Anxiety and aggression have negative effect on an individual and also substantially affect the school work. Therefore the research using evidence based prevention programs is crucial for the effectiveness of school system and for students’ wellbeing. Studies have revealed that programmes for aggression reduction, in other countries and in Slovenia alike, are for the most part unsuccessful. On the other hand anxiety reduction programmes, in particular the cognitive behavioural approaches, are more efficient. In the study we have tested the assumption that we can address both anxiety and aggression at the same time using social and emotional learning programs, such as FRIENDS (Barrett, 2005). FRIENDS is a prevention programme on the basis of the cognitive- behavioural approach that efficiently reduces anxiety and depression in children, adolescents and adults on the basis of social and emotional learning (in individual and group setting).This study is the first to examine the effectiveness of the FRIENDS programme, a school-based, universal preventive intervention for anxiety and promotion of resilience in Slovenia. We have used randomized control trial on convenience samples of 4th and 8th grade students (10 and 14 years old) in Slovenia (N=165). Students were randomly allocated to control or experimental condition. In experimental condition students were exposed to FRIENDS program (My FRIENDS, FRIENDS for life). Students (their parents and teachers) completed selected set of self report measures measuring emotional and social and behavioural difficulties, among others also standardized anxiety scale – LAOM (Kozina, 2011) and standardized aggression scale - LA (Kozina, 2012). The measurement took place at pre- and post- and 6-month follow-up. In the study we will focus on the differences (pre and post comparisons for experimental and control group) in the students’ level of anxiety and aggression. The results will be discussed with possible implications for school practise.
B.03 Paper at an international scientific conference
COBISS.SI-ID: 2834775Aggressive behavior has negative outcomes, both short-term and long-term ones for children and adolescents and at the same time disrupts the process of learning and affects the school climate, which is positively connected to students’ educational achievement. Current study focuses on the developmental perspective of aggression and aims at better understanding of time and age related trends (especially regarding different types of aggression) and how this knowledge can be used in aggression prevention programs in schools. The paper presents the results of a large cross-sectional and two-wave cohort study of aggression with a focus on specific types of direct aggression, inner aggression and aggression towards authority in school setting. Aggression was measured with a Lestvica Agresivnosti (LA) aggression scale (general trait aggression and four factors: physical aggression, verbal aggression, inner aggression and aggression towards authority) in cross-sectional design in two age groups, ten year olds (2007: N= 4,351: 2,621 male and 2,663 female; 2011: N= 4,674: 2,347 male and 2,158 female) and fourteen year olds (2007: N= 4,043: 2,545 male and 2,569 female; 2011: N= 4,741: 2,274 male and 2,173 female) in 2007 and in 2011. The results show increases in general aggression (and all measured factors) from ten to fourteen years of age that cannot be attributed to generation. The effect sizes are largest in aggression towards authority (η2 =.124) and in verbal aggression (η2 =.066). The time-related trends show a significant decrease in physical aggression and an increase in inner aggression from 2007 to 2011 in both observed age groups. The implications of the findings are discussed and, in line with the results, early intervention is supported.
B.03 Paper at an international scientific conference
COBISS.SI-ID: 2878295In the lecture both concepts were presented with their conceptual framework, risk and protective factors on school and home level, developmental and time trends, merasurement and especially prevention and intervention on school level - with social and emotional learning being in the focus.
B.04 Guest lecture
COBISS.SI-ID: 2887255Anxiety is a cognitive, emotional, behavioural and physiological response of an individual who is experiencing a feeling of danger or threat and the cause of which they are not aware of. Aggression is behaviour the intention of which is to cause harm to oneself or another person, or behaviour that actually causes it. The study focuses on both of these concepts that are to a certain point related constructs (correlation coefficients around 0.30 ). Both constructs have a negative effect on an individual and also affect the school work (Flannery, Vazsonyi & Waldman, 2007; Stallard, 2009). Aim of the study is to explore the nature of this relationship and the way this relationship could be used when planning prevention and intervention programmes for anxiety and aggression especially in the school setting. In the study we will use empirical data of two scales: LAOM anxiety scale for children and adolescents (Kozina, 2011) and LA aggression Scale (Kozina, 2013) in large representative samples of elementary (N=10,427) and secondary school pupils/students (N=3,343) in cross sectional study design. Our assumption is that anxiety can be a predecessor of aggression and work as a trigger for aggressive behaviour. Using data of all included samples we will use SEM analyses in order to test the hypothesis that increased anxiety leads to increased aggression. Our assumption is partly based on the frustration-aggression theory (Dollard, Dobb, Miller, Mowrer & Sears, 1939) and partly on the model of defensive behaviour by M.F. Delfos (2004) which causally links aggression to anxiety. Additionally, the nature of the relationship will be evaluated separately by gender and different age groups (4thgrade and 8thgrade pupils), which will enable improved generalization of derived conclusions. Based on the findings implications for the practise will be derived.
B.03 Paper at an international scientific conference
COBISS.SI-ID: 2704983In this paper we analyze the predictive power of home and school environment-related factors for pupils' aggression. The multiple regression analyses will be performed for 4th and 8th grade pupils on TIMSS 2007 (N=8394) and TIMSS 2011 data base (N=9415) for Slovenia. On the national level aggression scale (Kozina, 2011) was administered in both TIMSS cycles. As far as home variables are concerned, the variables related to the family socioeconomic status, pupils' educational aspirations, parental activities with their children and pupils' free time activities will be included. As for school environment variables, variables related to the school climate, pupils' attitudes towards school and school subjects and pupils' achievement in mathematics and science will be included. The predictive power of models (including only home and only school variables) will be compared (based on the % of explained variance) and on the basis of included variables the relative predictive power of home environment variables in comparison to school environment variables will therewith be established. According to the research literature reviewed, higher levels of aggression is expected for pupils with low SES (Guerrero et al., 2006), passive free-time activities (Baron & Richardson, 1994), lower achievements (Green et al., 1980; McEvoy & Welker, 2000), lower educational aspirations (Finn & Frone, 2003), negative school climate (Brookmayer et al., 2006) and negative attitudes towards school and school subjects (Krall, 2003). If the results will show that school related factors such as school climate are significant predictor of pupils’ aggression we will additionally perform a hierarchical linear model of data from 2007 and 2011 to evaluate if there are any significant differences in aggression between schools. In view of the anticipated significant predictive factors among school-related variables, significant changes in the level of aggression among schools are likewise expected. Inclusion of two data cycles collected in two time periods will offer observation of changes in aggression predictors in time.
B.03 Paper at an international scientific conference
COBISS.SI-ID: 2574679