Reactive and proactive aggression: Predictions to physical violence in different contexts and moderating effects of parental monitoring and caregiving behavior

This study aimed at (a) comparing the links of proactive and reactive aggre ssion at 13 years of age to delinquency-related violence and dating violenc e at ages 16 and 17, and (b) examining the moderating effects of parental s uper-vision, and mother's and father's warmth and caregiving behaviors on t hese links. Based on a sample of 525 Caucasian boys, the results showed tha t proactive aggression uniquely predicted delinquency-related violence, whe reas reactive aggression uniquely predicted later dating violence. The rela tion between proactive aggression and delinquency-related violence, however , was moderated by parental supervision. The relation between reactive aggr ession and dating violence was moderated by mother's warmth and caregiving behavior. The implications of the findings for the theoretical and practica l distinction between proactive and reactive aggression are discussed.