IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i8p4679-d792729.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Psychosocial Correlates of Reactive and Proactive Aggression among Protesters during the Social Movement in Hong Kong

Author

Listed:
  • Annis Lai Chu Fung

    (Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China)

Abstract

This pioneering study examined how psychosocial factors predicted reactive and proactive aggression among adolescents and young adults in Hong Kong during the Anti-Extradition Bill Movement. A total of 1027 local secondary and tertiary students (578 male, 449 female) aged from 12 to 25 years ( M = 16.95, SD = 3.30) completed a questionnaire measuring political participation and attitudes, victimization experiences, aggression, life satisfaction, moral disengagement, and psychopathic traits. ANCOVA and multiple linear regression analyses were performed. The results revealed that compared with non-protesters, protestors had more negative traits and poorer well-being (higher levels of reactive aggression, moral disengagement, narcissism, and impulsivity; lower life satisfaction; more experiences of victimization by strangers related to political disputes). Nonetheless, protesters had similar psychosocial correlates of reactive and proactive aggression when compared to the non-protesters. Among the protesters, reactive aggression was positively predicted by anger towards the government, moral justification, diffusion of responsibility, impulsivity, and narcissism and negatively predicted by satisfaction with the government, advantageous comparison, and dehumanization. Furthermore, proactive aggression was positively predicted by narcissism, euphemistic language, and advantageous comparison and negatively predicted by moral justification. The implications of the findings for psychotherapy, school education, parenting, and social policies are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Annis Lai Chu Fung, 2022. "Psychosocial Correlates of Reactive and Proactive Aggression among Protesters during the Social Movement in Hong Kong," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-23, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:8:p:4679-:d:792729
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/8/4679/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/8/4679/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Daniel T. L. Shek & Lu-Yin Liang, 2018. "Psychosocial Factors Influencing Individual Well-Being in Chinese Adolescents in Hong Kong: a Six-Year Longitudinal Study," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 13(3), pages 561-584, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ricarda Steinmayr & Linda Wirthwein & Laura Modler & Margaret M. Barry, 2019. "Development of Subjective Well-Being in Adolescence," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-23, September.
    2. Xiaoqin Zhu & Daniel T. L. Shek, 2020. "The Influence of Adolescent Problem Behaviors on Life Satisfaction: Parent–Child Subsystem Qualities as Mediators," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 13(5), pages 1767-1789, October.
    3. Moreno-Maldonado, C. & Jiménez-Iglesias, A. & Camacho, I. & Rivera, F. & Moreno, C. & Matos, M.G., 2020. "Factors associated with life satisfaction of adolescents living with employed and unemployed parents in Spain and Portugal: A person focused approach," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    4. Xiaoqin Zhu & Daniel T. L. Shek, 2021. "Problem Behavior and Life Satisfaction in Early Adolescence: Longitudinal Findings in a Chinese Context," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(7), pages 2889-2914, October.
    5. Costa, Mónica & Tagliabue, Semira & Matos, Paula Mena & Mota, Catarina Pinheiro, 2020. "Stability and change in adolescents’ well-being: The role of relationships with caregivers in residential care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    6. Jorge J. Varela & Shazly Savahl & Sabirah Adams & Fernando Reyes, 2020. "Examining the Relationship Among Bullying, School Climate and Adolescent Well-Being in Chile and South Africa: a Cross Cultural Comparison," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 13(3), pages 819-838, June.
    7. Janet T. Y. Leung & Daniel T. L. Shek & Chak-Man Tang, 2023. "Development and Validation of the Chinese Family Resilience Scale in Families in Hong Kong," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-19, January.
    8. Ferran Casas & Lívia Bedin & Mònica González-Carrasco & Jorge Castellá Sarriera & Jaime Alfaro, 2022. "Rights and overall life satisfaction of 10- and 12-year-old children in three countries," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 15(2), pages 487-509, April.
    9. Diyang Qu & Bowen Chen & Iris Kam-fung Liu & Chrystyna D. Kouros & Nancy Xiaonan Yu, 2023. "Variations in Adaptation Profiles Among Chinese Immigrant Mothers and Their Children: A Dyadic Latent Profile Analysis," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 1397-1418, April.
    10. Ricarda Steinmayr & Patrick Paschke & Linda Wirthwein, 2022. "Elementary School Students’ Subjective Well-Being Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(6), pages 2985-3005, August.
    11. Flavia Izzo & Roberto Baiocco & Jessica Pistella, 2022. "Children’s and Adolescents’ Happiness and Family Functioning: A Systematic Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-28, December.
    12. Mònica González-Carrasco & Marc Sáez & Ferran Casas, 2020. "Subjective Well-Being in Early Adolescence: Observations from a Five-Year Longitudinal Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-20, November.
    13. Sze Mon Lo & Ho Cheong Wong & Ching Yee Lam & Daniel T. L. Shek, 2021. "An Innovative Multidisciplinary Healthcare Model in Student Mental Health: Experience in Hong Kong," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(1), pages 301-313, February.
    14. Yao Fu & Jia Chen, 2022. "The Influence of Parental Migration on Left-behind Children’s Mental Health in China: the Mediating Roles of Daily Stress and Sense-Making," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(5), pages 2455-2477, October.
    15. Varela, Jorge J. & Fábrega, Jorge & Carrillo, Gisela & Benavente, Mariavictoria & Alfaro, Jaime & Rodríguez, Carlos, 2020. "Bullying and subjective well-being: A hierarchical socioeconomical status analysis of Chilean adolescents," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    16. Zhu, Xiaoqin & Shek, Daniel TL, 2021. "Parental factors and adolescent well-being: Associations between developmental trajectories," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    17. Cho, Esther Yin-Nei & Chan, T.M.S., 2020. "Children’s wellbeing in a high-stakes testing environment: The case of Hong Kong," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    18. Daniel T. L. Shek, 2020. "Protests in Hong Kong (2019–2020): a Perspective Based on Quality of Life and Well-Being," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 15(3), pages 619-635, July.
    19. Hechao Jiang & Taixiang Duan & Fang Wang, 2022. "The Effects of Parental Labor Migration on Children’s Mental Health in Rural China," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(5), pages 2543-2562, October.
    20. Daniel T.L. Shek & Li Lin & Cecilia M.S. Ma & Lu Yu & Janet T.Y. Leung & Florence K.Y. Wu & Hilde Leung & Diya Dou, 2021. "Perceptions of Adolescents, Teachers and Parents of Life Skills Education and Life Skills in High School Students in Hong Kong," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(5), pages 1847-1860, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:8:p:4679-:d:792729. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.