Correlation between Indirect Aggression and Parent-Child Communication among Arab-Palestinian Adolescents: Gender as a Moderator

The current study examined the moderating role of gender on the relationship between parent-child communication and perpetration of indirect aggression among 3,187 Arab-Palestinian adolescents ages 13 to 18 living in Israel. A structured, anonymous self-report questionnaire was completed by the participants in their classrooms. The findings of the study revealed that 65.7% of the participants had perpetrated indirect aggression against others at least once during the month preceding the study. Contrary to researchers' assumption, male adolescents reported higher levels of indirect aggression than female adolescents. The findings also showed that parent-child communication correlated significantly and negatively with perpetration of indirect aggression against others. This correlation was stronger among girls than boys. The high levels of indirect aggression reported in this study highlight the need for planning and implementation of comprehensive intervention and prevention programs that include all types of aggression among adolescents. In addition, because parents play a significant role in mitigating levels of indirect aggression, they should be part of these intervention programs.