Quality of parent/adolescent attachment and aggression in young adolescents

A model of the association between adolescents' perception of the quality o f parent/adolescent attachment and adolescent aggression,vas examined with social cognition and self-esteem as mediators. A total of 68 sixth graders, their parents, and their language arts teachers participated. Adolescents completed measures of attachment with mother and with father; self-esteem, social cognition, and aggressive tendencies. Mothers, fathers, and teachers each completed measures of adolescent aggressive and prosocial behavior. E vidence was obtained for social cognition and self-esteem both as mediators between adolescents' perceived quality of mother/adolescent attachment and adolescent self-report of aggression. Controlling for mother/adolescent an d father/adolescent attachment and adolescent self-esteem, adolescent highe r social cognition was associated with adolescent lower self-report of aggr ession. Controlling mother/adolescent and father/adolescent attachment and adolescent social cognition, adolescent higher self-esteem was associated w ith father-reported lo,ver adolescent aggression and father-reported higher adolescent prosocial behavior: Implications for further research are discu ssed.