Aggression and Adjustment Among Chinese Adolescents: The Role of Classroom Cultural Norms

Abstract

Classroom environment may play a significant role in shaping adolescent development. This one-year longitudinal study investigated the moderating effects of classroom cultural norms on the relations between aggression and adjustment among Chinese adolescents. Participants included 2,671 students (47.7% boys) in middle schools, initially in 7th grade (M age = 12.91 years), in China. Data on self- and group-orientations, aggression, and adjustment variables were obtained from multiple sources including self-reports, peer nominations, teacher ratings, and school records. Classroom group-oriented norm significantly moderated the relations between aggression and later adjustment. More specifically, aggression was negatively associated with academic and social competence in classrooms with higher scores on group-oriented norm. Aggression was also positively associated with distinguished studentship and negatively associated with loneliness in classrooms with lower scores on group-oriented norm. The results suggested that adolescents who were more aggressive performed worse in classrooms with a higher group-oriented norm and better in classrooms with a lower group-oriented norm. The study indicates that the context of classroom may affect school and psychosocial adjustment of adolescents high on aggression.