TO STUDY THE MAGNITUDE OF AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR AND BELIEFS IN SCHOOL GOING ADOLESCENTS, LUDHIANA, NORTH INDIA

Abstract

Introduction: The present study addresses adolescent aggression, a significant public health concern influenced by psychological, social, and biological factors. Aggressive behavior in adolescents manifests in physical, verbal, and social forms, adversely affecting mental health, academic performance, and social relationships. Given the limited research on urban Indian adolescents, particularly in Ludhiana, this study aims to fill the gap by examining the magnitude of aggressive behavior and related beliefs among school-going adolescents. Objectives: The primary objective is to assess the magnitude of aggressive behavior and associated beliefs among adolescents aged 11 to 18 years. The secondary objective is to correlate aggressive behavior with demographic factors including age, gender, socioeconomic status, and maternal education. Methodology: A cross-sectional design was employed involving 1,213 adolescents from randomly selected English medium senior secondary schools in Ludhiana, Punjab. Participants were categorized into early, middle, and late adolescence. Data were collected using validated self-administered CDC Compendium scales measuring aggressive behavior and beliefs supporting aggression. Demographic data were gathered via structured questionnaires. Statistical analysis included descriptive and inferential tests, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: The overall prevalence of aggressive behavior was 28.44%, highest in early adolescence (30.71%) and significantly greater among males (32.24%) than females (24.58%). Physical aggression was notably frequent, alongside verbal and social forms. Moderate endorsement of aggression-supportive beliefs was observed in 56.47% of participants, with higher prevalence in boys and lower socioeconomic groups. A significant positive correlation (Spearman’s rho = 0.281, p < 0.0001) existed between aggressive behavior and aggression-supportive beliefs. Sociodemographic factors such as age, gender, socioeconomic status, and maternal education were significantly associated with aggression levels. Conclusion: The present study highlights a substantial presence of aggressive behavior and supporting beliefs among school-going adolescents in Ludhiana. Findings emphasize the need for culturally tailored, gender-sensitive school-based interventions. Future longitudinal research with multi-informant data is critical to establish causality and inform effective prevention strategies targeting both behavior and underlying beliefs in this population.