Study of aggression and its factors among school going adolescents of Delhi, India.

ABSTRACT

Background: Adolescence is an important developmental phase of life associated with various ideas and emotions filled with energy, many times spent in the form of aggressive behavior. Mental Health, as an important part of healthy well-being, cannot be ignored, and hence it becomes imperative to study aggression and associated factors among adolescents. Objective: To determine the prevalence of aggression among school-going adolescents and to study factors associated with aggression amongst study participants. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire having questions regarding socio-demographic data, details of friends, history of substance use etc. and the Buss and Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ). Data were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Institutional Ethics Committee of Safdarjung Hospital, and informed written consent was taken from participants. Results: The study involved a total of 463 school-going adolescents with a mean age of 13.78 ± 2.06 years. More than half (50.5%) of the participants were found to be aggressive. Male gender, history of family member ever jailed, parent's argument in front of them, ever tried cigarette/smoking, being involved in some fight and provocation by friends for aggression were the factors found to be significantly associated with aggression. Conclusion: The prevalence of aggression among school-going adolescents of Delhi was quite high. There is a need to make the students aware about aggression and how to deal with it. A holistic approach may be adopted in which all authorities and stakeholders must work together to provide safer and nurturing environment to all students.