Aggressive behaviours of 48- to 66-month-old children: predictive power of teacher–student relationship, cartoon preferences and mother’s attitude

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to identify the predictive power of the following variables for physical and relational aggression level of children: cartoon preferences of children, parental attitudes and teacher–student relationship. Study group consisted of 300 preschool children their mothers and 18 preschool teachers. The results showed a negative correlation between relational aggression and children’s cartoon preferences and teacher–student relationship. There was a positive correlation between physical aggression and authoritarian attitude and a negative correlation between children’s cartoon preferences and their democratic attitudes. Regression analysis showed that 28% of children’s relationally and 18% of their physically aggressive behaviours were predicted by the variables examined in the study. Stepwise regression analysis indicated children’s cartoon preferences predicted 15% of physically and 25% of relationally aggressive behaviours. Mother’s democratic attitude was found to be the second powerful variable (3%) and then came the teacher–student relationship (1%).