Family Violence, Personality Characteristics and Aggression: A Psychosocial Study among Students in Wayanad District
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63345/ujhmds.v2.i3.303Keywords:
Family violence, personality, Big Five, aggression, students, Wayanad, psychosocial factorsAbstract
Student aggression is one of the major concerns for teachers, parents, and psychologists in India. The present research explored the connection between family violence exposure and personality traits on aggression among students in Wayanad district of Kerala state. A cross-sectional survey was carried out with 400 participants (196 males and 204 females) aged 16 to 22 years enrolled in higher secondary schools and undergraduate colleges across all three taluks of the district through stratified random sampling technique. Students responded to Family Violence Exposure Scale (adapted from Revised Conflict Tactics Scales and ISPCAN Child Abuse Screening Tool) scale, Big Five Inventory, and Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire. There was a positive correlation between family violence exposure and aggression (r = .46, p < .001). As regards personality factors, neuroticism had a positive correlation with aggression (r = .41), while agreeableness (r = −.38) and conscientiousness (r = −.27) showed negative correlations. Aggression scores were significantly higher for students who experienced high level of family violence than those exposed to moderate and low levels of family violence, F(2, 397) = 63.43, p < .001, η² = .24. Male students showed higher aggression scores than females on total and physical aggression subscale. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that family violence exposure, neuroticism, agreeableness and conscientiousness accounted for 37.0% variance in aggression, and neuroticism mediated the association between family violence exposure and aggression.
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