Abstract
The current study examined cross-informant agreement and clinical utility of parent and teacher ratings of reactive and proactive aggression (two functions of aggression) in the prediction of aggressive and rule-breaking behavior (two forms of aggressive behavior) in a clinically-heterogeneous referred sample. Reactive and proactive measures were significantly related to one another within informant. Furthermore, the reactive and proactive measures of aggression were significantly related across informants and resulted in differential predictions of emotion-focused aggressive and goal-directed rule-breaking behaviors in home and school settings. Both reactive and proactive functions of aggression predicted aggressive acts that were more emotion-focused, whereas only the proactive function of aggression predicted instrumental acts of aggression. The current findings suggest that setting-specific reports of functions and forms of aggressive behavior are valuable and that it may be premature to abandon the reactive and proactive aggression distinction.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
Parents were asked to discontinue stimulant medications (not including the non-stimulant atomoxetine) for their child (if applicable) on the days of assessment. All other medications were continued.
References
Achenbach, T. M. (2001a). Manual for the child behavior checklist 4–18 and 2001 profile. Burlington: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry.
Achenbach, T. M. (2001b). Manual for the teacher report form 4–18 and 2001 profile. Burlington: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry.
Achenbach, T. M., McConaughy, S. H., & Howell, C. G. (1987). Child/adolescent behavioral and emotional problems: implications of cross-cultural correlations for situational specificity. Psychological Bulletin, 101, 213–232.
Bandura, A. (1969). Principles of behavior modification. New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston.
Brown, K., Atkins, M. S., Osborne, M. L., & Milnamow, M. (1996). A revised teacher rating scale for reactive and proactive aggression. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 24, 473–480.
Bushman, B. J., & Anderson, C. A. (2001). Is it time to pull the plug on the hostile versus instrumental aggression dichotomy? Psychological Review, 108(1), 273–279.
Coie, J. D., Dodge, K. A., Terry, R., & Wright, V. (1991). The role of aggression in peer relations: an analysis of aggression episodes in boy’s play groups. Child Development, 62, 812–826.
Collett, B. R., Ohan, J., & Myers, K. M. (2003). Ten-year review of rating scales. VI: scales assessing externalizing behaviors. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 42, 1143–1170.
Crick, N. R., & Dodge, K. A. (1996). Social information-processing mechanisms in reactive and proactive aggression. Child Development, 67, 993–1002.
Dodge, K. A., Bates, J. E., & Pettit, G. S. (1990). Mechanisms in the cycle of violence. Science, 250, 1678–1683.
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.
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(1), 37–51.
Dodge, K. A., Pettit, G. S., Bates, J. E., & Valente, E. (1995). Social information-processing patterns partially mediate the effect of early physical abuse on later conduct problems. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 104, 632–643.
Frick, P. (1998). Conduct disorders. In T. H. Ollendick, & M. Hersen (Eds.), Handbook of child psychopathology. New York: Plenum.
Grills, A. E., & Ollendick, T. H. (2003). Multiple informant agreement and the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for Parents and Children. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 42, 30–40.
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(4), 1101–1118.
Johnston, C., & Murray, C. (2003). Incremental validity in the psychological assessment of children and adolescents. Psychological Assessment, 15(4), 496–507.
Kamphaus, R. W., & Frick, P. J. (2005). Clinical assessment of child and adolescent personality and behavior (2nd ed.). New York: Springer.
Kempes, M., Matthys, W., de Vries, H., & van Engeland, H. (2005). Reactive and proactive aggression in children: a review of theory, findings, and the relevance for child and adolescent psychiatry. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 14(1), 11–19.
Kempes, M., Matthys, W., Maassen, G., van Goozen, S., & van Engeland, H. (2006). A parent questionnaire for distinguishing between reactive and proactive aggression in children. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 15(1), 38–45.
Little, T. D., Jones, S. M., Henrich, C. C., & Hawley, P. H. (2003). Disentangling the “whys” from the “whats” of aggressive behaviour. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 27, 122–133.
Ollendick, T. H., & Cerny, J. A. (1981). Clinical behavior therapy with children. New York: Plenum.
Ollendick, T. H., & Hersen, M. (1993). Handbook of child and adolescent assessment. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Polman, H., Orobiao de Castro, B., Koops, W., van Boxtel, H. W., & Merk, W. W. (2007). A meta-analysis of the distinction between reactive and proactive aggression in children and adolescents. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 35(4), 522–535.
Poulin, F., & Boivin, M. (2000). Reactive and proactive aggression: evidence of a two-factor model. Psychological Assessment, 12(2), 115–122.
Price, K. F., & Dodge, K. A. (1989). Reactive and proactive aggression in childhood: relations to peer status and social context dimensions. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 17, 455–471.
Prifitera, A., Saklofske, D. H., & Weiss, G. (Eds.) (2005). WISC-IV: clinical use and interpretation. New York: Elsevier.
Rapee, R. M., Barrett, P. M., Dadds, M. R., & Evans, L. (1994). Reliability of the DSM-III-R childhood anxiety disorders using structured interview: inter-rater and parent–child agreement. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 33, 984–992.
Silverman, W. K., & Albano, A. M. (1996). Manual for the ADIS-IV-C/P. New York: Psychological Corporation.
Silverman, W. K., & Nelles, W. B. (1988). The anxiety disorders interview schedule for children. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 27, 772–778.
Silverman, W. K., Saavedra, L. M., & Pina, A. A. (2001). Test–retest reliability of anxiety symptoms and diagnoses with the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-IV: child and parent versions. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 40, 937–944.
The Psychological Corporation (1992). Manual, the Wechsler individual achievement test. San Antonio, TX: Author.
The Psychological Corporation (2002). Manual, the Wechsler individual achievement test (2nd ed.). San Antonio, TX: Author.
Vitiello, B., & Stoff, D. M. (1997). Subtypes of aggression and their relevance to child psychiatry. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36(3), 307–315.
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, conduct disorder, and other measures of functioning. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 27(4), 396–405.
Wechsler, D. (1991). Manual for the Wechsler intelligence scale for children (3rd ed.). San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation, Revised.
Wechsler, D. (2003). Manual for the Wechsler intelligence scale for children (4th ed.). San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This research was funded in part by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (1R01MH76141).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ollendick, T.H., Jarrett, M.A., Wolff, J.C. et al. Reactive and Proactive Aggression: Cross-informant Agreement and the Clinical Utility of Different Informants. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 31, 51–59 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-008-9087-z
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-008-9087-z