.S. (1997). Reactive and proactive aggression in school children and psychiatrically impaired chronically assaultive youth. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 106, 37-51.
Google Scholar
Epkins, C.C. (1996). Parent ratings of children's depression, anxiety, and aggression: A cross-sample analysis of agreement and differences with child and teacher ratings. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 52, 599-608.
Google Scholar
Fite, P.J., & Colder, C.R. (2007). Proactive and reactive aggression and delinquent peer affiliations: Implications for prevention and intervention. Journal of Early Adolescence, 22, 223-240.
Google Scholar
Fite, P.J., Colder, C.R., Lochman, J.E., & Wells, K.C. (2008). Developmental trajectories of proactive and reactive aggression from 5th to 9th grade. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 37, 412-421.
Google Scholar
Fite, P.J., Stoppelbein, L., & Greening, L. (in press). Proactive and reactive aggression in a child psychiatric inpatient population. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.
Google Scholar
Forth, A.E., Kosson, D.S., & Hare, R. (2003). Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Multi-Health System.
Google Scholar
Frick, P.J., Cornell, A.H., Barry, C.T., Bodin, S.D., & Dane, H.E. (2003). Callous-unemotional traits and conduct problems in the prediction of conduct problem severity, aggression, and self-report of delinquency. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 31, 457-470.
Google Scholar
Frick, P.J., & Hare, R.D. (2001). Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD). Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Multi-Health Systems.
Google Scholar
Frick, P.J., Kimonis, E.R., Dandreaux, D.M., & Farell, J.M. (2003). The 4-year stability of psychopathic traits in non-referred youth. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 21, 713-736.
Google Scholar
Hare, R.D. (1982). Psychopathy and physiological activity during anticipation of an aversive stimulus in a distraction paradigm. Psychophysiology, 19, 266-271.
Google Scholar
Hare, R.D., Hart, S.D., & Harpur, T.J. (1991). Psychopathy and the proposed DSM-IV criteria for antisocial personality disorder. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100, 391-398.
Google Scholar
Hubbard, J.A., Dodge, K.A., Cillessen, A.H.N., Coie, J.D., & Schwartz, D. (2001). The dyadic nature of social information processing in boys' reactive and proactive aggression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80, 268-280.
Google Scholar
Hubbard, J.A., Smithmyer, C.M., Ramsden, S.R., Parker, E.H., Flanagan, K.D., Dearing, K.F., et al. (2002). Observational, physiological, and self-report measures of children's anger: Relations to reactive versus proactive aggression . Child Development, 73, 1101-1118.
Google Scholar
Kosson, D.S., Smith, S.S., & Newman, J.P. (1990). Evaluating the construct validity of psychopathy in black and white male inmates: Three preliminary studies. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 99, 250-259.
Google Scholar
Kotler, J.S., & McMahon, R.J. (2005). Child psychopathy: Theories, measurement, and relations with the development and persistence of conduct problems. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 8, 291-325.
Google Scholar
Kruh, I.P., Frick, P.J., & Clements, C.B. (2005). Historical and personality correlates to the violence patterns of juveniles tried as adults. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 32, 69-96.
Google Scholar
Lochman, J.E., & Wayland, K.K. (1994). Aggression, social acceptance, and race as predictors of negative adolescent outcomes. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 33, 1026-1035.
Google Scholar
Loeber, R. (1990). Development and risk factors of juvenile antisocial behavior and delinquency. Clinical Psychology Review, 10, 1-42.
Google Scholar
Loeber, R., Pardini, D., Homish, D., Wei, E.H., Crawford, A.M., Farrington, D.P., et al. (2005). The prediction of violence and homicide in young men. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 73, 1074-1088.
Google Scholar
Lynam, D.R. (1997). Pursuing the psychopath: Capturing the fledging psychopath in a normological net. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 107, 566-575.
Google Scholar
Lynam, D.R., & Gudonis, L. (2005). The development of psychopathy. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 1, 381-407.
Google Scholar
Lynam, D.R., Loeber, R., & Stouthamer-Loeber, M. (2008). The stability of psychopathy from adolescence into adulthood: The search for moderators. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35, 228-243.
Google Scholar
Marsee, M.A., & Frick, P.J. (2007). Exploring the cognitive and emotional correlates to proactive and reactive aggression in a sample of detained girls. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 35, 969-981.
Google Scholar
McAuliffe, M.D., Hubbard, J.E., Rubin, R.E., Morrow, M.T., & Dearing, K.F. (2006). Reactive and proactive aggression: Stability of constructs and relations to correlates. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 167, 365-382.
Google Scholar
Nagin, D.S., & Tremblay, R. (1999). Trajectories of boys' physical aggression, opposition, and hyperactivity on the path to physically violent and non-violent juvenile delinquency. Child Development, 70, 1181-1196.
Google Scholar
Obradovic, J., Pardini, D., Long, J., & Loeber, R. (2007). Measuring interpersonal callousness in boys from childhood to adolescence: An examination of longitudinal invariance and temporal stability. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 36, 276-292.
Google Scholar
Pardini, D. (2006). The callousness pathway to severe violent delinquency . Aggressive Behavior, 32, 590-598.
Google Scholar
Pardini, D., Lochman, J.E., & Powell, N. (2007). The development of callous-unemotional traits and antisocial behavior in children: Are there shared and/or unique predictors ? Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 36, 319-333.
Google Scholar
Pardini, D., & Loeber, R. (2008). Interpersonal callousness trajectories across adolescence: Early social influences and adult outcomes. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35, 173-196.
Google Scholar
Pardini, D., Obradovic, J., & Loeber, R. (2006). Interpersonal callousness, hyperactivity/impulsivity, inattention, and conduct problems as precursors to delinquency persistence in boys: A comparison of three grade-based cohorts. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 25, 46-59.
Google Scholar
Raine, A., Dodge, K.A., Loeber, R., Gatzke-Kopp, L., Lynam, D., Reynolds, C., et al. (2006). The reactive-proactive aggression questionnaire: Differential correlates of reactive and proactive aggression in adolescent boys. Aggressive Behavior, 32, 159-171.
Google Scholar
Raskin, R.N., & Terry, H. (1988). A principal-components analysis of the narcissistic personality inventory and further evidence of its construct validity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 890-902.
Google Scholar
Salekin, R.T., & Lochman, J.E. (2008). Child and adolescent psychopathy: The search for protective factors. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35, 159-172.
Google Scholar
Salmivalli, C. (2001). Felling good about oneself, being bad to others? Remarks on self-esteem, hostility, and aggressive behavior. Aggressive Violent Behavior, 6, 375-393.
Google Scholar
Schwartz, D., Dodge, K.A., Coie, J.D., Hubbard, J.A., Cillessen, A.H.N., Lemerise, E.A., et al. (1998). Social-cognitive and behavioral correlates of aggression and victimization in boys' play groups. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 26, 431-440.
Google Scholar
Stucke, T.S., & Sporer, S.L. (2002). When a grandiose self-image is threatened: Narcissism and self-concept clarity as predictors of negative emotions and aggression following ego-threat. Journal of Personality, 70, 509-532.
Google Scholar
Tolan, P.H., Guerra, G., & Kendall, P.C. (1995). A developmental ecological perspective on antisocial behavior in children and adolescents: Prediction and prevention of child and adolescent antisocial behavior. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 63, 579-584.
Google Scholar
Twenge, J.M., & Campbell, W.K. (2003). Isn't it fun to get the respect that we're going to deserve? Narcissism, social rejection, and aggression . Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29, 261-272.
Google Scholar
Vitacco, M.J., Neumann, C.S., Ramos, V., & Roberts, M.K. (2003). Ineffective parenting: A precursor to psychopathic traits and delinquency in Hispanic females. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1008, 300-303.
Google Scholar
Vitaro, F., Brendgen, M., & Tremblay, R.E. (2002). Reactively and proactively aggressive children: Antecedent and subsequent characteristics. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 43, 495-506.
Google Scholar
Waschbusch, D.A., Willoughby, M.T., & Pelham, W.E. (1998). Criterion validity and the utility of reactive and proactive aggression: Comparisons to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and other measures of functioning. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 27, 396-405.
Google Scholar
Zahn-Waxler, C., Park, J.H., Essex, M., Slattery, M., & Cole, P.M. (2005). Relational and overt aggression in disruptive adolescent: Prediction from early social representations and links with concurrent problems. Early Education and Development, 16, 259-282.
Google Scholar

Cite article

Cite article

Cite article

OR

Download to reference manager

If you have citation software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice

Share options

Share

Share this article

Share with email
EMAIL ARTICLE LINK
Share on social media

Share access to this article

Sharing links are not relevant where the article is open access and not available if you do not have a subscription.

For more information view the Sage Journals article sharing page.

Information, rights and permissions

Information

Published In

Volume 36, Issue 5
Pages: 481 - 493
Article first published online: May 1, 2009
Issue published: May 2009

Keywords

  1. proactive/reactive aggression
  2. narcissism
  3. impulsivity
  4. callousness
  5. psychopathic characteristics in children

Rights and permissions

Request permissions for this article.

Authors

Affiliations

Paula J. Fite
University of Tennessee, [email protected]
View all articles by this author
Laura Stoppelbein
University of Mississippi Medical Center
View all articles by this author
Leilani Greening
University of Mississippi Medical Center
View all articles by this author

Metrics and citations

Metrics

Journals metrics

This article was published in Criminal Justice and Behavior.

VIEW ALL JOURNAL METRICS

Article usage*

Total views and downloads: 394

*Article usage tracking started in December 2016

Altmetric

See the impact this article is making through the number of times it’s been read, and the Altmetric Score.
Learn more about the Altmetric Scores


Articles citing this one

Receive email alerts when this article is cited

Web of Science: 39 view articles Opens in new tab

Crossref: 41

  1. The developmental characteristics of proactive and reactive aggression...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  2. Proactive and reactive aggression: Developmental trajectories and long...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  3. Relations between reactive and proactive aggression and internalizing ...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  4. Adverse Childhood Experiences
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  5. What makes a violent mind? The interplay of parental rearing, dark tri...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  6. Elaborating on the construct validity of the antisocial process screen...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  7. Functions of Aggression and Peer Likeability in Elementary School Chil...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  8. Psychosocial Correlates of Reactive and Proactive Aggression among Pro...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  9. Psychopathy and animal cruelty offenders
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  10. Adverse Childhood Experiences
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  11. An Examination of Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms and Aggression among ...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  12. Further Evaluation of the Link between Perceived Containment and Proac...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  13. The Moderating Effects of Child-Perceived Parental Psychological Contr...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  14. Irritability and Limited Prosocial Emotions/Callous-Unemotional Traits...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  15. Get mad: Chronic anger expression and psychopathic traits in three ind...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  16. Friendship Quality in Youth With and Without Disruptive Behavior Disor...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  17. Testing Cold and Hot Cognitive Control as Moderators of a Network of C...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  18. Adolescent Reactive and Proactive Aggression, and Bullying in Hong Kon...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  19. Skin conductance, heart rate and aggressive behavior type
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  20. Does Affective Theory of Mind Contribute to Proactive Aggression in Bo...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  21. The co‐occurrence and correlates of anxiety disorders among adolescent...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  22. Psychiatric evaluation of youths with Disruptive Behavior Disorders an...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  23. Dimensions of psychopathy in relation to proactive and reactive aggres...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  24. Functions of Aggression and Peer Victimization in Elementary School Ch...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  25. Proactive and Reactive Aggression
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  26. Assessment of Psychopathic Traits in Singaporean Adolescents: Validati...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  27. Factor Structure and Invariance of the Reactive and Proactive Aggressi...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  28. Stability Subtypes of Callous–Unemotional Traits and Conduct Disorder ...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  29. Risk Factors Associated with Proactive and Reactive Aggression in a Ch...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  30. Proactive and Reactive Aggression
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  31. Autism Spectrum Disorder
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  32. The Impact of Parenting on the Associations Between Child Aggression S...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  33. A Meta-Analysis Exploring the Relationship Between Psychopathy and Ins...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  34. The role of cortisol and psychopathic traits in aggression among at‐ri...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  35. Youth psychopathy: Differential correlates of callous-unemotional trai...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  36. A mediating model of relational aggression, narcissistic orientations,...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  37. Psychopathy, reactive aggression, and precarious proclamations: A revi...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  38. Treatment-related changes in behavioral outcomes of psychopathy facets...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  39. The Genetic and Environmental Covariation Among Psychopathic Personali...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  40. Reactive and Proactive Aggression in Adolescent Males...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  41. Are violent people more likely to have low self-esteem or high self-es...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar

Figures and tables

Figures & Media

Tables

View Options

Get access

Access options

If you have access to journal content via a personal subscription, university, library, employer or society, select from the options below:

IACFP members can access this journal content using society membership credentials.

MEMBERSHIP LOGIN

IACFP members can access this journal content using society membership credentials.

MEMBERSHIP LOGIN

Alternatively, view purchase options below:

Purchase 24 hour online access to view and download content.

Subscribe to this journal

Access journal content via a DeepDyve subscription or find out more about this option.

Start 2 week free trial
Need help?

View options

PDF/ePub

View PDF/ePub
Download PDF

Also from Sage