Longitudinal relationship between perceived stress and Chinese adolescent aggressive behavior: The mediating role of impulse control and the moderating role of social connectedness

Early adolescence is a period of high incidence of individual problematic behaviors. This study explores the relationship between perceived stress and aggressive behavior among adolescents (aged 12–15) and its underlying mechanism based on the I3 model. A total of 1,164 Chinese adolescents were surveyed at three time points (Time 1 = T1, Time 2 = T2, Time 3 = T3) with a 6-month interval using the Perceived Stress Scale, the Social Connectedness Scale, the Impulse Control Scale, and the Aggression Questionnaire. The results showed that: (1) Perceived stress at T1 positively predicted aggressive behavior at T3; (2) Impulse control at T2 played a longitudinal mediating role between perceived stress and aggressive behavior; (3) Social connectedness at T3 moderated the direct effect of perceived stress at T1 on aggressive behavior at T3; (4) The moderated mediation model revealed no gender differences: While the longitudinal mediating effect of impulse control was significant for all adolescents, the moderating effect of social connectedness was not significant for either boys or girls. The study reveals the underlying mechanism and gender differences of the impact of perceived stress on aggressive behavior among adolescents and emphasizes the importance of social connectedness and impulse control ability in the intervention of adolescent aggressive behavior.