Effect of Family Cohesion on Aggression among Chinese Middle School Students: The Mediating Role of Psychological Suzhi

This study was based on ecological systems theory, combined with the concept of localization put forward by Chinese scholars, to explore the influence of the family (family cohesion) and personal (psychological suzhi) factors on middle school students’ aggression. A total of 20,114 middle school students aged 12 to 18 years (M = 14.30, SD = 1.40) completed the Family Cohesion Questionnaire, the Psychological Suzhi Questionnaire, and the Chinese Version of Buss and Perry Aggression Questionnaire. The results indicated that there were significant negative correlations among family cohesion, psychological suzhi, and overall aggression along with its components. Additionally, psychological suzhi significantly mediated the relationship between family cohesion and aggression and its sub-dimensions. These results highlighted the important roles of family cohesion and psychological suzhi in adolescents’ behavioral development and provided potential strategies to reduce middle school students’ aggression.