A typology of aggressive behavior in youths and adolescents

The main aim of this study was the evaluation of the construct validity of a typology of aggressive behavior using structural equation modelling. The sample consisted of a wide range of youngsters and adolescents from different educational centers in Madrid (250 males and 250 women, mean age= 19.53 years) who completed self report measures. Results provided greater empirical support for a tridimensional typology of aggression: physical aggression, social aggression, and contextual aggression. The relevance of these results with respect to the debelopment of preventive programs for aggressive behavior is discussed.