The Role of Preschool Relational and Physical Aggression in the Transition to Kindergarten: Links With Social-Psychological Adjustment

Abstract

Research Findings: The transition to kindergarten has important ramifications for future achievement and psychosocial outcomes. Research suggests that physical aggression may be related to difficulty during school transitions, yet no studies to date have examined the role of relational aggression in these transitions. This article examines how engagement in preschool physical and relational aggression predict psychosocial adjustment during the kindergarten school year. Observations and teacher reports of aggression were collected in preschool, and kindergarten teachers reported on student–teacher relationship quality, child internalizing problems, and peer acceptance in kindergarten. Results suggested that preschool physical aggression predicted reduced peer acceptance and increased conflict with the kindergarten teacher. High levels of relational aggression, when not combined with physical aggression, were related to more positive transitions to kindergarten in the domains assessed. Practice or Policy: These data lend support to the need for interventions among physically aggressive preschoolers that target not only concurrent behavior but also future aggression and adjustment in kindergarten. Thus, educators should work to encourage social influence in more prosocial ways among aggressive preschoolers.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research was supported by grants to the fifth author from NICHD (5R01HD46629-2) and NSF (BCS-0126521). Preparation of this manuscript was supported in part by a National Research Service Award (NRSA) in Primary Medical Care (T32HP22239; PI: Borowsky) from the Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship to the first author. The authors gratefully thank the preschools, elementary schools, and participating families for their involvement in this study.

Notes

¹Observations of aggression were also conducted in kindergarten (Time 3). However, the reduced amount of free play in kindergarten compared to preschool made this challenging. Furthermore, based on anecdotal evidence, we felt that many instances of relational aggression may have been missed because kindergartners appeared to huddle in groups and talk quietly, often outside of the observers' earshot, more often than preschoolers did. In fact, we did not code enough instances of relational or physical aggression in kindergarten to have usable data. However, teacher reports are often used in elementary school to assess aggression, and they were reliable in our sample.

²Sex was examined as a moderator in each analysis. However, in no case did the sex interaction terms significantly increase the R² value or was the interaction beta significant. These analyses are therefore not presented.