The Association Between Normative Beliefs Approving Aggression and Overt Aggressive Behavior in Vietnamese Adolescents: A Short-Term Longitudinal Study

In Vietnam, school violence is a serious problem; yet, little is known about the factors explaining this phenomenon. The current study looked at the role of normative beliefs approving aggression in the development of overt aggressive behavior. Using a short-term longitudinal design with three waves (4-month interval), this study examined the associations between normative beliefs approving aggression and overt aggressive behavior in a sample of Vietnamese adolescents. The sample included 632 participants at Wave 1 (51.4% boys, X over bar age = 13.00 years, SD = 0.85 years), 567 participants at Wave 2 (50.8% boys, X over bar age = 13.36 years, SD = 0.90 years), and 530 participants at Wave 3 (49.8% boys, X over bar age = 13.62 years, SD = 0.87 years). All variables were measured using a self-report questionnaire. Within waves, normative beliefs approving aggression were positively related to overt aggressive behavior. More importantly, cross-lagged panel analysis revealed that the normative beliefs predicted increases in overt aggressive behavior over time.