The association between peer rejection and aggression types: A meta-analysis

Background: Although previous studies have assessed the association between peer rejection and aggression, the results are mixed. Objective: This article presents a meta-analysis of the association between peer rejection and aggression types (overt vs. relational) among children and adolescents. Participants and setting: A total of 61 eligible studies with 70 independent effect sizes were included in the analysis (45,966 participants, Mage = 10.34, SD = 3.13). Methods: First, random-effects meta-analyses were conducted to explore the association between peer rejection and aggression types (overt vs. relational). Next, moderation analyses were conducted based on the Q statistics for categorical variables (culture, reporting method of peer rejection, reporting method of aggression) and the meta-regression analyses for continuous variable (age). Results: Peer rejection was positively correlated with overall aggression (r = 0.42, 95 % CI [0.38, 0.47], p < 0.001), overt aggression (r = 0.46, 95 % CI [0.38, 0.54], p < 0.001) and relational aggression (r = 0.43, 95 % CI [0.35, 0.51], p < 0.001). This correlation was positive for each type when controlling for other form of aggression. Moderation analyses suggested that reporting method of aggression (self-report vs. peer-nomination vs. adult-report vs. observation), reporting method of peer rejection (self-report vs. peer-nomination vs. adult-report) and culture (collectivist vs. individualist) were moderators of the association between peer rejection and overall aggression. Culture moderated the association between peer rejection and overt aggression, while age moderated the association between peer rejection and relational aggression. Conclusions: The findings showed a strong positive association between peer rejection and aggression, although this association varied by aggression type and other moderating variables.